30th September 1960: The Flintstones broadcast for the first time as the world’s first animated sitcom

Scott Allsop (0:00)

On the 30th September 1960, the Flintstones was broadcast for the first time on the American television network ABC. Welcome to HistoryPod.

William Hanna and Joseph Barbera had established their own animation company in 1957 after working together at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer where they had produced the Tom and Jerry cartoons. While television animation had largely been associated with children's programming, the pair believed that animation could also be used for a situation comedy aimed at adults. Their new programme established the fictional prehistoric town of Bedrock that closely resembled suburban America. Fred Flintstone worked at a quarry, lived with his wife Wilma and drove a car powered by his feet. Barney Rubble was Fred's neighbour and friend, and the two families encountered situations involving work, marriage, money, leisure and neighbours. The prehistoric setting provided opportunities for visual jokes, with animals and primitive looking machines performing the functions of modern household appliances.

The first episode of the Flintstones was broadcast at 8.30pm on the evening of Friday 30th September. The story established the basic characters and the programme's approach of combining domestic situations with its prehistoric setting. The Flintstones attracted strong ratings, demonstrating that an animated series could compete with live action programmes in an evening schedule. Even now, it continues to be celebrated as the first animated sitcom, and established Hanna-Barbera as a major television animation studio. The programme remained on ABC until 1966, producing 166 episodes over six seasons.