The Flintstones: The Complete Sixth Season

To Gazoo or not to Gazoo? That is the ultimate question for Flintstones fans, since he is about as popular as the dread Cousin Oliver on The Brady Bunch. But any character affectionately referenced on The Simpsons and Family Guy can't be all bad. As odd as the arrival in Stone Age Bedrock of a little green alien from the future might be, his episodes in this 1965-66 sixth season compilation of 26 are out of this world. Credit goes to Harvey Korman, who voices Gazoo with the sneer of a disdainful English butler. He is introduced in the episode "The Great Gazoo," written by Joanna Lee, who, we are informed in an interesting bonus segment included on this four-disc set, was only the second woman ever to write for cartoons. Gazoo pops up throughout the season, granting wishes for "dum-dums" Fred and Barney, who found the banished, time-traveling scientist from the planet Zetox. In "Seeing Doubles," he conjures up monosyllabic clones ("Yes, yes, yes." "No, no, no.") to take Wilma and Betty out to dinner while Fred and Barney go bowling. Gazoo wasn't the only stunt designed to lift The Flintstones' sagging ratings: guest voices this season include Tony Curtis in "The Return of Stoney Curtis," Dick York and Elizabeth Montgomery inexplicably appearing as their Bewitched characters in "Samantha," and the Brit-pop greats the Beau Brummels (Flintstonized as the Beau Brummelstones) singing their hit "Laugh Laugh" in "No Biz Like Show Biz." This classic episode also features Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm's maddeningly catchy song, "Open Up Your Heart and Let the Sunshine In" ("Smilers never lose / And frowners never win"), which after a few minutes makes one long for "It's a Small World." The Flintstones continued to mine its prehistoric setting to poke fun at ‘60s pop culture, including James Bond films ("Stonecrusher") and teenage dance fads ("Shinrock-A-Go-Go," in which Fred unwittingly creates a dance sensation, the Frantic, after a bowling ball lands on his foot). The Flintstones made history as primetime's first animated series; after this season, it was history—but what a yabba-dabba-doo time it was! A second featurette takes a look at the effects of pop culture on the show—and vice versa—and is hosted by Stephen Baldwin. Recommended. (D. Liebenson)