The New Flintstones Show was a cancelled television spin-off and an updated version of the original series, The Flintstones by Hanna-Barbera.
Summary[]
In 1972, after the spin-off, The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show and since Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm were teenagers, Hanna-Barbera was trying to look for a new format known as The New Flintstones Show with Fred and Barney who would have been "blue collar" workers at a construction site and Wilma and Betty, the loving housewives who were putting up with their husbands' shenanigans would have appeared in their modern clothing instead of their prehistoric clothing. Judging by the concept art, it’s safe to assume this would have been set in the present time instead of prehistory.
Cancellation[]
Sadly, it never saw the light of day and it was swiftly cancelled to later work on a spin-off, The Flintstone Comedy Hour in 1972 through 1974.
Gallery[]
These conceptual sketches were drawn by famed animator and layout artist, Willie Ito.
Notes/Trivia[]
- Despite the show being abandoned, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera did previously make a "modern age" successor to The Flintstones in the form of Where's Huddles?, an animated sitcom about a modern family with characters that were modern age parallels to those from The Flintstones but with a prominent football theme instead of a prehistoric or blue collar one, and the show's production featured much of the same voice acting cast and team of writers from The Flintstones. Among the more notable parallels were:
- The title character Ed Huddles serving as Fred's successor and near double in both personality and facial features, although notably slimmer and more lax. Like Fred, he also had to deal with an overbearing boss and was a football star in his youth, but unlike Fred, Ed actually chose to pursue football as his career.
- Ed's best friend and simpleton sidekick Bubba McCoy being Barney's successor in appearance, height, role and personality, but with a far more muscular build. Bubba even shared Barney's voice actor Mel Blanc.
- Ed's wife Marge being Wilma's successor as the beautiful and more rational redheaded wife to Ed/Fred who even shared Wilma's actress, Jean Vander Pyl.
- Bubba's wife Penny succeeding Betty's role as Marge/Wilma's bubbly best friend and Bubba/Barney's supportive and loving wife. Although Penny was notably more airheaded than Betty and did not share her template's physical features or voice actor like the other characters.
- Ed's baby daughter Pom-Pom being a successor to baby Pebbles, even being voiced by Jean Vander Pyl as well.
- Ed and Bubba's overbearing boss and the coach of their football team Mad Dog Maloney served as Mr. Slate's successor in both personality, role and even wearing the same eyeglasses, however his voice actor was none other than Alan Reed, Fred's original voice actor rather than using Mr. Slate's voice actor, John Stephenson.
- Some episodes of Where's Huddles? were even modern age adaptations of a few Flintstones episodes, like "The Swimming Pool", "Glue for Two", and "Wilma's Vanishing Money", respectively.