The popularity of CBS' Jim Henson's Muppet Babies prompted ABC & Hanna-Barbera to try to duplicate the formula, using familiar characters rebooted as children. Unfortunately, H-B went to the well a couple of times too many in the course of a 5 year period (1986-91).
The first of these was The Flintstone Kids, which spent 2 seasons on ABC (1986-8) before being shunted off into the syndicated Funtastic World package. Fred, Wilma, Betty, & Barney were all reimagined as kids, growing up together in Bedrock. Henry Corden, who had taken over as the voice of the adult Fred a few years earlier, voiced Fred's father and mother (!). However, young Freddy had two actors essay the part. Len Weinrib returned to H-B for the first season, but left again, and Scott Menville took over in season 2.
There were a trio of backup features that rotated, including solo stories starring Dino, and the return of Captain Caveman (Mel Blanc), who now had a son, Cavey, Jr. (Frank Welker), which all but killed Cavey's appeal as he neared his 10th anniversary. The other backup had the kids engaging in some Walter Mitty-like fantasies, not quite unlike the Magnificent Muttley backups from Dastardly & Muttley.
Here's the show open & close:
Right now, the series sits in Cartoon Network's vaults. Maybe just as well.
Rating: C.
2 comments:
I was never crazy about the "baby-fication" of classic adult characters. It worked for Muppet Babies, but it was just wrong for many HB characters (Flintstones, et al).
The original Flintstones series already explained how Wilma & Fred & Betty & Barney met, so it was hard to buy this show's premise. I DID however appreciate Fred's parents appearing and (surprise!) takes his looks from his mother!
That would be filed under whodathunk.
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