The Flintstones – The Complete Sixth Season

The Flintstones The Complete Sixth Season
Fred Flintstone, Barney Rubble
Wilma Flintstone, Betty Rubble
Originally broadcast 1965-66
4 DVDs 26 Episodes
Hanna-Barbera
Warner Home Video 2006

It is hard to believe The Flintstones The Complete Sixth Season marks the last Flintstones cartoon DVD set and season. It is true that the greatest television cartoon series ever only lasted six season but I could have sworn, probably because it has been in syndication for so long, Fred Flintstones and Barney Rubble has more than six years worth of adventures. Of course, The Flintstones The Complete Sixth Season has a few classic cartoons such as the season opener No Biz Like Show Biz where Pebbles and Bam Bam sing Let The Sunshine In (an episode not often seen in syndication by the way). It is also the season where viewers meet the Great Gazoo which, according to many fans, was when the show jumped the shark.

The Complete Sixth Season of The Flintstones cartoon DVD features the usual Fred (voiced by  Alan Reed) has a great plan that goes awry stories. One of these is episode two where Fred buys a house so his mother-in-law can move in. The house is flawed and his mother-in-law is not moving in after all. Fred is jury foreman in Disorder in the Court and gets scared when the Mangler vows revenge. The highlight of the first DVD in this Flintstones collection definitely has to be Samantha, a cartoon version of Bewitched that features the voices of Dick York and Elizabeth Montgomery. Samantha and Darren move next door -who knows what happened to the Gruesomes-and Samantha joins Wilma and Betty on a camping trip to show the boys who the real men are. Though the writing in season six is not as imaginative as in past seasons, there are a few gems such as in Circus Business where the employees threaten to go on strike. The thin man calls for a hunger strike and the fat lady says, “You do things your way, I’ll do them my way.” The various characters in the flea bitten circus are a lot of fun as are the acts the Flintstones come up with.

The second DVD in this The Flintstones cartoon collection includes some of the best episodes and best shows of season 6. It includes The Great Gazoo where the green spaceman makes his first appearance and reveals he was banned from planet Zatox because he invented a weapon of mass destruction. Fred and Barney quickly learn being able to wish for anything can be a problem, especially with the temperamental Gazoo. This Flintstones DVD you also includes The Gravelberry Pie King and Rip Van Flintstone. The Gravelberry Pie King is especially fun for the bit featuring the mass production of the pies. This is also the only episode where a character’s comment is bleeped out (by a noon whistle). The Masquerade Party has a fun jab at the Beatles (the Beasties) being replaced by the Monkees (the Way Outs).

DVD 3 of the sixth cartoon season of The Flintstones includes the episode where Gazoo creates nothings to replace Fred and Barney when a night out with the girls conflicts with a bowling game.  They also make the mistake of taking marital advice from the man from planet Zatox in How To Pick A Fight Without Really Trying. The best Flintstones cartoon here is The Long, Long, Long Weekend where the gang goes to the future and a few planets. Hanna-Barbera really show a lot of imagination in this one.

Curtain Call At Bedrock is one of the highlights of side A of the fourth The Flintstones The Complete Sixth Season DVD set. Wilma is in charge of a play, chooses Romeorock and Julietstone and when Fred, in total contrast to his usual self, does not want to play the lead, gives the role of Romeo to Barney. The boys end up playing both leads in a comic version of Shakespeare’s play. This DVD also includes The Treasure of Sierra Madrock, a spoof of the western classic. Side A also includes Dripper, the seal that escapes from the aquarium and moves into the Flintstone swimming pool.

The last two cartoons of the last season of The Flintstones, My Fair Freddy, a spoof of My Fair Lady where Fred takes ballet lessons to join the local private club, and The Story Of Rocky’s Raiders, another movie spoof are on side B of DVD 4.

The quality of the animation in this last Flintstones season is a little more generic and mass-produced (even by Hanna-Barbera standards) than in past years. Joseph Hanna and William Barbera where the masters of flat animation but were particular about the quality of the process in their franchise cartoon. The Complete Sixth Season features more cut and paste moments and more rerun scenes than in the past. Also, do not expect absolutely pristine, remastered prints in this four DVD Flintstones set. The cartoons are high quality but do have the odd bit of screen dust sometimes.

Special features on this 4 cartoon DVD set (well 3 DVDs and one double-sided DVD) include the B-side The Great Gazoo – From A to Zetox. It features animation historian Earl Kress on the history of the Gazoo character. Not much of interest here aside from the work in progress names given to Gazoo and the link made between The Flintstones and Plan 9 From Outer Space. More interesting is the feature on side A, The Flintstones Meet Pop Culture hosted by Barney Rubble dumb-dumb and thespian Stephen Baldwin. This 10-minute short tells you how Hanna-Barbera put modern inventions into the prehistoric age and spoofed real Hollywood stars like Stoney Curtis and Ann Margrock. Nothing aficionados did not know but still fun to watch.

The Flintstones The Complete Sixth Season episode list:

DVD 1: No Biz Like Show Biz, The House That Fred Built, The Return of Stoney Curtis, Disorder in the Court, Circus Business, Samantha

DVD 2: The Great Gazoo, Rip Van Flintstone, The Gravelberry Pie King, The -Stonefinger Caper, The Masquerade Party, Shinrock-a-Go-Go

DVD 3: Royal Rubble, Seeing Doubles, How to Pick a Fight With Your Wife Without Really Trying, Fred Goes Ape, The Long Long Long Weekend, Two Men on a Dinosaur

DVD 4: The Treasure of Sierra Madrock, Curtain Call at Bedrock, Boss For a Day, Fred’s Island, Jealousy, Dripper, The Flintstones Meet Pop Culture (special feature) My Fair Freddy, The Story of Rocky’s Raiders, The Great Gazoo From A to Zetox (special feature).

Other Warner Brothers Cartoon DVD collections:

Hong Kong Phooey The Complete Series review

Magilla Gorilla The Complete Series (includes Ricochet Rabbit and Punkin Puss) review

Saturday Morning Cartoon Collection 70s review

The Jetsons Season 2 Volume 1 review

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