Did THE FLINTSTONES Jump The Shark DURING a Third-Season Episode?

[TV DVD Fan]

I'm hoping to get some good feedback from this. In the third season episode, "The Surprise," does anybody think that the show jumped the shark the minute Fred screamed at the end "Fred Flintstone's going to be a father! And I want everybody to know about it!"? I know popular opinion is that the show jumped the minute Gazoo popped up onto the screen (poor Harvey Korman, lol), but since the early FLINTSTONES episodes main purpose was to appeal to older viewers via parodying THE HONEYMOONERS, this added dynamic of a baby in the family was all-of-a-sudden changing the chemistry of the show. Sure THE HONEYMOONERS dealt with the possibility of Alice conceiving, but she never actually gave birth (and early FLINTSTONES episodes dealt with it too (at least in an earlier season three episode)). So what do you all think? Sure, many fans of the show prefer the post-Pebbles episodes to the pre-Pebbles episodes, but I'm sure at least a handful of loyal THE FLINTSTONES fans appreciated the first half of the series' run to the second half. And I'm a fan of both eras; just wanted to know what your opinions all are.

[Rezny@gmail.com]

It may have jumped ever so slightly when Pebbles was born and Betty and Betty and Barney got Bamm Bamm,but was still good.It REALLY jumped in last season with the addition of "the superior,(or so he thought),self-assured,oh-so-smug alien Great Gazoo"-In his final episode he was fairly nice to Fred.,who in every episode he was in,(except for the last one he was in),belittled Fred.

[Rezny@gmail.com]

It may have jumped ever so slightly when Pebbles was born and Betty and Betty and Barney got Bamm Bamm,but was still good.It REALLY jumped in last season with the addition of "the superior,(or so he thought),self-assured,oh-so-smug alien Great Gazoo"-In his final episode he was fairly nice to Fred.,who in every episode he was in,(except for the last one he was in),belittled Fred.Oops! Sorry for the typo.I meant when Betty and Barney got Bamm Bamm,not Betty and Betty and Barney.

[howilu]

I felt the show did jump when Pebbles was born and the Rubbles adopted Bamm Bamm. The Flintstones changed from a cartoon with adult satire into more of a kiddie show.

[comedyfreak]

I am a fan of both eras and don't think it jumped shark until the last season. The birth of Pebbles and the adoption of Bamm Bamm showed how Fred and Barney had matured, it was nice to see them as parents. The show also had garnered big ratings with the birth of Pebbles episode. It worked for Lucy and then for Wilma.

[Steve Carras]

I'm hoping to get some good feedback from this. In the third season episode, "The Surprise," does anybody think that the show jumped the shark the minute Fred screamed at the end "Fred Flintstone's going to be a father! And I want everybody to know about it!"? I know popular opinion is that the show jumped the minute Gazoo popped up onto the screen (poor Harvey Korman, lol), but since the early FLINTSTONES episodes main purpose was to appeal to older viewers via parodying THE HONEYMOONERS, this added dynamic of a baby in the family was all-of-a-sudden changing the chemistry of the show. Sure THE HONEYMOONERS dealt with the possibility of Alice conceiving, but she never actually gave birth (and early FLINTSTONES episodes dealt with it too (at least in an earlier season three episode)). So what do you all think? Sure, many fans of the show prefer the post-Pebbles episodes to the pre-Pebbles episodes, but I'm sure at least a handful of loyal THE FLINTSTONES fans appreciated the first half of the series' run to the second half. And I'm a fan of both eras; just wanted to know what your opinions all are.

Agreed compeltely on this. On Jump the Shark in fact there was a long comment that "the rest of the show is just a childrens program" (by any chance you,did you write that?:)) though Gazoo brought the focus back to Fred and Barney. Many of the original pre-1962, pre-Pebbles, early episodes ("At the races","The Mailman Cometh") had a LOT of grovelin'..pleadin'..and beggin' (a cop and the sargeant of Bedrock in the latter case & who ever can forget "Wilma...don'tyou believe me" after Fred comes second time "beaten" up (first time faking but now actually being beaten..the racing "Sabertooth" episode, which introduced us to Mr.Slate, first version.)

Many episodes had also much yelling and aruging between Wilma, Betty, Fred and Barney.

[Steve Carras]

It may have jumped ever so slightly when Pebbles was born and Betty and Betty and Barney got Bamm Bamm,but was still good.It REALLY jumped in last season with the addition of "the superior,(or so he thought),self-assured,oh-so-smug alien Great Gazoo"-In his final episode he was fairly nice to Fred.,who in every episode he was in,(except for the last one he was in),belittled Fred.

What about that last one where Joe Rockhead (fits him right) and the other Water Buffalo lodge boys belitted Fred just for being in ballerina tights (a bit dont in the current Disney movie "The Game Plan" with The Rock.)"

[jimpickens]

The show did jump the shark when Pebbles and Bam Bam were introduced but it still had its moments and my favorite early episode was the Barny copter one. Does anybody know just how long the show ran.

[comedyfreak]

The show ran for 6 seasons from 1960-1966.

[TV DVD Fan]

Agreed compeltely on this. On Jump the Shark in fact there was a long comment that "the rest of the show is just a childrens program" (by any chance you,did you write that?:)) though Gazoo brought the focus back to Fred and Barney. Many of the original pre-1962, pre-Pebbles, early episodes ("At the races","The Mailman Cometh") had a LOT of grovelin'..pleadin'..and beggin' (a cop and the sargeant of Bedrock in the latter case & who ever can forget "Wilma...don'tyou believe me" after Fred comes second time "beaten" up (first time faking but now actually being beaten..the racing "Sabertooth" episode, which introduced us to Mr.Slate, first version.)

Many episodes had also much yelling and aruging between Wilma, Betty, Fred and Barney.


No, that wasn't me. Glad to see someone else agrees with me, and all the other opinions sound logical too.

[OH Nuts!]

Did The Flintstones ever jump the shark? YABBA DABBA DIDN'T!