About Mark Daniels Expertise Can answer deep questions about the series "The Flintstones". Know predominantly about the series airing on ABC in Prime Time from the Fall of 1960 to the late Summer of 1966. I know in depth about story lines of all 166 epsiodes. I also know about how these episodes were made, whose voices aired in the episodes, and other deep questions. I also have a very limited knowledge about the 70`s spinoff Saturday Morning Cartoons.
Experience Worked at a large market general entertainment independent station for a couple years some time back.
Education/Credentials Do have a 4 year College degree in communications and education minor
Question who came with the idea of making the flintstones show?
Answer ACtually William Hanna & Joseph Barbarra did. They worked for MGM in the animation department from the mid 1930's to the mid 1950's. During those years they produced theatrical cartoons like Tom & Jerry, Droopy Dog, and numerous other theatrical cartoons (shows with a feature film at theatres). In the 50's though with the advent of television, most theatres were beginning to run only feature films and dropped short subjects. The demand for theatrical cartoons like Tom & Jerry and Bugs Bunny disappeared. MGM decided then to cancel Tom & Jerry and shut down their animation department.
Hanna and Barbara were then out of a job. So they took what savings they had and bought a small animation studio and began creating made for TV cartoons which were growing. Their first creation was Huckleberry Hound. Then they created Yogi Bear and others.
In the late 1950's they decided to create a 30 minute adult cartoon to run on NBC. ABC, or CBS in prime time. They wanted it to be set in the 50's and 60's in one sense and in the prehistoric stone age in another. They then came up with the Flagstones. NBC and CBS turned the pilot down but ABC decided to give the show a shot. At the end of 1959 ABC accepted the program and had the name changed to The Flintstones. ABC then ordered 14 episodes which Hanna Barbara began making in January of 1960 to air in September of 1960 on ABC. By September ABC ordered another 15 episodes and the rest is history
