"Family Guy's" Seth MacFarlane Re-Animates "Flintstones" - Herbie J Pilato

Come the Fall of 2013, Seth MacFarlane, the irreverent cartoon creator of Fox-TV's Family Guy and The Cleveland Show, will update for the same network the classic animated series, The Flintstones, which originally ran on ABC from 1960 to 1966.

The pre-historic adventures of Fred and Wilma Flintstone, along with their next door neighbors, Barney and Betty Rubble, were ultimately inspired by another classic TV show, but this one, with live actors: The Honeymooners, which originally aired on CBS, from 1955 to 1971 (in various formats). And before The Simpsons came along (also on Fox) in 1989, the animated escapades of America's "favorite stone-age family" was the longest-running animated series in prime-time (with 166 episodes).

Now comes MacFarlane's re-do, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, Mr. Flintstone was one of the first things that he drew when he all but 2-years-old (or so he said to roomful of ad buyers gathered in New York on Monday for the Fox Upfront).

It might be one of his last, if he doesn't do it right.

As a huge fan of Bewitched, one would think my favorite episode of The Flintstones would be Number 148, entitled, Samantha, in which a stone-age Sam and Darrin (with the real-life voices provided by the late Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York) make a one-time appearance as Fred and Wilma's new next-store neighbors. Though this is a fine Bewitched side-sequel (and Wilma makes a credible quasi-Mrs. Kravitz), it must stand apart for me in comparison to other Flintstone fragments. (In fact, I would prefer to view this concrete Sam-segment of The Flintstones as an illustrated time-travel episode of Bewitched.)

Yet the essence of why I love Bewitched (it makes you believe in make-believe) is why I love any and all episodes ofThe Flintstones, and why I am particularly fond of a thirty-minute granite-escapade, called, Little Bamm Bamm.

Here, the Flintstones and the Rubbles, discover the truth of what it means to be a parent, as well as a friend. It's significant not only due to the fact that it introduced the super-powered Bamm Bamm to the series (thus presenting an additional element of fun-fantasy), but also because of how the tot is interposed on the program. The action takes place shortly after Wilma gives birth to Pebbles (which, in and of itself, is a milestone in the annals of small screen animation). Because of the blessed boulder of an event, Barney and Betty become even more frequent than usual visitors to their neighbors.

Meanwhile, Fred becomes extremely frustrated with the situation. He doesn't feel he's spending enough quality time with his new daughter. In a vile moment, he (who more times than not is slightly cranky), is incredibly rude to Betty with a derogatory remark about the Rubbles not having children.

Betty runs away crying. Barney and Wilma are furious. Fred is morose.

In a very poignant and real moment, Betty is next seen, sobbing, in the arms of her husband on a bench in their side-yard. As Barney attempts to console his teary spouse, to near no-avail, the two look skyward and notice a shooting star. A wish is made. The next day, Bamm Bamm is abandoned at their door, and the Rubbles make every attempt to adopt the infant.

The episode would be significant enough, such that the Rubbles actually adopt Bamm Bamm, which marks the first time in animated history that cartoon characters gave time to foster children. But it's this episode's legitimate moments of emotion recited so believably well by the characters (and their voice-overs) that christens this episode as vintage and definitive.

Like any good series, animated or not, The Flintstones played according to the logic it created. As with the live-action TV show (The Honeymooners) on which it was based, Fred and Wilma's program invites us into its self-contained world, and makes us feel welcome, even though we are the outsiders and, in this case, live-action figures.

The Flintstones prehistoric ways remain ageless, mainly because of the intelligent, time-honored episodes like Little Bamm Bamm.

Really would like to see how Seth MacFarlane and his questionable humor (and talent) is going to hold up to that kind of class.

Herbie J Pilato is a producer/director/writer, and author of a number of media tie-in books (including Bewitched Forever and The Kung Fu Book Of Caine, LifeStory – The Book ofLife Goes On:TV's First And best Family Show of Challenge, The Bionic Book, and NBC & ME: My Life As A Page In A Book. He's worked for A&E, TLC, Syfy, and Bravo's hit five-part TV series, The 100 Greatest TV Characters. Herbie J is also the Founder and Executive Director of The Classic TV Preservation Society, a nonprofit organization that helps to close the gap between popular culture and education. For more information, please see www.ClassicTVPS.blogspot.com. To contact Herbie J, or to order any of his books, email: ClassicTVPS@gmail.com.

Read all Herbie J's MediaBizBloggers commentaries at Herbie J's Classic TV Corner.

Check us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggers.com
Follow our Twitter updates @MediaBizBlogger

MediaBizBloggers is an open-thought leadership blog platform for media, marketing and advertising professionals, companies and organizations. To contribute, contact Jack@mediadvisorygroup.com. The opinions expressed in MediaBizBloggers.com are not those of Media Advisory Group, its employees or other MediaBizBloggers.com contributors. Media Advisory Group accepts no responsibility for the views of MediaBizBloggers authors.