The Flintstone Kids is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera. It is an alternative incarnation of the studio's original animated series The Flintstones. The series depicts juvenile versions of the main characters from the original show. It aired from September 13, 1986, to November 14, 1987, on ABC. It was the first Flintstones series not to have a laugh track. Mel Blanc is the only cast member of the original series to be featured in this series, reprising the voice of Dino.
Contents
Overview
The program follows the adventures of Fred Flintstone, Barney Rubble, Wilma Slaghoople, Betty McBricker and Dino as tweens. They share their preadolescence with their friends Nate Slate (Fred's future boss) and Philo Quartz, as well as the very pretty, popular girl Dreamchip Gemstone, who, much to Wilma's dismay, has a big crush on Fred. They also deal with their bully Rocky Ratrock and his Badrotten Bunch consisting of Tarpit Tommy, Flab Slab, Janet Granite, and Rocky's dogasaurus Stalagbite.
The Flintstone Kids was intended only to run for two seasons, and was retired in favor of another Hanna-Barbera series that similarly de-aged its core cast, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. The sudden failure of The New Adventures of Beany and Cecil led to reruns of The Flintstone Kids being re-added to the ABC Saturday morning schedule in late 1988.
Plot and segments
This series featured the following segments:
The Flintstone Kids
The "main" segment of the show. It would either be a single half-hour episode (only in the first season) or a segment.
Flintstone Funnies
Freddy, Barney, Wilma and Betty dream of exciting fantasy adventures with most of them being parodies of different films. This segment was dropped in the second season.
Dino's Dilemmas
The adventures and misadventures of Freddy's pet dinosaur Dino.
Captain Caveman and Son
The adventures of Captain Caveman (returning from Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels) with his son Cavey Jr. as they fight bad guys like the evil genius Mr. Bad. This segment was actually a "show within a show" whereby Captain Caveman and Son is a TV show watched by the main characters at Fred's home, where the "fourth wall" is broken frequently.
Episodes
The segments indicate in colors by which characters starred in them:
Blue = The Flintstone Kids (25 segments)
Teal = Flintstone Funnies (13 segments)
Magenta = Dino's Dilemmas (19 segments)
Red = Captain Caveman and Son (19 segments)
Season 2 (1987)
Four of these episodes contains a new short followed by repeats of two shorts from season 1.
Voice cast
Charlie Adler as Cavey Jr., Armored Car Robber #2 (in "Captain Knaveman")
Bever-Leigh Banfield as Mayor of Bedrock ("Captain Caveman and Son" segment)
Michael Bell as Mr. Billy Bad ("Captain Caveman and Son" segment)
Mel Blanc as Dino, Bob Rubble, Captain Caveman ("Captain Caveman and Son" segment)
Susan Blu as Dreamchip Gemstone, Janet Granite, Mrs. Gemstone (in "Poor Little Rich Girl")
Hamilton Camp as Barney Rubble, Flab Slab, Cragmire, Tree Surgeon #2 (in "I Think That I Shall Never See Barney Rubble As a Tree"), Brick Stonespring (in "The Rock Concert That Rocked Freddy"), Bouncer (in "The Rock Concert That Rocked Freddy"), Rock Ruben (in "Betty's Big Break"), Charlie (in "The Little Visitor"), Ralph (in "Attack of the Fifty Foot Teenage Lizard")
Henry Corden as Ed Flintstone, Edna Flintstone, Announcer #1 (in "Dusty Disappears"), Chef (in "The Rock Concert That Rocked Freddy")
Julie Dees as Wilma Slaghoople (1986), Mica Slaghoople, Mickey Slaghoople, Tarpit Tommy, Mike Worthingstone (in "Barney's Moving Experience")
Elizabeth Lyn Fraser as Wilma Slaghoople (1987)
Kenneth Mars as Narrator ("Captain Caveman and Son" segments), Trash Man (in "Grime and Punishment", "Day of the Villains", and "Captain Cavedog"), Armored Car Robber #1 (in "Captain Knaveman"), Museum Robber (in "Captain Knaveman")
Scott Menville as Freddy Flintstone (1987)
Bumper Robinson as Philo Quartz
Additional voices
Bob Arbogast
James Avery
Jon Bauman as Announcer #3 (in "Dusty Disappears")
Julie Bennett
Sorrell Booke
Robin Braxton
Valri Bromfield
Arthur Burghardt as Thug #1 (in "Who's Faultin' Who?")
Victoria Carroll
Kristina Chan
Townsend Coleman
Roberto Cruz
Peter Cullen as Monster from the Tar Pit (in "The Monster from the Tar Pit")
Brian Cummings
Jim Cummings as Billy Jim (in "The Rock Concert That Rocked Freddy"), Peter Snobsale (in "The Rock Concert That Rocked Freddy"), Police Officer (in "The Rock Concert That Rocked Freddy"), Burglar (in "Watchdog Blues")
Rick Dees as Perfect Man (in "Hero Today, Gone Tomorrow"), Bruce Leeslab (in "Freddy's Rocky Road to Karate"), Rock Dees (in "Bedrock'n Roll")
Dick Erdman as Dr. Icemare (in "Freezy Does It" and "Day of the Villains")
Jennifer Fajardo
Takayo Fischer as Eskimo Bro (in "Freddy's Rocky Road to Karate"), Dr. Gallstone (in "The Flintstone Fake Ache")
June Foray as Grandma Cavemom, Old Lady (in "The Butcher Shoppe"), Aunt Hilda (in "Killer Kitty")
Home media
On May 4, 2010, Warner Home Video released Saturday Morning Cartoons 1980s, Volume 1, a compilation release which features episodes from various 80's cartoons including an episode from The Flintstone Kids. On March 11, 2014, Warner Home Video released The Flintstone Kids: Rockin' in Bedrock, a 2-disc set featuring 10 episodes from the first season, on DVD in Region 1.
Reception
Critical response
Common Sense Media gave the series a three out of five stars, saying: "Bedrock, the early years: cute and more P.C."
Awards
In 1988, Mary Jo Ludin and Lane Raichert were given the Humanitas Prize for the show's episode "Rocky's Rocky Road".
Other appearances
Cavey Jr. appears in the Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law episode "Evolutionary War", voiced by Maurice LaMarche. Captain Caveman enlists Harvey Birdman when Cavey Jr.'s school won't teach its students about evolution after Cavey Jr. spoke out against it.
Cavey Jr. appears in Jellystone! voiced by Dana Snyder. Rocky Ratrock appears in the third season as a member of New Bedrock School team.
