WE'LL HAVE A WEIRD OLD TIME - Part 2

We conclude our look at the strange and eerie episodes of The Flintstones . . .


"Dr. Sinister"

Fred and Barney stumble into an adventure straight out of a Jay Bondrock episode.

". . . take this and deliver it quick or everything is lost!"

"I don't like to frighten you, Barney,
but I think somebody means us no good!"

"Hello good-lookings, I am Madame Yes."

". . . don't tell them anything, no matter how much
they torture you."

"All right you guys, where are the plans?"

"If you won't talk, we'll take you to someone
who'll make  you talk!"

". . . be well, you handsome good-lookings.
I'm much too important to be captured."

"I am Dr. Sinister.  I will give you one last chance to talk,
otherwise your fate is sealed!"

"I was just thinkin' . . . it's terrible
for two old friends to split up like this."

"How would you like to become my partners?  Together we rule
the world equally: 60% for me and 40% for you."

"You're about to get a demonstration of what
happens to people who cross Dr. Sinister!"

"Judo chop chop!"

Sinister and henchmen--under attack!

". . . there is no time to lose!  The whole island will blow up
in five or six seconds!"

"So long, good-lookings!  I'm too important to blow up!"

"The Masquerade Party"

On the night of the Water Buffalo costume ball, a publicity stunt for rock & roll band The Way-Outs triggers a wave of alien invasion panic across Bedrock.

"Take it off, you stole my idea!"

"You saw two red devils fightin' with pitchforks in your yard?"

"Uh, so what else is new, Fred?"

"I knew I'd trap some snoopy snoopcompoop snoopin' around!
Barney, no one sees my secret costume til I show up at the ball!"

". . . get those Way-Outs a lot of publicity--fast!"

". . . this space creature idea oughta cinch
first prize for me tonight."

"Bedrock has been invaded by the Way-Outs--creatures
from way, way out!"

"They've captured city hall!"

"Boy, the things people dream up.  First red devils
and now Way-Outs."

"They're here to capture each and every Bedrock citizen!
Watch out for them!"

"Here comes one of them Way-Outs now."
"When I count three, let 'em have it."

". . . everybody's gone nutty!"

"You guys have to come with me to the
Water Buffalo party and sing."

"Bedrock has been invaded by creatures from outer space!"

"Come on boys, you are about to be a BIG hit!"

"We'll let them step inside and then . . . POW!"

"Something went wrong."
"Yeah, from the minute we met you!"

I broke from chronological order by presenting "The Masquerade Party"  ahead of our next two episodes--I just had to save the modern stone age eerie  family for the end . . . 

"The Gruesomes"

Worlds collide when a family of ghoulish eccentrics moves next door to the Flintstones.

". . . Mr. and Mrs. Gruesome, how would you
like . . . the old Tombstone Manor place?"

"Clammy, isn't it?"

"I hope there are some bats in the house, Creepella."
"I'll start a garden, grow our own toadstools, Weirdly darling."

"A little unfixing here and there and it will be a total wreck."

"Waist-high crabgrass . . . with real crabs."

"A giant black widow spider!"

"Hey Fred, what's that thing over the moving van?"

"Must be one of those local showers."
"Over one house?  How local can a storm get?"

"Isn't that an odd-looking chair, Betty?"
"I don't get a charge out of that period stuff."

"Wow, look at the size of that cheese slicer!"

"How bout that crazy silverware?"

"A smart cat would leave that  bird alone!"

". . . I came over to borrow a cup of red ants.
My anteater didn't have lunch."

"Would you like sliced carrots for dinner, Weirdly darling?"

"Oh yes, Creepella dear, especially the way you fix them."

"In the past we've had only nosy, busybody neighbours,
always asking questions.  Where's my pet cat?  Have you
seen my poodle dog?  Where's my parrot?"

"Why is everyone else in the world so odd, Weirdly?"

"That's one of my good cups!"

"Good?  Don't be so modest, darling--it's delicious!"

"Out with the grasshopper!"

"It's revoltingly nice of you to mind little Goblin for us."

"That's a bat--and I don't mean baseball!"

"He used a new blade on me."

"It's a herd of crocodools!--uh--cricadals!--uh--!"

". . . I'm sinking!"

"That's ridiculous--flowers don't grab people."

"Hmm . . . that's interesting."

"Oh, pardon me."

"S'oright."

". . . okay Uncle, I'm putting him down."

"Let go of him!"

Here's an amazing piece of trivia: the Gruesomes, the Addams Family and the Munsters all made their television debuts in 1964, all within a few weeks of each other!  (The Addams' on September 18, the Munsters on September 24, the Gruesomes on November 12!)

Bedrock's creepiest family made their second and final appearance early the following year . . . 


"The Hatrocks and the Gruesomes"

When his hillbilly houseguests prove difficult to get rid of, Fred hatches a scheme to send them running for the hills . . .

"One day the Hatrocks are your mortal enemies and the next day
you got 'em as houseguests."

"Sleep . . . sleep . . . come on, sleep . . ."

"Thanks for the food, pal.  You saved my life.
I-I-I tell ya, those Hatrocks eat like a herd of locusts!"

". . . there ain't no rush a'tall.  We can stay til hog-brandin' time."

"How would you like to do your neighbour a BIG favour, huh?"

"As soon as the Hatrocks see our gruesome neighbours . . .
they'll get so scared, they'll be gone in no time!"

"Let me hold 'em for a while, Granny, please."

". . . you're gonna rustle up some more of them
burgers, ain't ya Mr. Gruesome?"

"How's 'bout gettin' a picture of this for the folks back home?"

"You're a gonna hafta let me take a sprig of this here plant
home with me, it makes a real fine babysitter."

"Mind your manners."

"Weirdly, you don't suppose we're losing our touch?"
"Oh no, Creepella, we're just as repulsive as ever we were."

"The only thing we found that [the Hatrocks] don't like is
bug music . . . Yeeaahhh--that's it!"

"Jumpin' Gee-hoshaphat!"

"I said yeah, yeah, yeah
He said yeah, yeah, yeah
She said yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeeaaaahhhhhhhhoooooooooh!"

"Dagnabbit!  We are surrounded-ded!"

The creepy episodes of The Flintstones  are some of the best and most memorable of the run--each one is a singular classic!

Towards the end of my childhood, the lunchtime broadcasts that I'd enjoyed for years were tragically cancelled, replaced by local news (bo-ring!)  It makes me sad to think of all the kids who've grown up without this marvelous show.  I'll always be grateful for the weekday afternoons I spent with the Bedrock gang.