The Flintstones: Little Big League

Last updated
The Flintstones: Little Big League
Directed by Chris Cuddington
Voices of Henry Corden
Mel Blanc
Jean Vander Pyl
Gay Autterson Hartwig
Pamela Anderson
Frank Welker
John Stephenson
Music by Hoyt Curtin
Country of originUnited States
Australia
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producers William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Producer Neil Balnaves
EditorTom Whintall
Running time60 minutes
Production companies Hanna-Barbera Productions
Hanna-Barbera Pty, Ltd.
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseApril 6, 1978 (1978-04-06)
Related

The Flintstones: Little Big League is a 1978 animated television special featuring characters from The Flintstones franchise. It was produced by the Australian division of Hanna-Barbera and aired on NBC on April 6, 1978. [1] It was an hour-long primetime special, as part of The Flintstone Primetime Specials . [2]

Contents

It was the first fully-animated television film made in Australia. [3]

Summary

Fred and Barney become coaches of opposing Little League baseball teams: Barney is coach of the Sandstone Sluggers, a team that features the incredible hitting prowess of his son, Bamm-Bamm, and Fred volunteers to coach an opposing team, the Bedrock Brontos, for his boss Mr. Slate. When driving home from work, he ends up pulled over by a police officer for speeding. When Fred mentions that he is coaching the Bedrock Brontos, the police officer lets him off with a warning and says that he has a pitcher for his team.

Upon arriving home, Fred tells Wilma and Pebbles that he became the coach for the Bedrock Brontos. He decides not let Barney know of this until later.

When it comes to practice, Fred denies having Barney see them. When Fred does meet the team, he ends up meeting Lefty (the son of the police officer that pulled Fred over earlier) and Dusty (the son of Judge Shale). At the quarry the next day, Mr. Slate tells Fred to make the Bedrock Brontos a champion team or Fred will lose his job. When driving home later, he ends up accidentally rear-ending the police officer who ends up confiscating Fred's license. When Fred states that he will improve on Lefty's abilities, the police officer returns Fred's license with a warning not to enact a third warning next time.

Moments later at home, Fred and his family are visited by Judge Shale who was not pleased that Dusty was resting while benched. Judge Shale then tells Fred that Dusty better be on the field practicing or he will land Fred in the courthouse.

During practice the next day, Fred discovers that the Brontos' only strength is spearheaded by Pebbles who stuns everyone with her remarkable pitching skills and fielding ability. Fred decides to put Pebbles on his team.

Leaving their long-standing friendship in the dug-out, Fred and Barney lead their teams right into the championship. When Barney stays with Fred, they sleep together that night. The next morning, a tired Fred and Barney take off and try to get to the ballpark as fast they could only to be pulled over by a short police officer who ends up taking them to Judge Shale.

At the stadium, Wilma and Betty wonder what's taking Fred and Barney.

Meanwhile, at the courthouse, Judge Shale suspends the sentence on Fred and Barney for speeding when it turns out that the game between the Bedrock Brontos and the Sandstone Sluggers is occurring. Judge Shale then has the short police officer escort them to the ballpark.

At the stadium, Mr. Slate has Wilma and Betty cover for Fred and Barney on the field. The game begins as Fred, Barney, and Judge Shale arrive. As the game continues, Pebbles pitches the ball to Bamm-Bamm who ends up hitting it upward. Since the ball hasn't come down and it isn't a home run or a foul, the game ends in a tie, which leads all of the players and Fred and Barney to sing "Be a Good Sport". Barney believes that the song has a lot of philosophy, and Fred agrees. Then, the players carry Fred and Barney on their shoulders in celebration.

Voice cast

Reception

Wilmington, Delaware's The News Journal commented that shows like The Flintstones were "fun to watch on an occasional basis, but not week-in-week-out", making this program welcome, despite "the canned laugh track... As in the past, the story line for this Flintsone outing is simple and the humor broad." [4]

Like many animated series created by Hanna-Barbera in the 1970s, the show features a limited laugh track created by the studio as a cost saving measure, which has been criticized [5] as having an uncanny effect owing to its frequent repetition of sounds.

Home media

The Flintstones: Little Big League was released on VHS by Worldvision Home Video on August 5, 1986.

On October 9, 2012, Warner Archive released The Flintstones: Little Big League on DVD in region 1 as part of their Hanna–Barbera Classics Collection, in a release entitled The Flintstones Prime-Time Specials Collection: Volume 1. This is a Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) release, available exclusively through Warner's online store and Amazon.com. [6]

On August 4, 2020, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment gave it its first wide release as part of the DVD collection The Flintstones: 2 Movies & 5 Specials.

Related Research Articles

The Flintstones is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, which takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighbors, the Rubbles. It was originally broadcast on ABC from September 30, 1960, to April 1, 1966, and was the first animated series with a prime-time slot on television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pebbles Flintstone</span> Fictional character in The Flintstones

Pebbles Flintstone-Rubble is a fictional character in the Flintstones franchise. The red-haired daughter of Fred and Wilma Flintstone, Pebbles is born near the end of the third season. She is most famous in her infant form on The Flintstones, but has also appeared at various other ages, including as a teenager on the early 1970s spin-off The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show and as an adult in three television films. She spent most of her time with Bamm-Bamm Rubble, her childhood best friend whom she eventually marries.

<i>The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show</i> U.S. animated television series (1971–72)

The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that originally aired for one season on CBS Saturday morning from September 11, 1971, to January 1, 1972. With an ensemble voice cast of Sally Struthers, Jay North, Mitzi McCall, Gay Hartwig, Carl Esser and Lennie Weinrib, the show follows teenage Pebbles Flintstone and Bamm-Bamm Rubble as they encounter problems growing up in the fictional town of Bedrock. The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show is the first spin-off series of The Flintstones. For the 1972–73 season, the show was revamped as The Flintstone Comedy Hour, with more time given to the original Flintstones cast alongside both reruns and newly produced segments of Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Flintstone</span> Character from The Flintstones

Frederick "Fred" Flintstone is the main character of the animated sitcom The Flintstones, which aired during prime-time on ABC during the original series' run from 1960 to 1966. Fred is the husband of Wilma Flintstone and father of Pebbles Flintstone and together the family live in their homely cave in the town of Bedrock. His best friend is his next door neighbor, Barney, who has a wife named Betty.

<i>I Yabba-Dabba Do!</i> American TV series or program

I Yabba-Dabba Do! is a 1993 American animated made-for-television film based on the 1960s animated series, The Flintstones and is a continuation of the series’ spin-off, The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show. It premiered on ABC on February 7, 1993.

Bedrock (<i>The Flintstones</i>) Fictional town in The Flintstones

Bedrock is the fictional prehistoric town where the characters of the animated television series The Flintstones reside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barney Rubble</span> Fictional character in the television animated series The Flintstones

Bernard Matthew "Barney" Rubble is a fictional character who appears in the television animated series The Flintstones. He is the diminutive, blond-haired caveman husband of Betty Rubble and adoptive father of Bamm-Bamm Rubble. His best friend is his next door neighbor, Fred.

<i>The Flintstone Kids</i> American animated television series

The Flintstone Kids is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera. It is an alternative incarnation of the studio's original animated series The Flintstones. The series depicts juvenile versions of the main characters from the original show. It aired from September 13, 1986, to November 14, 1987, on ABC. Unlike the previous shows, this was the first Flintstone series not to have a laugh track.

The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone is a 1979 animated Halloween television special featuring The Flintstones. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and first aired on Tuesday, October 30, 1979 on NBC.

<i>The Flintstone Comedy Show</i> U.S. animated television series (1980–81)

The Flintstone Comedy Show is an American animated television series revival and spin-off of The Flintstones produced by Hanna-Barbera that aired on NBC from November 22, 1980, to October 24, 1981. Outside North America, the show was released under title of Flintstone Frolics.

<i>Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby</i> American TV series or program

Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby is a 1993 American animated made-for-television film based on the 1960s series classic, The Flintstones. It first aired on ABC on December 5, 1993. It is the sequel to I Yabba-Dabba Do! and is followed by A Flintstone Family Christmas, which aired less than two weeks later on the same network.

<i>A Flintstone Christmas</i> 1977 animated Christmas special

A Flintstone Christmas is a 1977 animated Christmas television special featuring characters from The Flintstones franchise. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and is the second Christmas-themed animated work in the franchise, after the 1964 episode "Christmas Flintstone." Both feature the character Fred Flintstone taking on the role of Santa Claus. The special first aired on NBC on December 7, 1977.

<i>Fred Flintstone and Friends</i> American animated television series

Fred Flintstone and Friends is an American animated anthology wheel series and a spin-off of The Flintstones produced by Hanna-Barbera and Columbia Pictures Television that aired in daily first-run syndication from September 12, 1977, to September 1, 1978. The series was packaged by Columbia Pictures Television during the 1977–78 television season and was available for barter syndication through Claster Television through the mid-1980s.

Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo is an American animated package show and a spin-off of The Flintstones produced by Hanna-Barbera which aired on NBC from December 8, 1979 to November 15, 1980. The 90-minute show is a repackaging of episodes from Fred and Barney Meet the Thing combined with the addition of The New Shmoo episodes.

<i>A Flintstone Family Christmas</i> 1993 animated Christmas special

A Flintstone Family Christmas is a 1993 animated Christmas television special featuring characters from The Flintstones franchise. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and aired on ABC on December 18, 1993. The special was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 1994 for Outstanding Animated Program. This is the only appearance of Stoney and the final appearance of Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm in their adult forms as well as their children, Chip and Roxy. Hanna-Barbera continued doing the series but with the original timeline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bamm-Bamm Rubble</span> Fictional character and adopted son of Barney and Betty Rubble

Bamm-Bamm Rubble is a fictional character in the Flintstones franchise, the adopted son of Barney and Betty Rubble. He is most famous in his toddler form on the animated series, but has also appeared at various other ages, including as a teenager on the early 1970s spin-off The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show and as an adult in three television films. Cartoonist Gene Hazelton contributed to the original model sheets for the character, and he has said that he based Bamm-Bamm's design on his own son, Wes.

The Flintstone Primetime Specials is a four-episode limited-run prime time television revival of The Flintstones produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions which aired on NBC from September 26, 1980 to October 11, 1981.

<i>The Flintstone Comedy Hour</i> U.S. animated television series (1972–74)

The Flintstone Comedy Hour is an American animated television series and a spin-off of The Flintstones and The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show, produced by Hanna-Barbera, which aired on CBS from September 9, 1972, to September 1, 1973. It was re-titled The Flintstone Comedy Show for a second season of reruns as a half-hour show from September 8, 1973, to January 26, 1974.

<i>The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown!</i> 2015 American film

The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown! is a 2015 American direct-to-video animated film starring The Flintstones. It is the second co-production between Warner Bros. Animation and WWE Studios following Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery. The film features Fred Flintstone, Barney Rubble and the whole Bedrock gang with stone age versions of WWE Superstars and Divas. It was released on March 10, 2015, by Warner Home Video.

References

  1. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 155–156. ISBN   0-8108-2198-2 . Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  2. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 261. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7 . Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  3. ↑ "Fred's little league". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney NSW. 15 May 1978. p. 25.
  4. ↑ Hayden, Bill (6 April 1978). "Mitzi Gaynor Wastes Her Energies In Low-Wattage 'What's Hot' Special" (Newspapers.com). The News Journal. Wilmington DE. p. 29.
  5. ↑ Iverson, Paul R. (1994), The Advent of the Laugh Track (2nd ed.), Hempstead, New York: Hofstra University Archives
  6. ↑ "The Flintstones DVD news: Warner Archive Releases 4 Titles with Prime-Time Specials or Telefilms". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-15. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.