The original Stone Age sitcom stars return for their sixth and final season. Before being supplanted by the Simpsons, the Flintstones were the longest running animated sitcom in primetime and Warner brings their final season to DVD in this 4 disc set.
The modern stone-age family from the town of Bedrock consists of Fred (Allan Reed) Flintstone, his wife Wilma (Jean Vander Pyl), their daughter Pebbles (also Vander Pyl), and their “dog” Dino (Mel Blanc). Their next door neighbors are Barney Rubble (Mel Blanc), his wife Betty (Gerry Johnson), their son Bamm-Bamm (Don Messick).
Disc One episode 1: “No Biz Like Show Biz” - Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm have musical talent and promoter Eppy Brianstone is more than happy to cash in on that talent. Episode 2: “The House that Fred Built” - Mrs. Slaghoople, Fred’s mother-in-law, is moving in with the Flintstones. So Fred prepares a place for her – a dilapidated shack. Episode 3: “Return of Stoney Curtis” - Betty and Wilma enter a contest and win. The prize is a “slave boy” for a day – the famous actor Stoney Curtis (Tony Curtis). Fred isn’t too happy having Stoney around until he offers him a role in his next picture.
Barney and Fred on the road again
Episode 4: “Disorder in the Court” - The Mangler has escaped from prison. He swore revenge on the jury that put him away and Fred and Barney were on that jury. Episode 5: “Circus Business” - Fred tries to strike it rich by buying a circus. The performers quit and it’s up to Fred, Barney, Dino and Hoppy to get under the big top. Episode 6: “Samantha” - Darren and Samantha Stevens (Dick York and Elizabeth Montgomery) from Bewitched join the Flintstones in the Stone Age. Their camping trip turns into a men versus the women competition – with Samantha’s witchcraft giving the gals the advantage.
Disc Two episode 7: “The Great Gazoo” - Barney and Fred get a visitor from another planet – the little green man The Great Gazoo (Harvey Korman-stone). The Great Gazoo always seems to leave Fred and Barney in the lurch. Episode 8: “Rip Van Flintstone” - Fred takes a nap and awakens to discover that twenty years have past and things have changed drastically. Episode 9: “The Gravelberry Pie King” - Fred is fired by Mr. Slate and decides to go into business for himself – selling Wilma’s Gravelberry pies.
Episode 10: “The Stonefinger Caper” - The villain from a spy movie comes to life and is menacing Fred and Barney and it takes the Great Gazoo to sort things out. Episode 11: “The Masquerade Party” - Fred decides to attend the Water Buffalo’s masquerade party as a spaceman. The local radio station is pulling a publicity prank broadcasting that aliens are invading (ala Orson Wellestone) and Fred is mistake for the real thing. Episode 12: “Shinrock-a-Go-Go” - Fred drops a bowling ball on his foot and in hopping around in pain he invents a new dance.
Disc Three episode 13: “Royal Rubble” - Barney is mistake for the Prince of Rockabia and figures that he will live in the lap of luxury. That is until he learns that the prince is to be executed for abandoning his throne. Episode 14: “Seeing Doubles” - Fred and Barney have the Great Gazoo create clones of themselves so that they can go bowling AND take the girls out to dinner. However, none of it goes as planned. Episode 15: “How to Pick a Fight with your Wife without Really Trying” - You think that Fred would realize that taking marital advice from the Great Gazoo is a bad idea, but he takes it and ends up separated from Wilma.
Betty and Wilma and the future rock stars
Episode 16: “Fred Goes Ape” - Fred gets the wrong prescription from the pharmacy and taking the pill turns him into a giant ape. Episode 17: “The Long Long Long Weekend” - The Great Gazoo takes Fred to the 21st Century where Fred learns that his $4 loan from Mr. Slate has risen, with interest, to 23 million clams! Episode 18: “Two Men on a Dinosaur” - Fred and Barney take the Great Gazoo to the racetrack and they start winning, but they attract the attention of a dangerous bookie who doesn’t like losing.
Disc Four (Side A) episode 19: “The Treasure of Sierra Madrock” - Fred and Barney buy a fake goldmine from two con artists. Wilma and Betty find out and con the conmen into buying back the mine – which the boys won’t sell. Episode 20: “Curtain Call at Bedrock” - The play’s the thing when the PTA puts on Romeorock and Julietstone. Circumstances intervene and Fred ends up playing Romeostone to Barney’s Julietstone.
Episode 21: “Boss for a Day” - The Great Gazoo makes it possible for Fred to switch places with Mr. Slade and Fred learns that maybe it isn’t as easy to be boss as he thought. Episode 22: “Fred’s Island” - The Flintstones and Rubbles are invited to Mr. Slates’ yacht. They’re excited about the day in the sun until they learn that they’ve been invited to paint Mr. Slate’s yacht. Episode 23: “Jealousy” - Fred fakes a headache so he won’t have to attend a violin recital with Wilma, but she goes with her old boyfriend instead. Episode 24: “Dripper” Barney finds that he has a new friend – a trained seal named Dripper.
Disc Four (Side B) episode 25: “My Fair Freddy” - Fred is accidentally granted membership to a posh country club. He asks the Great Gazoo to use his powers to make him into a gentleman. Episode 26: “The Story of Rocky’s Raiders” - Fred finds his grandfathers’ diary from the war and recounts the tale of his encounter with the evil Baron Von Rickenrock.
The Flintstones is a show as has found its way into our cultural conscience. Possibly into the world’s as well since the show has been translated into multiple languages. What the sixth season tried to do with the introduction of the Great Gazoo just really didn’t work in my opinion.
Wilma, Fred, and Stoney Curtis
It feels like a writer’s trick to keep Fred and Barney in wacky adventures. That’s not to say that there are not some funny moments in the sixth season. It was interesting to have Tony Curtis, Dick York, and Elizabeth Montgomery show up in this season. Sadly, it would be the last season of the show.
The Flintstones is presented in fullscreen as it was originally aired on television. Special features include two featurettes. Disc 4, Side A finds the 11 minute “The Flintstones meet Pop Culture.” It’s hosted by Stephen Baldwin (who played Barney Rubble on the silver screen) and interviews animation historian Earl Kress, producer/music historian Alec Palao, and lead singer of the Beau Brummels Sal Valentino.
Side B finds the 3 minute “The Great Gazoo – from A to Zetox” and interviews Earl Kress about Gazoo. There are also some trailers for other Warner animation products. Fans of the Flintstones will finally be able to complete there collections. However this season is not as classic as some of the others.
Darren and Samantha
Warner Brothers has put some special features on the discs, but I was not too impressed. You’d think that since this was the last opportunity for them (barring upgrading to a new HD format) that they’d have put more on there. Whatever the case, it’s nice to have the episodes.
The Flintstones - The Complete Sixth Season is now available at Amazon . As of yet, it is now available in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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