The Flintstones - The Complete Series

[Daniel]

Source.

Like Batman: TAS, this is very exiting news! Only problem, I already have the first three individual seasons, so I'm hoping the price isn't too high that it would be cheaper to double-dip then purchase the remaining seasons sets -- and of course to see how the disc are stored, and if it will be secure. From the little discription, it sounds great! Lenticular... *drools*

Funny, this like the second time for The Flintstones, although the first one wasn't official and more of 'bundle' deal:

[EricJ]

Source.

Like Batman: TAS, this is very exiting news! Only problem, I already have the first three individual seasons, so I'm hoping the price isn't too high that it would be cheaper to double-dip then purchase the remaining seasons sets --

Darn, and they divided the two halves the series at just the right point, too...Just between the "good" and "bad" eras of the show, right at the Birth-of-Pebbles dividing line!
(As, indeed, a whole era of Hanna-Barbera's history can be divided...)

Don't suppose there's anyway fans can just buy the Seasons 1-3 book, and ignore the rest?

[Daniel]

I always thought the general opinion was only season six was "bad"? Huh.

[EricJ]

I always thought the general opinion was only season six was "bad"? Huh.

It was a long slippery slope from the slight "bad"-ness of More Pebbles Cutesiness from the tail end of S3, to the all-out "gimmick" desperation of Season 6, but adding Bamm-Bamm greased it early in Season 4...

[droosan]

Don't suppose there's anyway fans can just buy the Seasons 1-3 book, and ignore the rest?

You could just buy the separate boxed sets of seasons 1-3 that were released over the past several years .. since this new 'complete' boxed set looks to basically be 're-issues' of seasons 1-6, in exactly the same packaging, aside from the outer box (note the varying widths of the spines, even though each set contains 4 discs).

Granted, those first couple of sets may be a bit 'hard to find' in stores, now .. but that's why it's (generally) a bad idea for collectors to 'wait' to buy stuff like this. :idea:


*** edit: I've just noticed that the illustration in Daniel's post is of an earlier 'reissue' set; and the set described on TV on DVD appears to be something new (at least, package-wise). However, my recommendation to buy just the early seasons in the previously-released separate sets (if that is all one wants) still stands. ***


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And I like all six seasons of The Flintstones.

[EricJ]

You could just buy the separate boxed sets of seasons 1-3 that were released over the past several years .. since this new 'complete' boxed set looks to basically be 're-issues' of seasons 1-6, in exactly the same packaging, aside from the outer box (note the varying widths of the spines, even though each set contains 4 discs).

Uh, that's NOT the boxset. That's an earlier Warner sales bundle.
(Read carefully, Gordon couldn't give us a picture of the Set, since it was under display case.)

And I like all six seasons of The Flintstones.

I'm sorry, Gerry Johnson's sitcom-flat replacement voice for (the post-Bea Benaderet) Betty Rubble still gives me hives:

I can take Gazoo, I can take the Hatrocks, with a few stiff drinks I can even take Hoppy...
But Gerry's non-delivery just perfectly encapsulates the loss of all the wiseguy old-radio energy that'd evaporated out of the writing in the last seasons, after Warren Foster and Larry Markes's absurdist sarcasm had been replaced by Barry Blitzer and Joanna Lee's Saturday-morning pandering.

(And I don't know a single Flintstones fan who's ever forgiven them for that Mr. Magoo-plagiarism episode...That was a low moment, and it was only Season 4.)

[droosan]

Read carefully, yourself, EricJ; I'd corrected myself -- well before you'd posted your reply -- in green text, no less (albeit as an 'addendum/edit').

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I agree that Gerry Johnson was a 'lesser' voice actress for Betty Rubble (as, IMO, Henry Corden likewise was for Fred Flintstone) .. but (as I'm sure you know) Bea Benaderet left The Flintstones to devote her acting talent to the 'wildly-successful-at-the-time' Petticoat Junction (along with recurring guest appearances on Green Acres) .. and was (sadly) only able to enjoy that success for a few short years, before she'd passed away. Gerry Johnson was a 'servicable' Betty -- not 'admirable'; but nonetheless, 'necessary' as a replacement actress. Better that (IMO), than to effectively write Betty out of the show (as has happened with a few Simpsons characters).

I personally still find much to enjoy in The Flintstones' later seasons, though. I also very much enjoy The Man Called Flintstone. I even like The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show quite a bit. Beyond that .. yeah, the Bedrock 'mythos' got pretty stale, I'll agree.

[eddievalient]

I'm a bad Hanna-Barbera fan. I love most of their other work, but I never really dug the Flintstones that much (or Scooby Doo for that matter). I always liked the Jetsons more (must be all those Saturday morning reruns as a kid).

[Daniel]

I do apologize for any confusion my original post caused. I knew it might happen, but couldn't think of a better way of wording it.

With that said, thanks for the input from the two of you. I fully agree about Gerry Johnson, but I didn't think she was that bad.

(And I don't know a single Flintstones fan who's ever forgiven them for that Mr. Magoo-plagiarism episode...That was a low moment, and it was only Season 4.)

Refresh my memory, what was the title of the episode?

BTW, I love all six seasons of The Flintstones!

[EricJ]

(And I don't know a single Flintstones fan who's ever forgiven them for that Mr. Magoo-plagiarism episode...That was a low moment, and it was only Season 4.)

Refresh my memory, what was the title of the episode?

"Fred's Monkeyshines" (w. Joanna Lee), where he gets the wrong pair of glasses and mistakes a circus monkey for Pebbles.

[Daniel]

Right, now it all came back to me, thanks!

[Daniel]

Talk about fast, The Digital Bits has an exclusive look at the packaging! Err, I'm not liking it so far. I don't like how the disc are stored and the "books" could've been a lot better. The only part I love is, well, the outside box. It looks very neat. Here's another picture of it taken at the place TSoD attended.

[GeorgeC]

Couldn't see anything on The Complete Batman:TAS that would make me want to buy it again. I've got all four seasons -- bought at less than MSRP, last one with a 30% or 40% off coupon from Borders -- and The Art of Batman: TAS book. I doubt there will be anything in the "new" bonus material (most likely just a book) that would make it worth getting the series again.

As for The Flintstones, the original sets are still available on Amazon and I still see half or more of them at the larger Barnes & Noble stores as well. Only thing that WOULDN'T get redone is the sericel window on the first set of The Flintstones. I've seen in reprints of the first Tom & Jerry Spotlight Collection that they got rid of that sericel, too.

Again, I'd doubt that the "new" extras on The Flintstones re-release would be much more than a book. Better to finish off what you don't have, or buy it whole if you DON'T have any of the volumes (I have none) or just have one or two.

I doubt these sets will get much cheaper than $30. That's a fair price for 20-something half-hour episodes, too. And much, much cheaper than buying anime on DVD, too.

[Ben]

Awwwe c'mon guys, that packaging (bed)rocks!

As someone without the Flintstones on DVD at all, this is a no-brainer for me if it's priced right. They should include The Man Called Flintstone as a special box bonus. I have that anyway, and it would be frustrating to those with the sets already, but it would be a cool bonus for the box.

[Daniel]

It would make sense. It is often consider part of the series and it hasn't been released on DVD. (for R1, right?) So if nothing is preventing, I don't see why not. I don't mind either way.

The thought of the disc's being slid in and out of those paper slips/cardboard is still daunting me, however.