I remember the vitamin commercials from my own B&W TV youth. I recollect there was a ruckus about Flintstones and other brands pushing yummy pills directly to children. The upshot was commercials presumably aimed at parents but rather transparently targeting kids. They were usually animated, and at least one centered on a send-away playhouse offer.
Had to check and confirm Flintstones vitamins are still a thing. But thanks to syndicated reruns, spinoffs, movies and home video, the show is still better known than the pills. The joke would land a little more solidly if Uncle Ted qualified his statement: “I remember when the Flintstones was a weekly prime time show for grownups, and not a vitamin for kids”.
Uncle Ted is old enough to remember watching The Flintstones as a weekly TV show, but I remember watching the weekend cartoon series Crusader Rabbit, that had Rags the Tiger as Crusader Rabbit’s sidekick. It was the basis of the Rocky and Bullwinkle show. The Rocky and Bullwinkle characters and show greatly improved the theme, still Crusader Rabbit was fun at the time.
I’m not sure if Uncle Ted remembers this, but as a weekly network primetime show, it was aimed at a more adult audience. Ironically, Winston Cigarettes was the sponsor for the first two seasons; the Vitamins came later. If you watched the Honeymooners, you could tell it was the inspiration for the Flintstones. In the later seasons, Barney’s eyes were filled in solid instead of plain circles of the earlier seasons.
I hope I’m not repeating myself here, but I tell my grandkids that I’m so old that when I went to school they didn’t have history yet. Thank you, Rodney Dangerfield.
I also remember the Bugs Bunny Show, as a weekly prime time TV Show predating old Fred Flintstone. However, as much as I loved the cartoons, my favorite show and my favorite Hero was The Lone Ranger followed closely by Superman of course…..
Not only a weekly TV show but ‘The Flintstones’ was the first cartoon to be aired in prime time in when it premiered in 1966. Hanna and Barbera had achieved great success with their daytime cartoons [mainly ‘Huckleberry Hound’] and correctly calculated the show would succeed. They duplicated that success with ‘The Jetsons’ in 1962. As a tribute to the the popularity of those shows, many of us old timers can still sing the theme songs in their entirety.
They were more logical than most of all that is famous lately. Shut down almost all the new production and switch on again the productions before 1980.
Reebok just came out with shoes that are homages to the Flintstones and the Jettsons. However, by the looks of most of them, the interpretation is so broad that you wouldn’t know this is what they represent. Oh, and prices go from $130 to $200! Needless to say, none of them will end up on my feet.
oldpine52 over 2 years ago
Me too.
angelolady Premium Member over 2 years ago
I’m not sure I remember the weekly. It seemed to be on every day.
Renatus Profuturus Frigeridus Premium Member over 2 years ago
I’m really old: I was one of “The Flinstones”.
Ahuehuete over 2 years ago
When it wasn’t in color!
KA7DRE Premium Member over 2 years ago
I wonder if he still remembers the Rainier Brew Master ? That should pretty much date him.
Donald Benson Premium Member over 2 years ago
I remember the vitamin commercials from my own B&W TV youth. I recollect there was a ruckus about Flintstones and other brands pushing yummy pills directly to children. The upshot was commercials presumably aimed at parents but rather transparently targeting kids. They were usually animated, and at least one centered on a send-away playhouse offer.
Had to check and confirm Flintstones vitamins are still a thing. But thanks to syndicated reruns, spinoffs, movies and home video, the show is still better known than the pills. The joke would land a little more solidly if Uncle Ted qualified his statement: “I remember when the Flintstones was a weekly prime time show for grownups, and not a vitamin for kids”.
GROG Premium Member over 2 years ago
I was around when the Flintstones was a weekly TV show, but I didn’t see it until it was a daily lunchtime show
zzeek over 2 years ago
Uncle Ted is old enough to remember watching The Flintstones as a weekly TV show, but I remember watching the weekend cartoon series Crusader Rabbit, that had Rags the Tiger as Crusader Rabbit’s sidekick. It was the basis of the Rocky and Bullwinkle show. The Rocky and Bullwinkle characters and show greatly improved the theme, still Crusader Rabbit was fun at the time.
Skeptical Meg over 2 years ago
I remember when there was no Flintstones.
bobwigg761 over 2 years ago
I’m not sure if Uncle Ted remembers this, but as a weekly network primetime show, it was aimed at a more adult audience. Ironically, Winston Cigarettes was the sponsor for the first two seasons; the Vitamins came later. If you watched the Honeymooners, you could tell it was the inspiration for the Flintstones. In the later seasons, Barney’s eyes were filled in solid instead of plain circles of the earlier seasons.
Richard Nace Premium Member over 2 years ago
I remember when the roadrunner was an egg.
More Coffee Please! Premium Member over 2 years ago
Hell, I remember when the Flintstones actually advertised Winston cigarettes! Targeting kids? Nah…
Jeffin Premium Member over 2 years ago
A modern stone age family.
gawaintheknight over 2 years ago
I remember they advertised cigarettes.
gopher gofer over 2 years ago
i seem to remember getting all my daily vitamins from cap’n crunch and lucky charms…
mckeonfuneralhomebx over 2 years ago
Everyone was home that night when Pebbles was born…but do not remember who actually received better Ratings…..Pebbles or Tabitha?
CorkLock over 2 years ago
Golly, I remember their first year well. In Black and white. Lied to get my drivers license. Year early.
HappyDog/ᵀʳʸ ᴮᵒᶻᵒ ⁴ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵘⁿ ᵒᶠ ᶦᵗ Premium Member over 2 years ago
I’m so old I never watched any of those shows. They were for kids.
Chris over 2 years ago
I remember both of them actually…
moeric9 over 2 years ago
I hope I’m not repeating myself here, but I tell my grandkids that I’m so old that when I went to school they didn’t have history yet. Thank you, Rodney Dangerfield.
manowarrior over 2 years ago
I’ll never stop watching cartoons.i also like the looney tunes.
kathleenhicks62 over 2 years ago
I am older than that.
raybarb44 over 2 years ago
I also remember the Bugs Bunny Show, as a weekly prime time TV Show predating old Fred Flintstone. However, as much as I loved the cartoons, my favorite show and my favorite Hero was The Lone Ranger followed closely by Superman of course…..
paranormal over 2 years ago
How about Top Cat?
Bill D. Kat Premium Member over 2 years ago
Not only a weekly TV show but ‘The Flintstones’ was the first cartoon to be aired in prime time in when it premiered in 1966. Hanna and Barbera had achieved great success with their daytime cartoons [mainly ‘Huckleberry Hound’] and correctly calculated the show would succeed. They duplicated that success with ‘The Jetsons’ in 1962. As a tribute to the the popularity of those shows, many of us old timers can still sing the theme songs in their entirety.
heathcliff2 over 2 years ago
They were more logical than most of all that is famous lately. Shut down almost all the new production and switch on again the productions before 1980.
heathcliff2 over 2 years ago
And the old Saturday cartoons. Nice stories about being human.
krs27 over 2 years ago
It`s howdy doody time it isn’t worth dime let’s change to channel 9 and watch frankenstein
Lola85 Premium Member over 2 years ago
Reebok just came out with shoes that are homages to the Flintstones and the Jettsons. However, by the looks of most of them, the interpretation is so broad that you wouldn’t know this is what they represent. Oh, and prices go from $130 to $200! Needless to say, none of them will end up on my feet.
oakie817 over 2 years ago
i remember paying 18 cents a gallon for gas when i was a little kid going around mowing lawns for money
PaulGoes over 2 years ago
It was also proof to religious conservatives that dinosaurs and humans lived together
pamela welch Premium Member over 2 years ago
We watched that show every week; not sure if Dad had it on for us kids or himself.
abbynmax over 2 years ago
Don’t forget Rocky and Bullwinkle
angelolady Premium Member over 2 years ago
Snagglepuss a favorite. It was his voice and lines. Forsooth! And fivesooth even!
Lightpainter over 2 years ago
Great strip, Chip! I’m with Uncle Ted on this.
jimboylan over 2 years ago
There was once a politician who was so old, he could remember a time when he didn’t deserve to be convicted.