Today in Television History (September 30th, 1960): The First Episode of "The Flintstones" Airs on ABC!
"Yabba-Dabba-Doooo!"
On September 30th, 1960, the first episode of the iconic cartoon series, "The Flintstones", aired on ABC! The show was a Hanna-Barbera-produced cartoon, and takes place in the Stone Age, with two families: The Flintstones, and their neighbors, The Rubbles. The show is also considered the first prime-time animated series. The show ran for six seasons including 166 episodes in total, with the last episode airing on April 1st, 1966. One of the main inspirations for "The Flintstones" was the iconic 50s series, "The Honeymooners", which Hanna considered "one of the finest comedies on television". The series was the most financially successful and longest-running network animated television series until "The Simpsons" broke the record in 1997. TV Guide ranked "The Flintstones" as the second-greatest TV cartoon of all time in 2013, after "The Simpsons".
