Today in History: 50th Anniversary of "The Flintstones"

Few people over the age of 25 wouldn't be able to most if not all of the theme song. It brought the notion of cartoons in prime time to the forefront, allowing for shows today such as the Simpsons and Family Guy to exist. The Flintstones truly is an American staple in television history and today it celebrates its 50th anniversary. Airing on ABC from 1960 to 1966, it used the Stone Age setting for modern-day issues. They cleverly incorporated real places and real people in the show however would simply reword it to fit the rock like world they lived in. Name changed such as Cary Grant to Cary Granite and Hollywood became Hollyrock.

One of my favorite aspects of the Flintstones that few people realize is that it was sponsored by Winston cigarettes for the first two years it was on the air. In fact, the characters were the subject of many advertisements for the brand during that time period. However by the 3rd season the network pushed the show toward more family friendly material and the main sponsor became Welch's. Despite only running for six seasons the cultural impact of the Flintstones has been felt for these last 50 years. Various animation programs and series have attempted to duplicate the success that the Flintstones have enjoyed since 1960. Despite being a copy of a successful television show itself, the Honeymooners, The Flintstones have had many shows try to mimic their success. It's simplicity, humor, and character contrasts are a foundation for American television which is used even today.


Great Link to the 10 Best Bedrock Inventions... Must See
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8034759/The-Flintstones-50th-anniversary-10-wackiest-Bedrock-inventions.html