The Flintstones: The Complete First Season

Yabba-Dabba-DVD! Here's a page right out of television history! Joseph Hanna and William Barbera took animation out of the Saturday morning Stone Age and into prime time, where the Flintstones reigned as animation's first family (until a Neanderthal named Homer Simpson and his brood came along). While the battle of the sexes has been a sitcom staple since The Bickersons during radio's golden age, The Flintstones was built on that formidable TV bedrock known as The Honeymooners--adding a fun prehistoric slant on modern life, complete with clever, crude forebears of now-common appliances (you've got to feel for those poor overworked birds whose beaks served as washing machines, sewing needles, and record players). Fan favorite episodes include "The Monster from the Tar Pits," in which Fred stands in for Hollyrock idol Gary Granite (name-plays were always one of the show's strong suits); "The Tycoon," with Fred in a dual role as industrialist doppelgänger J. L. Gotrocks; "In the Dough," in which Fred and Barney take the places of their wives on a television bake-off; and "Fred Flintstone: Before and After," in which Fred must lose 25 pounds in a month. Fans will lament the absence of the classic theme song, which didn't debut until the second season. Pebbles and Bam-Bam are likewise in the future, as is that alien shark-jumper the Great Gazoo (heck, Dino doesn't even arrive until episode 18, "The Snorkasaurus Hunter"). This four-disc set--boasting handsome color transfers and solid sound--contains all 28 episodes from the inaugural season, as well as such retro-nuggets as original series promos and commercial plugs. It's fun to go back to the dawn of Fred and see how this groundbreaking series evolved. Recommended. (D. Liebenson)