NOTES: 1. This includes TV series only; no specials or movies are including in this series
2. Each series is graded using the same grading system used in schools from A-F
3. Contrary to what Boomerang says, Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels is NOT...I repeat...is NOT a part of the Flintstones despite him appearing in a Flintstone series later on.
The original prime time animated sitcom about a blue collar caveman named Fred Flintstone who lives in the modern stone age
GRADE: A+
This is the absolute classic that remains one of Hanna-Barbera's most popular cartoons. It's true that as the series progressed, the show did lose some quality (making Gazoo the final straw), but overall, this is what all the Baby Boomers remember watching every Friday Night (and in some cases Thursday Night). After that, it became a series that just goes on and on in reruns. So much so that Hanna Barbera commissioned new series featuring the Flintstones. Did they work? Well let's find out.
Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm are now teenagers and are with new friends in all new adventures and forming a new band called the Bedrock Rockers.
GRADE: C-
It's obvious that this was made to compete with The Archies and go along with Hanna-Barbera's own hit show, Josie and the Pussycats. Despite not being great....for some reason it was somewhat of a hit. So much so that the next season would be a part of new Flintstones episodes (but I'm getting ahead of myself). While this is the start of "factory made" Flintstones as opposed to creative driven, there are still some pluses. Sally Struthers voiced Pebbles while Jay North voiced Bamm Bamm. North played Dennis the Menace years earlier while Struthers would pursue the role as Gloria in All in the Family. Overall....it's ok.....
(1972-1973)
Continuing success of Pebbles and Bamm Bamm, this show features an hour of cartoons which include episodes of Fred and Barney, episodes starring the cast of Pebbles and Bamm Bamm, music videos of the Bedrock Rockers, and new episodes/reruns of Pebbles and Bamm Bamm
GRADE: C-
And I'm probably being too nice. It is obvious it's due to the success of the Archies even more now. The Archies also followed this format. It's not a bad format, but meh......not so well with The Flintstones. The quality also is lacking compared to the original series. The characters don't move as much. Sally Struthers is gone to pursue as Gloria in All in the Family, and this would be the very last series Alan Reed would voice Fred Flintstone before his passing. The next season, followed by reruns, would be reduced to a half an hour calling it The Flintstone Comedy Show, but alas, no new episodes, just repackaged cartoons per episode. These are the rarest of the Flintstones cartoons due to music clearing rights; only The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm show episodes made for this show is legally available.
Continuing adventures of Fred and Barney in a whole new kind of show...at least that's what the show says.
GRADE: C+
A little bit better than previous reboots, but not by much. It follows the same format as the original Flintstones, but it so wasn't the same. During it's run, it was also called Fred and Barney meet The Shmoo and Fred and Barney meet The Thing, which makes it sound worse than it is (The Thing and The Shmoo were separate from The Flintstones). The Shmoo would join Fred and Barney later on in a new series.
Not to confuse with the 1973 series, this version is comprised of many different shorts including Flintstone Family Adventures, Bedrock Cops (featuring The Shmoo), Pebbles Dino and Bamm Bamm (ala Scooby-Doo style adventures), Captain Caveman (as a superhero to journalists Wilma and Betty), Dino and Cavemouse (in a Tom and Jerry style), and The Frankenstones (The Flintstones new neighbors).
GRADE: B-
Because there's a variety of cartoons in this hour long show, it's not too terribly bad. It has its failures. For example, Bedrock Cops looks like the cheapest out of all of them as Fred's eyes are drawn all wrong (to save money perhaps....typical Hanna Barbera of that time). But its ups are pretty high. Cavemouse would be some of the last works of Tex Avery, who passed away before the show debuted on the air. Charles Nelson Riley voices Frank Frankenstone, and it was the first series for upcoming voice actress, the now late Russi Taylor, as Cavemouse and Pebbles. Reruns of this series was repackaged as Flinstone Frolics, and continues to air as such to this day. Enjoy, just don't get your hopes up too much.
The Flintstones are now their younger selves in this series of episodes.
GRADE: D+
It doesn't work well. The characters look weird, and consistency as to how the characters should sound is gone. This was to help cash in on the success of the Muppet Babies, but alas it just doesn't work. By God they tried, but it just doesn't feel like The Flintstones.
Pebbles and Bamm Bamm in a series of educational lessons for children
GRADE: F
Made with the success of The Rugrats, Hanna-Barbera realized they had their own Tommy and Chuckie, so they used Pebbles and Bamm Bamm instead of creating new characters. What they failed to realize is that The Rugrats was not a toddler show (even though it stars toddlers), so naturally the series is a failure. Thankfully though, by that time, Hanna-Barbera began focusing on creative driven shows just like Nickelodeon did, so the true competition to The Rugrats would be Dexter's Laboratory and later The Powerpuff Girls (both airing on Cartoon Network). Simply put, this isn't The Flintstones at all....it's a baby show.
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