"Fred Flintstone: Before and After" is the twenty-eighth episode overall, and the finale of the first season of the original series, The Flintstones. It aired on April 7, 1961.
Synopsis[]
To win $1,000, Fred must lose 25 pounds, which is easier said than done.
Plot[]
Fred euphorically announces that he will be on television, and Wilma, the Rubbles, and all of his other friends gather at the Flintstone home to watch "The Happy Hour" on which Fred will appear, in one of the advertisements for Fat-Off Reducing Method. Fred was led to believe by B.J., president of Bedrock Television Studios, that he will represent the figure of a man who completed the weight-decreasing procedure, when, in fact, he is the flabby, corpulent image of a man needing purging of body fat.
Rather than being the handsome, athletic gentleman standing proudly under the "after" label, Fred is the undesirable tub-of-lard positioned beneath the "before" label. All of Fred's friends are ashamed for him and hastily exit from Fred's disgraced presence, and Wilma furiously accompanies Fred to Bedrock's television studio and confronts B.J. about his shameless exploitation of Fred's physical contours. B.J. responds with a challenge to Fred. If Fred can lose 25 pounds in one month through the weight-reduction method, Fred will be awarded 1,000 dollars on live television.
Although the monetary prospect is sufficient persuasion for Fred to agree to the challenge, he quickly realizes that his new diet is lacking in all of the delectable foods and dishes to which he is accustomed. A celery stalk is insufficient to satisfy Fred's tremendous appetite while he lunches at work, and a co-worker's submarine sandwich is "accidentally" catapulted into Fred's eager mouth. Wilma attaches an explosive to the Flintstone "icebox" to deter Fred from a nighttime raid thereof, and Fred's attempt to besiege the Rubbles' "icebox" is thwarted by identical means.
To curtail his yearning for food, Fred joins Food Anonymous, a support group for people who have eating problems that they need outside help for in which members restrict each other from eating by confiscating food and then uttering a "Goink, goink, goink," with a thumbs-in-ears salute, and Bedrock's restaurateurs are under strict orders by Wilma not to serve calorie-rich food to Fred. When Fred completely loses control of his urge to feast, between Wilma's minions and the members of Food Anonymous, he cannot close his teeth on any of his desired delicacies and delights, not even on Dino's bone, and almost mentally collapses with frustration.
Come the end of his Fat-Off ordeal, Fred has succeeded in eliminating 25 pounds from his body and receives the $1,000, but when he tries to celebrate his triumph with a large repast, the Food Anonymous members will not accept his resignation from their club and continue snatching his food from him, causing Barney to say, well, Fred is still on a diet whether he likes it or not, and Fred to break down crying.
Characters[]
- Phone operator (only appearance)
- Mr. Slabslides (only appearance)
- Assistant (only appearance)
- B.J. (only appearance)
- Fred Flintstone
- Wilma Flintstone
- Betty Rubble
- Barney Rubble
- Dino
- Announcer (only appearance; TV)
- Ad announcer (only time heard)
- Charlie
- Head of Food Anonymous (only appearance)
- Frank (only appearance)
- Al (only appearance)
Locations[]
Bedrock[]
- Bedrock Television Studios
- Flintstone home
- Slate Rock and Gravel Company
- Food Anonymous (only appearance)
- Al's Brontosaurus Burgers (only appearance)
Objects[]
- TV
Food[]
- Pterodactyl Drumstick
- Stuffed Pterodactyl Roast
- Bronto-Burger
- Submarine Sandwich
- Celery
- Pie
Animals[]
- Snorkasaurus
- Pterodactyl (as a drumstick and Stuffed Pterodactyl Roast)
- Brontosaurus (as Dino's bones and Bronto-Burgers)
Vehicles[]
Media[]
- The Happy Hour (TV show)
Cast[]
| Alan Reed | Fred Flintstone |
|---|---|
| Jean Vander Pyl | Wilma Flintstone Assistant |
| Mel Blanc | Barney Rubble Dino Mr. Slabslides |
| Bea Benaderet | Betty Rubble Switchboard Operator |
| John Stephenson | B.J. Al Frank Guy #1 Guy #3 |
| Bern Bennett | Announcer Speaker |
| Hal Smith | Cop Guy #2 Charlie |
Notes/Trivia[]
- Wilma mentions these spoofs including detective Perry Masonite (Perry Mason), Rick Masterson (Bat Masterson) and Maverock (Maverick).
- The boss' initials are B.J.
- The episodes of the first season incorporated an ad for Winston Cigarettes into the opening credits (this version of the opening was removed for syndication). Due to the decision to use a standard opening and closing for syndicated versions of the episodes, many episodes have incorrect closing credits. Some later episodes drop the "Meet the Flintstones" closing credits in favor of footage of Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm singing "Open Up Your Heart (And Let the Sunshine In)."
Allusions[]
- Food Anonymous is a takeoff of Overeaters Anonymous.
Errors[]
- Either Barney's driving an identical car to Fred again, or he's driving Fred's for him.
| Season 1 of The Flintstones |
|---|
| "The Flagstones" • "The Flintstone Flyer" • "Hot Lips Hannigan" • "The Swimming Pool" • "No Help Wanted" • "The Split Personality" • "The Monster from the Tar Pits" • "The Babysitters" • "At the Races" • "The Engagement Ring" • "Hollyrock, Here I Come" • "The Golf Champion" • "The Sweepstakes Ticket" • "The Drive-In" • "The Prowler" • "The Girls' Night Out" • "Arthur Quarry's Dance Class" • "The Big Bank Robbery" • "The Snorkasaurus Hunter" • "The Hot Piano" • "The Hypnotist" • "Love Letters on the Rocks" • "The Tycoon" • "The Astra' Nuts" • "The Long, Long Weekend" • "In the Dough" • "The Good Scout" • "Rooms for Rent" • "Fred Flintstone: Before and After" |