The Twitch

The Twitch
Details
Show	The Flintstones
Season	3
Episode number	65
Production number	P-63
Original airdate	October 12, 1962 (ABC)
Recording Date	February 14, 1962
Crew
Animated by	Kenneth Muse Jerry Hathcock
Layout	Dick Bickenbach
Background	Fernando Montealegre (known as F. Montealegre)
Written by	Joanna Lee
Chronology
Previous	"Bowling Ballet"
Next	"Here's Snow in Your Eyes"

"The Twitch" is the fifth episode of the third season and the sixty-fifth overall episode of the original series, The Flintstones. It aired on October 12, 1962.

Synopsis

Wilma is in a dither over finding an act for her auxiliary's benefit show until big mouth Fred boasts that he will line up singer Rock Roll, whose hit song is "The Twitch."

Plot

Fred brags to Wilma that by means of a talent agent friend of his, name of Sam Stone, he will have no problem finding a first-rate performer for Wilma's ladies' auxiliary's charity benefit stage show, for "peanuts" (i.e., 35 clams). The best that Stone can provide to Fred for "peanuts" is a "method actor" chimpanzee called Mr. Chips, which Fred knows would never satisfy Wilma. When Fred returns to Wilma without having procured the needed "star" talent, Wilma inflames Fred with a refrain of I-told-you-so, and in a frazzled moment Fred exclaims that Rock Roll, the rock-and-roll music singer at that point in time singing on The Ed Sullystone Show on Fred's television, was the celebrity obtained by Fred through Sam Stone.

Unable to retract his hasty and false pronouncement, Fred must go with Barney to the hotel where Rock Roll is staying during a promotional tour including Bedrock (his song: "There's a town I know where the hipsters go, called Bedrock. Twitch! Twitch!") and beg with tears and on bended knees for Rock Roll to appear and sing at Wilma's stage show and spare Fred from being caught in a lie by Wilma. Rock Roll has a generous nature and agrees to Fred and Barney's teary-eyed plea.

Come show time, however, Rock Roll has eaten by accident pickled Dodo eggs that cause an allergic reaction rendering him unable to speak or sing. He puts his hairpiece onto Fred's head, gives his garments, guitar, and a vinyl record of his popular "Twitch" song to Fred, and permits Fred to impersonate him on this emergency occasion. It requires a needle in the buttocks administered by Barney for Fred to appear on stage in Rock Roll's "duds", and Fred pantomimes Rock Roll's moves to the sound of the recording of "The Twitch". Not even a temporarily stuck vinyl-record player detracts from Fred's completely convincing performance in Rock Roll's stead.

Characters

• Fred Flintstone
• Wilma Flintstone
• Barney Rubble
• Betty Rubble
• Dino
• Rock Roll (only appearance)
• Mr. Chips (only appearance)
• Sam Stone (only appearance)
• Sweetie (only appearance, no lines)
• Ed Sullystone (first appearance)
• Singer (only appearance)

Locations

Bedrock

• Flintstone home
• Sam Stone Agency (only appearance)
• Bedrock Gym
• Rock Roll's penthouse (only appearance)

Objects

• News-slab
• Pipe
• Slippers

Animals

• Snorkasaurus
• Brontosaurus (as a Bronto-Bone, Bronto-Legs and a Bronto-Trolley)
• Monkeysaurus
• Ostrichsaurus (only animated appearance)
• Dodo Bird (as Pickled Dodo Eggs)
• Lizardsaurus (as a potato peeler)

Vehicles

• Flintmobile
• Roll Rock's car (only appearance)

Songs

• The Bedrock Twitch

Cast

Alan Reed	Fred Flintstone
Jean Vander Pyl	Wilma Flintstone
Mel Blanc	Barney Rubble Dino Bird Lizardsaurus Potato Peeler Juggler
Bea Benaderet	Betty Rubble
Hal Smith	Rock Roll
John Stephenson	Sam Stone Announcer
Ginny Tyler	Singer

Notes/Trivia

• Among the talent that Fred and Barney try to get for Wilma's Ladies' Auxiliary Entertainment Committee show for $35 include a boy playing the violin while in a hula hoop, a dancing ostrich with a pink fan, a singer dressed as a mermaid, and a juggler who juggles Fred across the room.
• Fred mentions a term that has its basis in the New Testament, Doubtful Thomas.
• The YCMA (the Young Cave Men's Association) is mentioned again. It was featured in the third episode of the series, "The Swimming Pool".
• The TV show emcee is Ed Sullystone (Ed Sullivan). He is parodied several times throughout the series, and he would later appear in the episode, "Itty Bitty Fred" featured in the fifth season.
• The closing credits' Hanna-Barbera logo is very different.

Errors

• Although "Bedrock Twitch" uses the term "twitch" throughout the lyrics, Rock Roll can clearly be heard singing "We're gonna TWIST around the clock tonight in Bedrock" (as also heard on soundtrack releases).