The Flintstones and Christmas are an odd idea. And we aren't going to ask questions that don't really want to be answered. (But if the Flintstones are pre-historic then how can they have Christmas?) Especially for a show where they had TV sets and cars.
This time, we are looking at a later "Flintstones" special as it happens to turns 30 years old in 2023. This is from the later stage of Hanna-Barbera's existence and really can be seen that way. Also the title , if Wikipedia is right, it was going to be called "The Flintstones: Christmas Misdemeanors" which um, would have been a choice. I'm sure this title helps it either, like it sounds like an old 70's special with Bing Crosby and his family. I want Fred Flintstone to sing "White Christmas" while wearing a sweater and smoking a pipe.
"Family Christmas" first aired on ABC on December 18, 1993. It would later be rerun on Cartoon Network as part of their Christmas programming , and then on Boomerang network. It was nominated for an Emmy, so was The Town Santa Forgot -which I've also covered, and both lost to something called the Roman City.
This Flintstones special takes place in the timeline of when Pebbles and Bam-Bam are married and apparently have kids. The duo had been aged up a few times over the time and even had a show where they were teenagers. This seems to be the last time they've done anything with older Pebbles and Bam-Bam and that's kind of a shame. They aren't the stars of this special or are barely in it.
Fred is getting ready for Christmas and Fred not being a Scrooge (that's a different special) he's annoying enthused about Christmas. Fred wonders why others aren't as happy and this is a special, where you hear the phrase "drive by stoning". I don't know how that works and is that better or worse than a shooting? Is that shooting? You get confused by the Flintstones and Christmas, I get confused by how a drive by stoning works.
What's black and white and red all over, his and will be / Copyright Hanna-Barbera
Betty and Wilma wrapping gifts, and Wilma got Fred a portable phone. How very 1993 of this. I mean, I guess a portable phone would still work as a gift now, uh never mind then.
This special has at the time, the current voice of Fred , Henry Corden, who was the 2nd voice of Fred and had been doing it as the main one since the late 1970's. Jean Vander Pyl, was still the voice of Wilma, she was the original voice and would continue the role a few more times before her death in 1999. Frank Welker pinch hits as Barney. B. J. Ward , interestingly enough the B means Betty, did the voice of Betty. She started voicing the character in the 1980's after the retirement of Gay Autterson. Another cast member, soon.
Phones in the old days have to breathe / Copyright Hanna-Barbera
Wilma tells Fred that Pebbles and Bam-Bam are their way with the grand kids. Santa is excited he's going to play Santa for the grand children. But first he has errands to do. This is when he meets a kid named Stony. Which is an name, but then again, there's Pebbles and Bam-Bam so... Stony is voiced by Christine Cavanaugh and does sound like Dexter more than Chuckie robbing Fred Flintstone which how Fred and Stony meet. He's mugs them in a Santa suit.
Santa sure gets shorter every year/ Copyright Hanna-Barbera
At the police station, Fred and Barney point out the mugger and a social worker mentions he's a cave-less kid. And is explained a troubled kid. Also the design is very 90's , the backwards had, earring, that was bad in the 1990's or something. He also is the only character with color eyes instead of either black dots or black dots with white around it; he has blue eyes. (he had blue eyes) Wilma convinces Fred not to let Stony be put in jail. Also, the special mentions Charlie Manson-Stone, which um is a choice. There's a Charles Manson guy in this world? That makes me question things there really should be questions for. (Hmm was there a World War II here?) Also, was that mention for the adults watching? Like hey! I know who that is, and laugh? Good thing this wasn't 1995, we'd have O J Simpstone.
"I'm not doing that, and that's final!" then ha ha ha , it happened cut. The Flintstones have taken in Stony. They put a porn channel joke in this special. A Family Christmas indeed. Fred knows this is airing on ABC, so channel change, and there's a Flintstones version of "It's a Wonderful Life". It's even in black and white. Stony isn't happy and doesn't have Christmas spirit, with good reason. Screw it, I'm not going to mention every odd reference they make after this, they do "The Godfather" reference, so this is going to be a thing.
We can add Stone-Age to a movie and it's legal/ Copyright Hanna-Barbera
Wilma wants Fred to give a little trust to Stony, but things don't go well. (You can say that alot) At the airport, and Pebbles and Bam-Bam are going to be late because of airport delays. Fred isn't happy because his grand kids won't see him in the parade. He tries to help Stony try to embrace Christmas a little more. The song for the montage is actually kind of nice , original Christmas song. You see that he does try to do the right things and wants to help the Flintstones have a nice Christmas too, as the special goes on. Fred ends up in the hospital. (oops)
more after the jump
Fred's boss tells him he can't ride in the parade anymore, because it would look bad if Santa died in a parade. (He's not dead, he just um, sleepy) Stony hijacks Mr. Slate's limo and makes sure that Fred can be in the parade. Fred rushes home to free his boss from a locked bathroom. (uh that's how bathrooms don't work) Fred and Stony end up in jail, because apparently nobody cleared up anything.
Blue Blue Christmas Jailhouse rock/ Copyright Hanna-Barbera
Oddly this helps the two bond better. (hmm I guess jail is good way to bond, what?) Mr. Slate bails out Fred after all, and the social worker is there for Stony. Fred is actually sad that he was being taken away. He sees the boy being driven and decides to hijack the parade sleigh and fly (yes) to get Stony. I guess that's how that works.
Family Christmas/ Copyright Hanna-Barbera
The Flintstones, Rubbles, and Stony are together at the end and apparently they are adopting Stony. Whom we'll never see again. (well geeze)
I don't know if there was any intention to have a new Flintstones series with Stony, but that didn't happen. We also didn't see anymore older Pebbles and Bam-Bam after this special. It does feel like they were leaving a nugget to have more Stony in the future but maybe things didn't work out.
This special is basic in story, a wayward kid tests Fred's patience but they begin to bond and understand each other. Fred wasn't written to be a jerk in this, he was justified in his reactions at times and it was nice to see him at least try to understand Stony, even if he didn't like the whole idea of having him around. Stony is a basic media troubled kid, but with a heart of gold. It's like a Bart Simpson idea, like the writers were thinking of how they can make a Bart Simpson of their own. Everything he does in the special is that he doesn't intend to do bad things, but he does do things wrong. Unlike, Bart, he's had to live as an orphan and had to do things that would help him survive. I think that it works well for a characterization.
I think it's written where Fred is justified and Stony has justifiable reason for the things he does. It's weighted well to not have Fred be too much of jerk or have Stony be so annoying or a jerk to the point you can't hope the best for him, so they did that well.
The Flintstones wasn't strange to not make references to real things before this, but it was kind of just odd to see some of things they chose to do like Charles Manson. Flintstones was an adult cartoon series in the 1960's so having things adults would know here isn't a bad thing, I just found it funny that's what they picked. The Godfather family name reference was at least different than doing a parody of a famous scene.
This special is alright, there's s a sense of it trying to bring the Flintstones into a modern age in this, which can be hit or miss, but it does embrace Christmas warmth in it's own way without taking a cynical take or avoiding things. I like that even if it's weird in away, it mentions reasons why some don't find Christmas enjoyable that the world has bad things going on, but Christmas can be a light and maybe people should try to make sure those forgotten get a chance.
It's an alright special. That's it for now, tune in next time when we wonder how a Flintstones Easter special works.
No comments:
Post a Comment