Television Sitcoms and their Influence on Animated Sitcoms

During the early days of television, the situation comedy became a popular form of

programming and the most successful example of this genre would have to be "The

Honeymooners". CBS aired the 39 classic episodes between 1955 and 1956 and the

characters created within this sitcom were so popular and enduring that they can still be

seen in syndication today. The popularity of the domestic situation comedy "The

Honeymooners" caught the attention of Bill Hanna, and Joe Barbera. "The Flintstones"

was the first animated sitcom shown in prime-time television, premiering on ABC on

September 30 1960. Hanna-Barbera was the first animation studio to produce prime time

cartoons, prior to "The Flintstones" cartoons were only a few minutes long and contained

several story lines. The similarities in "The Honeymooners" and "The Flintstones" are

undeniable and the success of these programs produced the structure for today's most

popular live action and animated sitcoms like the landmark show, "All in the Family"

and the longest running animated sitcom in history, "The Simpsons".

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Sitcom_Chic

The Flintstones

Gleason laid the framework for the typical head of the household character in a

sitcom. Ralph Kramden was an overweight, loud, and obnoxious lower middle class

working man that constantly fought with his wife, Alice and belittled his best friend and

neighbor, Ed Norton. Even though Ralph could be overbearing, audiences have

continued to embrace the loud-mouthed bus driver, as an American Everyman, a dreamer

whose visions of getting ahead were constantly thwarted.

Ralph Kramden had his eternal sidekick Ed Norton, and Fred Flintstone had his best

buddy and partner in crime, Barney Rubble. Ralph was constantly trying to hatch a

scheme to make money quickly, which inevitably failed. Fred Flintstone foolishly

followed in Ralph's footsteps as can seen in many episodes...