The Frankenstones

Last updated
The Frankenstones
The Flintstones family
The Frankenstones.png
First appearance
Last appearance
Created by Hanna-Barbera

The Frankenstones are a family of fictional characters who appeared on The Flintstones spin-offs and television specials through the early 1980s. The family has been described as a sort of fusion of The Flintstones and The Munsters . [1] The Frankenstones are also similar in scope to The Gruesomes, another monster-themed family who moved next door to the Flintstones during the fifth season of the original series. [2]

Contents

The New Fred and Barney Show

The first version of the Frankenstones were introduced on September 15, 1979 in the episode "Fred & Barney Meet the Frankenstones" of the second season of The New Fred and Barney Show . They were featured as the managers of a condorstonium development called Deadrock Arms that Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble considered moving their families into. [3] This Frankenstone family consisted of:

Frank's voice was patterned after Boris Karloff by voice actor John Stephenson, and Hidea had a pseudo-Transylvanian accent.

The Flintstones prime-time specials

A Frankenstone monster (voiced by Ted Cassidy) was featured in the 1979 Halloween special The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone . This version of Frankenstone was Count Rockula's unfinished creation, awoken prematurely when lightning strikes the machinery in Rockula's laboratory. Despite the resemblance, he is not to be confused with the Frank Frankenstone character that first appeared in The New Fred and Barney Show or featured in subsequent television specials and spin-off series.

The second version of the Frankenstones moved in next door to the Flintstones in The Flintstones' New Neighbors as part of a limited run prime-time revival of The Flintstones, which aired on NBC in 1980–1981. This time, the family consisted of:

Again, the family is odd, and a friendship developed between the Flintstones and the Frankenstones. Frank's voice was still patterned after Boris Karloff by John Stephenson. This version of the Frankenstones continued to appear throughout the run of the prime-time specials: Fred's Final Fling (1980), Wind-Up Wilma (1981) and Jogging Fever (1981).

The Flintstone Comedy Show

The Frankenstones starred in their own eponymous segment on Saturday mornings as part of The Flintstone Comedy Show which premiered on November 22, 1980. This third and final version of the Frankenstone family more closely resembled the version previously seen in The New Fred and Barney Show than the Frankenstones that just moved in next door in the prime-time specials. This version of the family consisted of:

The previously soft-natured Frank is now hot-tempered and wired with his voice provided by Charles Nelson Reilly in his traditional high-pitched, hyper-whiny style. Frank became volatile at the drop of a hat, especially when he dealt with his annoying neighbor and rival Fred Flintstone. Frank and Fred were both frustrated by the friendships between their wives (Hidea and Wilma) and children (Freaky and Pebbles), and they always seemed to be thrust into one mess after another because of each other.

Cartoon historian Hal Erickson says that "The Frankenstones was the best of the new components, and a refreshing break from the usual 'friendly monster who thinks everyone else is abnormal' formula...[Frank Frankenstone] carried on a hilariously snotty feud with neighbor Fred Flintstone. The lines given to Frank and his goodnatured wife Hidea were some of the sharpest and funniest heard on any of the Flintstones incarnation. The verbal humor was evenly matched by the grotesquely imaginative visual design of the Frankenstone home, which carried its own rain cloud and was overrun with utterly indescribable stone-age monstrosities of all shapes and colors...The Frankenstones sequences more than made up for the rest of the show with a generous supply of laughs." [4]

The Flintstone Comedy Show ran for two seasons and consecutively with two more Flintstone prime-time specials in 1981 (which both revert to John Stephenson's version of Frank with his wife Oblivia, and children Hidea and Stubby). The continuity of the prime-time Flintstones and Saturday morning Flintstones drift farther apart because both have their own version of Frankenstone neighbors.

Following the cancellation of The Flintstone Comedy Show in 1982, the Frankenstones have never been referred to in any subsequent spin-off series, specials or animated movies. [5]

The Frankenstones segment was later rerun as part of the package show The Flintstone Funnies (1982–1984). [6]

Appearances in other media

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">Fred Flintstone</span> Character from The Flintstones

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Vander Pyl</span> American voice actress (1919–1999)

Jean Thurston Vander Pyl was an American voice actress. Although her career spanned many decades, she is best known as the voice of Wilma Flintstone for the Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Flintstones. In addition to Wilma Flintstone, she also provided the voices of Pebbles Flintstone; Rosie the robot maid on The Jetsons; Goldie, Lola Glamour, Nurse LaRue, and other characters in Top Cat; Winsome Witch on The Secret Squirrel Show; and Ogee on The Magilla Gorilla Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilma Flintstone</span> Fictional character in the animated TV series The Flintstones

Wilma Flintstone is a fictional character in the television animated series The Flintstones. Wilma is the red-headed woman married to caveman Fred Flintstone, daughter of Pearl Slaghoople, and mother of Pebbles Flintstone. Her best friend is her next door neighbor, Betty Rubble.

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

Bedrock is the fictional town, set in the prehistoric time-period, 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

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.

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

Betty Rubble is a fictional character in the television animated series The Flintstones and its spin-offs and live-action motion pictures. She is the black-haired wife of caveman Barney Rubble and the adoptive mother of Bamm-Bamm Rubble. Her best friend is her next-door neighbor Wilma Flintstone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Corden</span> American actor (1920–2005)

Henry Corden was a Canadian-born American actor, best known for taking over the role of Fred Flintstone after Alan Reed's death in 1977. His official debut as Fred's new voice was in a 1965 Hanna-Barbera record, Saving Mr. Flintstone, although he had previously provided the singing voice for Reed in the 1966 theatrical film The Man Called Flintstone and the Hanna-Barbera specials Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (1966) and Energy: A National Issue (1977). He took over the role as Fred Flintstone full time starting with the syndicated weekday series Fred Flintstone and Friends for which he provided voice-overs on brief bumper clips shown in-between segments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Stephenson (actor)</span> American actor (1923–2015)

John Winfield Stephenson was an American actor who worked primarily in voice-over roles.

<i>The Man Called Flintstone</i> 1966 film by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera

The Man Called Flintstone is a 1966 American animated musical comedy film produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The second film by Hanna-Barbera following Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! (1964), it was directed by series creators/studio founders William Hanna and Joseph Barbera from a screenplay by Harvey Bullock and R. S. Allen.

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 New Fred and Barney Show</i> American animated television series

The New Fred and Barney Show is an American animated television series revival and spin-off of The Flintstones produced by Hanna-Barbera that aired on NBC from February 3 to October 20, 1979. The series marked the first time Henry Corden performed the voice of Fred Flintstone for a regular series.

<i>The Flintstone Comedy Show</i> American TV series or program

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.

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. It was an hour-long primetime special, as part of The Flintstone Primetime Specials.

The Flintstones' New Neighbors is a 1980 animated television special and the first of The Flintstone Special limited-run prime time revival of The Flintstones produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The special premiered on NBC on September 26, 1980.

Fred's Final Fling is a 1980 animated television special and the second of The Flintstone Special limited-run prime time revival of The Flintstones produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions which premiered on NBC on November 7, 1980. It is an hour-long primetime special, broadcast as part of the 1980-1981 series The Flintstone Primetime Specials.

Wind-Up Wilma is a 1981 animated television special and the third of The Flintstone Specials limited-run prime time revival of The Flintstones produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The special premiered on NBC on October 4, 1981. In the special, Wilma Flintstone is recruited to play on Bedrock's baseball team.

James Andrew MacGeorge was an American voice actor, puppeteer, stand-up comedian and writer. He is also credited Jim McGeorge and James MacGeorge.

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.

References

  1. ↑ "The modern Stone Age family has its golden anniversary". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-01.
  2. ↑ Hahn, Matthew (2020). The Animated Peter Lorre. BearManor Media. p. 127. ISBN   978-1-62933-459-2.
  3. ↑ "Fred and Barney Meet the Frankenstones". TV.com. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
  4. ↑ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 340. ISBN   978-1476665993.
  5. ↑ "Webrock - The Flintstones FAQ". Webrockonline.com. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
  6. ↑ Cawley, John; Korkis, Jim (1990). The Encyclopedia of Cartoon Superstars. Pioneer Books. p. 97. ISBN   1-55698-269-0.
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.