Flintstones

Flintstones was a popular production as far as Hanna-Barbera Productions is concerned, since it is their major Hollywood animation series and was released in the late 1960s. It turned out to be one of world's largest producers of animated entertainment films. The Flintstones is one of the most successful sitcoms of all time

Inspired by the 1950s live-action sitcom The Honeymooners, Flintstones’ story revolved around a working class caveman's life with his family and his next door neighbor / best friend. The first prime time cartoon geared for adults, the show originally aired from 1960 to 1966, on the ABC network. The Flintstones was a huge hit for toys manufacturing industry since it earned around multi-million dollar contract consisting of merchandising business. Perhaps the most long lasting product developed in this ancillary line was Flintstones vitamins, which also became a sponsor for the program. Citing the difficulties children might have in distinguishing cartoon characters from the products made in their likenesses, critics attacked the practice of advertising vitamins to children, and such ads were withdrawn in 1972. The plot of the story revolves around Fred and Wilma Flintstone and their best friends, Barney and Betty Rubble, living in the prehistoric city of Bedrock but faced the problems of contemporary working-class life. Their lives revolved around their home, friends, and leisure activities – a world of drive-ins, bowling, and their "Water Buffalo" lodge. A baby dinosaur and a saber tooth tiger replaced the family dog and cat. In 1962 and 1963, Pebbles and Bamm appeared as the daughter and adopted son of the Flintstones and Rubbles respectively.

The Flintstones came up with an innovative concept breaking the monotonous trend by making each episode as a single story that lasted the full half hour. Until the 1960s, cartoons were generally only a few minutes long. Half-hour programs used three or four shorts. In another innovation, Hanna-Barbera produced it using limited animation techniques. This assembly line method of creating drawings, combined with reduced and simplified body movement, made it possible to manufacture animation cells more cheaply. Due to the low cost and appeal of animation to children, limited animation became the format of choice for children's television in the 1960s, a decade in which children's programming became almost entirely animated. The Flintstones characters still appear in commercials for Pebbles' cereals, and other tie ins include films (a major, live-action motion picture in 1994), traveling road shows, toys, and other children's products. It was aired on ABC in prime time during September 1966. The series was rebroadcasted on NBC from January 1967 through September 1970. Various spin-offs and specials also appeared on the CBS or NBC Saturday morning lineups during 1970s, and continue to reappear until the present. It is still available in syndication. Wikipedia

Flintstones