A Flintstone Family Christmas (known in a working title as The Flintstones: Christmas Misdemeanors) is a 30-minute animated Christmas television special, based on the original series The Flintstones. It first aired on ABC on December 18, 1993. In 1994, the special was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour).
Plot[]
Fred gets into the Christmas spirit by hanging up decorations and being all-together joyful while awaiting the arrival of Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm, Chip and Roxy. After learning that they will arrive at 4:00 pm, Fred and Barney leave to get their turkeysaurus for dinner. However, on the way back home they are mugged by a Santa. Fred hands over his wallet and watch and orders Barney to give him the bird, but while tossing the turkeysaurus the Santa "breaks" in half. Seizing the opportunity, the two run away from the mugger.
When Fred and Barney get to the police station, they identify the thief, who turns out to be a "caveless" abandoned child named Stoney. According to Stella, the social worker, Stoney used to be the horror of foster homes because of his stealing habits. Feeling sympathy for Stoney, Wilma decides to adopt him, despite Fred's initial reluctance. They try to show Stoney that they trust him and attempt to teach him that stealing is wrong.
However, things get slightly bleaker when Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm and the twins get stuck in the O'Harestone Airport because of a blizzard. The Rubbles and the Flintstones then go Christmas tree shopping, but they can't afford trees that aren't "smaller than their grandchildren". Stoney attempts to help by convincing people to bet on him as he plays a game in order to earn enough money for the Flintstones to buy the tree. When a man named Quarry loses, he chases Stoney, who runs for cover near Fred. Quarry claims that Stoney cheated him, and Fred asks if this is true. Stoney then truthfully replies "yes", and when Fred tries to protect him, he gets hit in the head with a tree by Quarry.
Fred then goes to the hospital, but Mr. Slate informs him that he can't participate in the Christmas parade (which is something Fred is quite eager to do since the beginning of the movie) and when he tries to protest, his boss finalizes his "no". To make it up to Fred, Stoney poses as Mr. Slate's driver and locks him up in the Flintstone's bathroom, which will allow Fred to participate in the parade. Instead, Fred saves his boss and ends up in jail, where he eventually bonds with Stoney. Fred even consoles Stoney that cutting corners to obtain something is not the solution, regardless of how well he meant. However, the social worker then takes Stoney away, and meanwhile Mr. Slate makes Fred go to the parade. While there, Fred saves Stoney.
Later, Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm and the twins arrive at the house in time, and Stoney ends bonding with the twins. Fred says that the new addition to the family gets to put the star on the Christmas tree. Stoney thinks Fred is referring to Roxy and Chip, but it turns out it is him and he becomes a Flintstone. Bamm-Bamm helps him put on the star and they all have a happy Christmas.
Characters[]
- Fred Flintstone
- Wilma Flintstone
- Barney Rubble
- Betty Rubble
- Pebbles Flintstone
- Bamm-Bamm Rubble (no lines)
- Dino
- Mr. Slate
- Chip Rubble (second and last appearance)
- Roxy Rubble (second and last appearance)
- Stoney Flintstone (only appearance)
- Stella Stalactite (only appearance)
- Mr. Gravelberry (only appearance)
- Dr. Irving Schnick (only mentioned)
- Mayor of Bedrock (only appearance, no lines)
- Charlie Mansonstone (only mentioned)
- Quarry (only appearance)
Bedrock TV
- The Cavegirl Trio (only appearance)
- George (only appearance)
- Zuzu (only appearance)
Locations[]
Bedrock
- Flintstone home
- Rubble home
- Bedrock Police Station
- Bate Rock House (only appearance)
- Bank of Bedrock
- Winter Wonderland Christmas Tree Lot (only appearance)
- Bedrock Hospital
- Slate Rock and Gravel Company (mentioned)
- Bedrock Savings and Loan Stone (mentioned)
Other
- O'Harestone Airport (only appearance)
Objects[]
- Porto-Tortoise Phone
- Squawker Phone
- Bedrock Times News-slab
- Santa suit (only appearance)
- Stone ornaments (only appearance)
- Proof photos (only appearance)
- Water squirter gun (only appearance)
- Barney's Christmas tree (only appearance)
- Flintstones' Christmas tree (only appearance)
- Ice skates (only appearance)
- Dollar bills
Food
- Cookie jar (only appearance)
- Candy Canes (only appearance)
- Pterodactyl Drumsticks
- Stuffed Turkeysaurus (only appearance)
- Pink cake slice (only appearance)
Animals[]
- Snorkasaurus
- Turkeysaurus
- Tortoisaurus (as a Porto-Tortoise Phone)
- Parrotsaurus (as a Squawker Phone)
- Beaversaurus (as a saw)
- Electric Eelasaurus
- Pterodactyls
- Fireflyasaurus (as a Christmas tree star)
Vehicles[]
- Mr. Slate's limousine (only appearance)
- Cavemobiles
- Police cars
- Mayor of Bedrock's car (only appearance)
Songs[]
Media[]
Bedrock TV[]
- All Cavegirl Network (TV network)
- It's a Wonderful Stone-Age Life (movie)
Cast[]
| Henry Corden | Fred Flintstone |
|---|---|
| Jean Vander Pyl | Wilma Flintstone |
| Frank Welker | Barney Rubble Dino |
| B.J. Ward | Betty Rubble |
| John Stephenson | Mr. Slate |
| Christine Cavanaugh | Stoney |
| Didi Conn | Stella Stalactite |
| Megan Mullally | Pebbles Flintstone-Rubble |
| Alan Young | Mr. Gravelberry |
| Kath Soucie | Electric Eelasaurus |
| Charlie Adler | Quarry |
Additional voices (in alphabetical order)[]
- Charlie Adler
- Hamilton Camp
- Nick Jameson
- Megan Mullally
- Robert Ridgely
Follow-up film[]
A Flintstones Christmas Carol was released in 1994.
Notes/Trivia[]
- This is the only appearance of Stoney (outside of the special's book adaptation and Pebbles Cereal cameos), the second and last appearances of Chip and Roxy, and the final appearances of grown-up Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm in Hanna-Barbera's original continuity before H&B's deaths without counting subsequent non-HB projects.
- When Hanna-Barbera decided to continue the franchise, they decided to have future stories and spinoffs take place in the period of Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm's infancy, toddler-hood and childhood, starting over with A Flintstones Christmas Carol and it has remained that way since.
- As such this special can be considered The Flintstones series finale, continuity-wise. However, many more projects would still follow.
- The book, A Very Special Flintstones' Family Christmas was based on an original screenplay by Sean Roche and David Erham and published by Bedrock Press.
- Bedrock and by extension Fred's neighborhood notably look more urban in the special, with the presence of more skyscrapers and apartment complexes when compared to Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby, even though only a short time has passed since Roxy & Chip were born in the latter film.
- A new apartment complex now stands behind Barney's house that now serves as the home of Mr. Gravelberry.
Allusions[]
- The Bate Rock House is a spoof of the iconic building, the Bates House from Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 cinematic classic and masterpiece, Psycho.
- When Fred and Stoney turn on the TV, they start watching It's a Wonderful Stone-Age Life which is a stone age allusion to the 1946 Christmas film classic It's a Wonderful Life, with the main character even being a caricature of celebrated actor Jimmy Stewart who was the star of the film.
- Stoney's status as a mischievous child who tormented multiple foster families for fun and caused all sorts of trouble seems to be a parody of the 1990 film Problem Child.
- Mr. Gravelberry is named after the signature fruits of The Flintstones which have appeared in several parts of the franchise, most notably in the original series episode "The Gravelberry Pie King".