Changes: The Surprise

Latest revision as of 00:37, 22 August 2023

"The Surprise" is the nineteenth episode of the third season and the seventy-ninth overall episode of the original series, The Flintstones. It aired on January 25, 1963.

Synopsis

Because he and Betty are babysitting Marblehead Sandstone Jr., Barney hasn't got time to go to a bowling tournament with Fred, who therefore strongly dislikes the baby.

Plot

Barney entertains Betty's nephew, Marblehead Sandstone Jr. by acting like a complete fool of himself, bouncing in a seated position on his living room floor, doing animal imitations, goo-goo-ing and ga-ga-ing, and snubbing his planned participation on Fred's bowling team in a championship game, so that Fred's team loses to its opponent and Fred is furious with Barney.

To Betty, he bellows, "You are married to a nut! Nut! Nut! Nut! Nut!" Not a really inaccurate appraisal judging from Barney's ridiculous behavior. Barney's preoccupation with Marblehead further vexes Fred when Barney gives away baseball game tickets that he and Fred had been planning to use. Fred resents and hates little Marblehead, until the infant, without Barney's awareness, crawls out of a hatch on the underside of his baby carriage and moves on top of the stomach of a hammock-reclining Fred, and Marblehead's evident affection warms Fred's heart to the baby.

Fred allows Marblehead to remain with him on the hammock while Barney discovers Marblehead missing from the baby carriage and summons police assistance in his search for the infant. Fred is, of course, accused of baby-napping by the Bedrock Police Department before Barney vouches for his angry friend's integrity. After this harrowing experience with Marblehead, Fred is shown by Wilma the baby bootie which Wilma is knitting, and Wilma says that she is going to have a baby. Fred is at first oblivious to this and goes back to sleep. But when he finally takes in this news, he gives out a hearty "YABBA-DABBA-DOO!", and runs out of the cave excitedly to tell all of Bedrock he is about to be a father.

Characters

Fred Flintstone
Wilma Flintstone
Barney Rubble
Betty Rubble
Dino
Marblehead Sandstone Jr. (only appearance)
Sissy "McBricker" Sandstone (only mentioned)
Sergeant Sunday (only appearance)

Locations

Bedrock

Objects

Fred's bowling ball
Fred's bowling ball bag
Bowling trophy
Rock Bell Phone

Animals

Snorkasaurus
Sheepasaurus
Crabasaurus
Brontosaurus (as Bronto-Ribs, Bronto-Soup and Bronto-Bones)
Mammoth (as a hose)
Turtlesaurus
Pterodactyl (as a chopper)

Vehicles

Flintmobile

Cast

Alan Reed	Fred Flintstone
Jean Vander Pyl	Wilma Flintstone
Mel Blanc	Barney Rubble Rocky Joe
Bea Benaderet	Betty Rubble Woman
Don Messick	Sergeant Sunday Marblehead Sandstone Jr. Guy Adlib Voice Teammate Slagbottom

Notes/Trivia

Most of this episode establishes the mood in Fred and in the audience for the concluding scenes wherein Wilma announces to Fred that she is pregnant and Fred excitedly runs into the streets of Bedrock, shouting his joy to the citizens of the town and breaking the fourth wall.
The title refers to Wilma's announcement at the end of the episode.
The police officer is Sgt. Sunday and one of the officers is named Slagbottom.
Fred's team is bowling against the Rockland Rockets.
In this episode only, Betty has an unseen sister, Sissy "McBricker" Sandstone whose baby, Marblehead Sandstone Jr., the Rubbles are babysitting. There's no further mention of Betty having a sister again.
Marblehead "Sandy" Sandstone is Betty's sister's baby. This is the same baby that was mentioned in "Baby Barney", which has a similar plot.

Allusions

The character of Sgt. Sunday is an allusion to Sgt. Joe Friday, actor Jack Webb's role on Dragnet.

Errors

Betty's washcloth was changed to white instead of pink and plate was changed to pink instead of white.

Season 3 of The Flintstones

"Dino Goes Hollyrock" • "Fred's New Boss" • "Barney the Invisible" • "Bowling Ballet" • "The Twitch" • "Here's Snow in Your Eyes" • "The Buffalo Convention" • "The Little Stranger" • "Baby Barney" • "Hawaiian Escapade" • "Ladies' Day" • "Nuthin' But the Tooth" • "High School Fred" • "Dial 'S' for Suspicion" • "Flash Gun Freddie" • "The Kissing Burglar" • "Wilma the Maid" • "The Hero" • "The Surprise" • "Mother-in-Law's Visit" • "Foxy Grandma" • "Fred's New Job" • "The Dress Rehearsal" • "Carry On, Nurse Fred" • "Ventriloquist Barney" • "The Big Move" • "Swedish Visitors" • "The Birthday Party"

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Episode
 |name = The Surprise
-|image = ''Add here''
+|image = The Flintstones - The Surprise.jpg
 |show = [[The Flintstones (TV series)|''The Flintstones'']]
 |season = [[The Flintstones episode list|3]]
 |episode = 79
+|production_number= P-81
-|airdate = January 25, [[1963]]
+|airdate = {{US}} January 25, [[1963]] ([[ABC]])
+|recording_date = September 4, 1962
 |animator = Dick Lundy<br>Chuck Harriton<br>Edwin Aardal<br>Allen Wilzbach
+|layout=Dick Bickenbach<br>Alex Ignatiev
+|background=Richard H. Thomas
 |writer = [[Warren Foster]] <small>(teleplay)</small>
-|previous = "[[The Hero]]"
+|previous = "''[[The Hero]]''"
-|next = "[[Mother-in-Law's Visit]]"
+|next = "''[[Mother-in-Law's Visit]]''"
-}}"'''The Surprise'''" is the nineteenth episode of the [[The Flintstones episode list|third season]] of [[The Flintstones (TV series)|''The Flintstones'']]. It aired on January 25, [[1963]].
+}}"'''''The Surprise'''''" is the nineteenth episode of the [[The Flintstones episode list|third season]] and the seventy-ninth overall episode of the original series, [[The Flintstones (TV series)|''The Flintstones'']]. It aired on January 25, [[1963]].
+==Synopsis==
-{{Season 3 (The Flintstones (1960))}}
+Because [[Barney Rubble|he]] and [[Betty Rubble|Betty]] are babysitting [[Marblehead Sandstone Jr.]], Barney hasn't got time to go to a bowling tournament with [[Fred Flintstone|Fred]], who therefore strongly dislikes the baby.
+==Plot==
+Barney entertains Betty's nephew, Marblehead Sandstone Jr. by acting like a complete fool of himself, bouncing in a seated position on his living room floor, doing animal imitations, goo-goo-ing and ga-ga-ing, and snubbing his planned participation on Fred's bowling team in a championship game, so that Fred's team loses to its opponent and Fred is furious with Barney.
+To Betty, he bellows, "You are married to a nut! Nut! Nut! Nut! Nut!" Not a really inaccurate appraisal judging from Barney's ridiculous behavior. Barney's preoccupation with Marblehead further vexes Fred when Barney gives away baseball game tickets that he and Fred had been planning to use. Fred resents and hates little Marblehead, until the infant, without Barney's awareness, crawls out of a hatch on the underside of his baby carriage and moves on top of the stomach of a hammock-reclining Fred, and Marblehead's evident affection warms Fred's heart to the baby.
+Fred allows Marblehead to remain with him on the hammock while Barney discovers Marblehead missing from the baby carriage and summons police assistance in his search for the infant. Fred is, of course, accused of baby-napping by the Bedrock Police Department before Barney vouches for his angry friend's integrity. After this harrowing experience with Marblehead, Fred is shown by Wilma the baby bootie which Wilma is knitting, and Wilma says that she is going to have a baby. Fred is at first oblivious to this and goes back to sleep. But when he finally takes in this news, he gives out a hearty "YABBA-DABBA-DOO!", and runs out of the cave excitedly to tell all of Bedrock he is about to be a father.
+==Characters==
+*[[Fred Flintstone]]
+*[[Wilma Flintstone]]
+*[[Barney Rubble]]
+*[[Betty Rubble]]
+*[[Dino]]
+*[[Marblehead Sandstone Jr.]] <small>(only appearance)</small>
+*Sissy "McBricker" Sandstone <small>(only mentioned)</small>
+*Sergeant Sunday <small>(only appearance)</small>
+==Locations==
+==='''[[Bedrock]]'''===
+*[[Flintstone home]]
+*[[Rubble home]]
+*[[Bedrock Police Station]]
+*[[Bedrock Bowl]]
+==Objects==
+*Fred's bowling ball
+*Fred's bowling ball bag
+*Bowling trophy
+* [[Rock Bell Phone]]
+==Animals==
+*[[Snorkasaurus]]
+*[[Sheepasaurus]]
+*[[Crabasaurus]]
+*[[Brontosaurus]] <small>(as Bronto-Ribs, Bronto-Soup and Bronto-Bones)</small>
+*[[Mammoth]] <small>(as a hose)</small>
+*[[Turtlesaurus]]
+*[[Pterodactyl]] <small>(as a chopper)</small>
+==Vehicles==
+*[[Flintmobile]]
+==Cast==
+{| class="wikitable"
+! [[Alan Reed]]
+| [[Fred Flintstone]]
+|-
+! [[Jean Vander Pyl]]
+| [[Wilma Flintstone]]
+|-
+! [[Mel Blanc]]
+| [[Barney Rubble]]<br />Rocky<br />Joe
+|-
+! [[Bea Benaderet]]
+| [[Betty Rubble]]<br />Woman
+|-
+! [[Don Messick]]
+| Sergeant Sunday<br />[[Marblehead Sandstone Jr.]]<br />Guy<br />Adlib Voice<br />Teammate<br />Slagbottom
+|}
+==Notes/Trivia==
+*Most of this episode establishes the mood in Fred and in the audience for the concluding scenes wherein Wilma announces to Fred that she is pregnant and Fred excitedly runs into the streets of Bedrock, shouting his joy to the citizens of the town and breaking the fourth wall.
+*The title refers to Wilma's announcement at the end of the episode.
+*The police officer is Sgt. Sunday and one of the officers is named Slagbottom.
+*Fred's team is bowling against the Rockland Rockets.
+*In this episode only, Betty has an unseen sister, Sissy "McBricker" Sandstone whose baby, Marblehead Sandstone Jr., the Rubbles are babysitting. There's no further mention of Betty having a sister again.
+*Marblehead "Sandy" Sandstone is Betty's sister's baby. This is the same baby that was mentioned in "''[[Baby Barney]]''", which has a similar plot.
+==='''Allusions'''===
+*The character of Sgt. Sunday is an allusion to Sgt. Joe Friday, actor Jack Webb's role on ''[[Wikipedia:Dragnet|Dragnet]]''.
+==='''Errors'''===
+*Betty's washcloth was changed to white instead of pink and plate was changed to pink instead of white.
+{{Season 3 (The Flintstones)}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Surprise, The}}
 [[Category:Episodes]]