As the whistle blew to end the working day Fred Flintstones' energetic cry of "Yaba Daba Do!" became part of the iconic opening to The Flintstones and helped launch one of television's most critically acclaimed and commercially successful sitcoms of all time.

Produced by Hanna-Barbera for ABC, The Flintstones takes place in the Stone Age town of Bedrock. Focused on the lives of Fred and Wilma Flintstone and their loveable child Pebbles and pet dinosaur Dino, along with good friends and neighbors Barney and Bettie Rubble and their infant son Bamm-Bamm, the animated series juxtapositioned modern life in a prehistoric setting with plenty of laughs and relevant storyline arcs.

Running for six seasons The Flintstones was the most financially successful network animated franchise until The Simpsons took that mantle in the 90s. Since the original series ended in 1966 there have been over ten spin-off series, more than 12 television specials, five made for television films, and two live-action features. The Flintstones was so successful it even spawned two theme parks, a live stage show, and various forms of merchandise that attributed to it becoming such a cultural phenomenon.

As with anything so successful, there were a number of setbacks and roadblocks the franchise encountered over the journey, along with some murky secrets that have stayed hidden for a long time. Having dug deep into the history of The Flintstones and delved into the behind scenes secrets of the show we've come up with 25 dark secrets you never knew about The Flintstones for you to discover.

25 Grown-Ups Only But Children Welcome

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Before The Flintstones got the go-ahead, Hanna-Barbera was known for making entertaining television shows aimed at young children. Having first tasted success with Tom And Jerry for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera struck out on their own and created their own company Hanna-Barbera Productions. After their first few cartoon series received mixed reviews the duo understood they needed to come up with an idea that would appeal to both children and grown-ups. The result was The Flintstones. The animation had a fantasy setting in prehistoric earth that got kids excited alongside grown-up themed storylines and laugh out loud comedy sequences. Hanna and Barbera hired both live-action and traditional animation writers to script the show, writing plotlines focused on everyday family problems often resolved with a good belly laugh by the show's end. The Flintstones was also one of the first animated shows to feature a laugh track, something usually only seen in grown-up sitcoms.

24 Flintstones Vitamins Not That Healthy

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First introduced in 1968 Flintstones Complete Chewable Multivitamins were marketed as the ideal supplement for young children, going on to become one of the biggest Flintstones related products ever. Hundreds of thousands of kids the world over would eat the colorful vitamins that came shaped as characters from the show.While many parents were convinced they were doing the right thing giving their children the supplement, it turns out Flintstones Multivitamins aren't as healthy as first thought.

An article by Spoon University delved deep into the ingredients used to create the vitamins and found some disturbing results. The vitamins contain sweetening agent sorbitol, an ingredient usually found in laxatives, meaning children are at risk of nausea, stomach cramps, and severe diarrhea, if they take too many vitamins. The vitamins also have a high percentage of artificial colors and flavors in them and contain fructose, another sugar linked to obesity and diabetes.

23 Barney's Attempt To Say Good-Bye

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Although generally seen as a show for children The Flintstones contained some fairly grown-up storylines throughout its six seasons. Taking one's own life is an extremely serious subject matter for a real-life action show let alone an animated one but it's something The Flintstones approached in the episode "Little Bamm-Bamm." In the episode, Barney and his wife Betty are trying to adopt a child but lose the rights to Bamm-Bamm at the last minute.

Distraught about not becoming a father, Barney considers ending it all.

He is seen walking out in tears after being told the news and heads towards a nearby bridge. It looks as though he is ready to jump off the bridge when Fred comes to his rescue and talks him out of it. The episode had a happy ending though, with Barney and Betty being allowed to to adopt Bamm-Bamm and finally having the chance to be parents.

22 Comic Book Heroes

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The Flintstones have appeared in comic book form before but the 2016, 12 issue limited series was the best recreation of the famous family yet. Created by DC Comics, the series has received mainly positive reviews and is a darkly modern take on the animated series. The summary of the comic reads, “Welcome to Bedrock, where Paleolithic humans head to dinner for a taste of artisanal mammoth after shopping at Neandertall & Big Men’s Clothing … Join Fred and Barney as Mister Slate sends them on a mission to show some Neanderthals a night on the town in hopes of luring them into this new system called ‘working for a living’—in Slate’s Quarry, of course.”

The series addressed important issues such as marriage, racism, and war veterans, even featuring a gay relationship in one issue. The main characters are more defined in the comic with greater, fleshed out personalities.

21 Dino's One-Night ... Creepy Adventure

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The Flintstones' pet dinosaur Dino is a loveable creature who acts like a big puppy dog. While not the smartest animal his loyalty to Fred is unquestionable, with a running joke throughout the show being Dino knocking down Fred when he arrives home from work and licking his face. But it seems it's not just Fred who Dino fancies.

Dino gets the hots for the next door neighbor's dino pet and the feeling appears to be mutual. While we thankfully don't see the two consummate their relationship on screen, there is an episode featuring the neighbor's dinosaur with a litter of puppies and Dino standing over them as a proud Dino-dad. But that's the last we see of Dino's girlfriend and his children through the series, making me wonder just what kind of father Dino really is?

20 Pre-historic Smackdown!

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There have been strange and unusual Flintstones-related releases over the years but none quite as interesting as The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age Smackdown! The crossover of these two highly-liked properties doesn't really make any sense on paper but was an obvious way for Warner Bros. Studios and WWE Studios to combine their marketing skills and release an animated film to appeal to both sets of fans.

The film featured many big name WWE stars such The Undertaker, Daniel Bryan, and John Cena.

The film followed Fred and Barney as they built their own wrestling organization and ends with a massive wrestling match between a host of Flintstones and WWE characters. The film actually got some good reviews and when released in 2015, was the first new Flintstones production in over 14 years and the first without original creators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera's input as both had since passed away.

19 Flagstones, Meet The Flagstones

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Having produced the children's series The Huckleberry Hound Show and The Quick Draw McGraw Show, Hanna-Barbera (William Hanna and Joseph Barbara) wanted to create a show that appealed to both children and adults, like their original hit series Tom And Jerry. After tossing up many ideas they settled on creating an animated sitcom set in the Stone Age. Coming up with a name for the show was the next big decision.

During the early development of the series, it was set to be called The Flagstones.

When the show was picked up and went into production the name was briefly changed to The Gladstones (also a popular telephone exchange line in Los Angeles during the show's creation) so as not to be mixed up with the Flagstones, cartoon characters from the comic strip Hi And Lois. The Gladstones soon morphed into The Flintstones - a much more suitable title - and the show was ready to air in September of 1960.

18 No More "Gay Old Time"

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The jingle to a television show is sometimes just as important as the series itself. The Flintstones singalong opening theme song explained who the characters were and what the show was all about and was catchy as heck. It's an upbeat and enjoyable tune but it came under fire in 2010 when CNN journalist Anderson Cooper took offense to the use of the phrase "gay old time."

Cooper took to the air to grieve about the insensitive nature of the song.

He expressed his feelings further when he went on The View where he said, "We should all be striving for more acceptance and sensitivity, and instead The Flintstones are spitting in the collective [gay] face.” With such a large platform it didn't take long for other pundits and prominent media identities to jump on board with Cooper's sentiments, eventually forcing Warner Brothers Animation to substitute the word gay in the song.

17 Did Fred And Betty Have A...?

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The Flintstone's and the Rubble's were the best of friends and Fred and Barney did almost everything together when not with their families. Some viewers think the four were so close they where swingers and swapped partners for nights of fun, but the more likely conclusion is Fred and Betty had an affair. Throughout the show, the majority of tension and problems occur due to Fred and Wilma's constant bickering. Fred and Betty got along well during the show and often seemed to be flirting with each other. It would make sense Fred would be attracted to Betty as she was quite the opposite of Wilma. The same can be said of Betty being attracted to Fred, who was a strong and forceful man as opposed to the mild-mannered Barney. Although there is no proof, the two engaged in an extramarital affair, it's more than likely the two shared some off-screen chemistry together.

16 The Honeymooners Influence

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The Honeymooners was one of the most popular television shows on air during the development of The Flintstones and many have spotted the similarities between the two shows. The Honeymooners was based on a sketch show created by and starring Jackie Gleeson about a working-class husband and wife and the daily struggles they encountered. Hanna-Barbera took the husband and wife dynamic and placed it in the Stone Age, with Fred Flintstone based on Jackie Gleason’s Honeymooners character Ralph Kramden. Although very similar Joe Barbera had always been adamant the shows each had their own identity.

“So many people say, ‘Did you copy The Honeymooners?’ I said, ‘Well, if you compare The Flintstones to The Honeymooners, that’s the biggest compliment you can give me,” Barbera told Emmy TV Legends. "But The Honeymooners don’t have all the gags that we had in there."

15 Fred And Barney Enjoyed A Dart

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The 60s was a time when drinking and smoking were heavily advertised through the media and not even The Flintstones could escape their presence. Winston cigarettes were one of the major sponsors of The Flintstones and because of this, were present in the series. At the end of each episode, a short black and white commercial showed Fred and Barney trying to get out of working in their yards by lighting up a Winston cigarette.

“Let’s take a Winston break,” Barney says as he and Fred light up.

Wilma and Betty catch the two on smoko and begin to throw yard equipment at them, with Fred uttering the cigarette brands motto, “Winston tastes good, like a cigarette should.” Within a decade, advertising cigarettes on television and radio was banned by the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act, with The Flintstones leaving Winston behind and going on to promote the slightly healthier Welch's grape juice.

14 Fred Flintstones Addictive Personality

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This list has already discussed Fred's love of cigarettes but the hard-working construction laborer had a number of other addictions throughout The Flintstones six-season run. Fred was a massive gambler and found it hard to say no to having a punt. He can be seen throughout the show playing the slot machines or having a round of poker and I have no doubt he would have been a regular at the local Dino racing track. A short video by YouTuber HighRollerRadioTV goes into detail about Fred's gambling problem in each season.

As well as gambling Fred also liked a drink and had a fondness for showgirls.

He was featured in advertising for Busch Beer and his love of unclothed women was illustrated in one episode where his bowling club, the Loyal Order Of The Water Buffaloes, hired some ladies of the night as entertainment for a party.

13 Fred And Wilma Share A Bed

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The Flintstones was released during the early 60s, a time when America was still a very conservative country (and in places still is) where both men and women had defined gender roles and anything slightly provocative was frowned upon. This didn't stop The Flintstones from dealing with subject matter that most people didn't want to discuss. One of the things the series shed a light on was married couples sharing a bed. The animated series depicted Fred and Wilma in bed together without making the scenes overly intimate. The shots of the two in bed usually showed the two discussing some kind of important matter before turning off the lights and going to sleep. It might not sound like much with what is shown on television today but for that time period, it was a massive deal.

12 Infertility Storyline An Animated First

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Another heavy issue The Flintstones dealt with during its run was the infertility of Barney and Betty Rubble. The good friends of Fred and Wilma Flintstone were a loving couple who always seemed to be happy. When it was revealed the two couldn't have children we saw a different side of the two characters. This was a pretty serious issue to be dealt with in a kids television show and although it flew over most children's heads, grown-ups no doubt understood the emotions the Rubble's experienced. The Rubble's inability to have a child was compounded when the Flintstones' gave birth to Pebbles. It also marked the first time an animated television series had involved the issue of infertility in an episode. But not all was lost for the Rubble's, with the couple eventually adopting Bamm-Bamm and having a family of their own.

11 Pebbles Gender Swap For Cash

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During The Flintstones third season producers decided they need to mix up the family dynamic and thought it was time Fred and Wilma had a child. Chatting with Emmy TV Legends Barbera discussed how they were originally going to give the Flintstones a baby boy.

Ideal Toy Company had other ideas about the child's gender though.

Barbera received a phone call from the head of Flintstones merchandising department asking if the rumors were true they were going to introduce a child. Barbera confirmed this and was then asked if it was a boy or a girl? "What else, a boy. A chip off the old rock," Barbera told the man. "That’s too bad," the merchandising executive told Barbra. "I have the ideal toy. If it was a girl, we could’ve made a [heck] of a deal." Without missing a beat Barbera replied, "It’s a girl." The Flintstones introduced baby Pebbles and the toy of her likeness went on to sell over three million dolls in the first few months of being released.

10 Seth MacFarlane Reboot Abandoned

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It was announced in 2011 Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane wanted to bring back The Flintstones and give the classic cartoon his own spin. Rumours quickly spread about what a MacFarlane produced Flintstones would end up like, but less than a year later the project was put on hold after MacFarlane's script was deemed good but not good enough. Things went quiet on the reboot and we haven't heard much since. That was until a fan asked MacFarlane about the project's status during a Reddit AMA last year. "As of now, probably not," he wrote. "Honestly I couldn't figure out a way to find enough differentiation between a modern-day Fred Flintstone and... Peter Griffin." It's very interesting to hear MacFarlane sees parallels between the two characters, and when you think about it, he's right on the money, although Fred is a little less crude.

9 Controversial Flintstones House Sells For $2.8 Million

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It might look like an eyesore to some but the famed "Flintstones House" in the affluent suburb of Hillsborough, California, has become an unofficial South Bay landmark. Built by architect William Nicholson in 1976, the one-of-a-kind construction is very similar looking to Fred and Wilma Flintstones' house. The house features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a domed living room ceiling, with a view overlooking the Crystal Springs Reservoir.

Korie Edises purchased the property in 1996 for around $800,000 (the equivalent of $1.23 million today) and has been trying to sell the house since 2015, finally getting a buyer last year. Originally listed at $4.2 million when it first went on the market Edises eventually settled for $2.8 million, earning a rather substantial profit in the process. While I can't say it's the kind of house I would want to live in, it's certainly an interesting structure and one sure to attract attention.

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The setting of The Flintstones was another major factor in its longevity and success but things could have been very different with a number of other eras suggested for the time period of the show. William Hanna and Jospeh Barbera experimented with a number of unique scenarios, including setting The Flintstones during the Roman Empire and the early 16o0s when America was founded by the Pilgrims.

They also discussed making the characters in The Flintstones, Hillbillies.

The idea of The Flintstones being Native Americans was also discussed before eventually settling on prehistoric earth. The reasoning behind this was because it was easy to take anything that was current and set it in the Stone Age. These other ideas didn't go to waste though, with the Hillbilly theme turning up in the episodes "The Bedrock Hillbillies" and "The Hatrocks and the Gruesomes" and the Roman theme resulting in the Hanna-Barbera animated kids show The Roman Holidays.

7 The Voice Of Barney Involved In Crash

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Well-known voice actor Mel Blanc scored the coveted role of Fred Flintstones' best friend Barney Rubble in the animated show. Having voiced the likes of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and Woody The Woodpecker, Blanc was the ideal choice for Barney, having years of experience in the industry.

During the filming of the second season, Blanc was involved in a near-fatal car accident. 

Blanc was driving his sports car when he crashed head-on into a car driven by an 18-year-old student on Sunset Boulevard. The young lad received minor injuries but Blanc suffered a triple skull fracture along with fractures to both legs and his pelvis. He spent two weeks in a coma and was in the hospital for almost two months, but that didn't stop him voicing the beloved Barney. Recording apparatus were set up in his hospital room and at his home when he was finally released so he could record his lines.

6 How Many Writers Does It Take To Script The Flintstones?

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The Flintstones live-action film was a box office smash when released in 1994, earning over $342 million on a budget of just $46 million. It would seem like a way to print money but the film was in development heck for close to nine years before eventually getting the green light to go into production. An article by Entertainment Weekly detailed how producers Keith Barish and Joel Silver commissioned Steven E. de Souza to write a script for a Flintstones movie in 1985. Over the course of the following nine years, the script went through a multitude of changes, with two producers, two directors, 14 screenwriters, and 18 TV gag writers involved in its creation. Even Steven Spielberg was attached at one point.