If you are familiar with the phrase ‘Yabba Dabba Doo’, then you had a wonderful childhood. One of the most loved animated series, ‘The Flintstones’ was aired for the first time on September 30, 1960.
The animated sitcom-style series was created by Hanna-Barbera cartoon studios and was originally broadcast on ABC television network from September, 1960 to April 1, 1966. It was followed by decades of reruns and gained huge fan following from all over the world over time.
The classic TV gem, was the longest-running primetime cartoon until overtaken by ‘The Simpsons’, centered on Fred and his stylish wife Wilma Flintstone, a suburban Bedrock couple with mid-20th century sensibilities living in 10,000 B.C.
Like any modern suburban American family, these cartoon cave dwellers had ‘Polarock’ cameras, can openers, lawn-mowers, air-conditioners and record players — all operated by animals in the prehistoric town of Bedrock.
Fred and Wilma had a baby daughter Pebbles and pet dinosaur Dino – who used to drive cars made of logs. The couple used to go on dates such as prehistoric drive-in movies and pick up take-out dinners —brontosaurus ribs —along with their fun neighbours (and best friends) Barney and Betty Rubble with their supernaturally strong son, Bamm-Bamm.
Interestingly, Fred’s iconic “Yabba dabba doo” catchphrase came from Alan Reed, who voiced Fred, and reportedly used the line during a recording session. Reed’s mother apparently used to say, “A little dab’ll do ya,” which inspired Reed.
The night after ‘The Flintstones’ premiered, Variety magazine called it “a pen and ink disaster”, and the series was among many that debuted in a “vast wasteland” of a 1960–61 television season considered one of the worst in television history up to that point.
Despite the mixed critical reviews at first, the show has been considered a television classic and in 1961, it became the first animated series to be nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. In January 2009, IGN named The Flintstones as the ninth-best in its “Top 100 Animated TV Shows”.
