Shark Bytes

Shortly after the death of Harvey Korman I did some research about factual counts of his life. As his character of The Great Gazoo, I always thought that his accent was that of an Englishman and that his mannerisms were pretty English as well. After punching his name into the Internet, I learned that he was an American born in Chicago. And Jewish no less! In any event, it seemed that his job was to teach Fred and Barney to be careful what the ask for because they just might get it! I guess that the writers had run out of people on earth to teach them this lesson and so they brought in someone from another galaxy! In any event, on this site as well as a site called "Sitcoms Online", I have posted messages about other shows that have taught this lesson. These shows include "The Brady Bunch" and "Will and Grace". If you are interested just look up my pen name for either of these shows on this site or that one. I would be very interested in what you think!

I prefer the earlier episodes that were drawn with the heavier black line. Fred and Barney were rougher around the edges, and more cavemen like. I know the feats of strength that Bamm-Bamm performed were impossible, but so was using a live sawnosed fish to cut bread and a turtle to mow the grass ect. I hope I'm remembering that right. As for Peb. and Bamm, I loved their record ,"Let the Sunshine In", so much I practically wore it out. I also enjoyed their spin-off as teens with Sally Struthers as Peb. My favorite episodes involved music: Ann Margret with pink hair going undercover as a babysitter and singing
the Lamb song and "I Loves You But..",
The Way-Outs, who were a spaced out copy of the Beatles, Fred dressing like a nerd and singing "Listen to the Mockingbird as Hi-Fi, the Swedish group with white hair singing, "Yabba dabba do", Rock Roll, who was a copy of Elvis, and the song "Happy Anniversary for Fred and Wilma. I didn't like Kazoo much but I watched it anyway.

To Craig Plappinger: You apparently are not aware about the days of single-sponosred TV shows, and the things that said sponsor would bestow on the cast. For example, when it was sposnored by Dodge, Lawrence Welk and his band ALL got free Dodges every year, while on "I've Got A Secret", the cast got free Winstons (which no doubt contributed to the deaths of Garry Moore, Bill Cullen, and Henry Morgan). Likewise, Mr. Rockenspiel would have certainly given the food Wilma herself cooked to Fred, such as things were then. Fred didn't have to worry about his dinner. Mr Rockenspiel would have provided the menu for the next 39 weeks.

Betty's voice changes numerous times from bea benaderet, gerry johnson, inthe 70's and 80's gay hartwig autterson, 90's julie dee and bj ward, gray delisle. neither replacement sound nothing alike.

Betty's voice changes numerous times from bea benaderet, gerry johnson, inthe 70's and 80's gay hartwig autterson, 90's julie dee and bj ward, gray delisle. neither replacement sound nothing alike, i wonder way is that? tress macneil was perfect wilma. it's like they said the heck with betty, stick any voice on her.that's not fair.

In between the time that I learned about the death of Harvey Korman, I have posted a lot of different messages about shows that taught lessons similar to the lesson that his character would teach on this show. Surprising few people have posted any type of response. However, one exception is the "Brady Bunch" page of a site called "Sitcoms Online". The classic case in which this lesson was taught on this show was in the first season and the episode was "To Move or Not To Move". Someone even went as far as making a list of different shows in which there was one or more episodes that taught this lesson. These show included "I Love Lucy" and "Gomer Pyle". Over on this, "Will and Grace" page of this site, I wrote about a two-parter called "Someone Old, Someplace New, Something Borrowed, Someone's Due". If I am not too tired, I might go over to that page later tonight and tell everyone there about my post here. Take care for now!

The Flintstones started to jts after the Swimming Pool episode which like the first Cosby Show Ep was taking the show in a different and brilliant direction with great animation and ideas and none of the cute. But it was a partial jump as those elements could be found in other episodes and then later things were cool too,
but it got too much cute and lovey dovey instead of just the cool bowling, loud mouth Fred playing football with the college kids, loud mouth Fred in general, Barney on the drums, serving for Tennis- you know the cool Beat like reflection on mankind that made the show cool not snapping the fingers to some song in bad animation. And the fights amongst the boys. It always blows my mind how the people in charge can focus on the crap when the good stuff is classic and great for an unexpected half-hour after say a college course or at some other odd time later in life. Oh Fred I love you and I'm so glad I'm with you and nobody else- that's the consistantly utilized material that added JTS elements to the show. Now the serving- and i've seen real life serving like that- that is cool.

2Jonpv Thanks for your work! Now let's see how you'll interact with all the junk coming from social blogs, ,

Even though the last message did not clearly say anything about death, reading it made me wonder whether Harvey's life had recently ended. It imspired me to leave this site and research this topic by punching in his name and seeing what the Internet would serve me. Sure enough, he had died the day before! My heart goes out to his friends and family! One thing that I remember about the Great Gazoo is that his speech and manerisims were very English style. The condecendling yet loving way that he would express himself to Fred and Barney seemed very much like the way that an Englishman would express himself to an American. After reading his mini-biography, I learned that he was an American born in Chicago (and Jewish no less)! Go figure! In any case, let us all take a minute to remember all of the entertainment that he gave us and the lesson that he taught Fred and Barney time and again. I would say that the moral of almost every episode with him in it was virtually the same. Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it!

There will never be another Great Gazoo. May God bless Harvey Korman.

I was born in 1987. I used to watch Flintstones on WPHL 17. I watched on WPHL until 1995.

to the person who said cartoons are not as good as they used to be, you couldnt be more wrong. King of the Hill is one of the best shows in tv history and it is a cartoon that has 0 violence, no shock value, and the entire series could be cast with humans and it would STILL work. Futurama was a hilarious cartoon with 0 shock effect and no violence - it was clever and some episodes even juggled touching/humor. The Simpsons does have some violence but again, another cartoon that has a 20 year run and was groundbreaking television.

I dont know how old you are, but Tom and Jerry had some of the most brutal violence imaginable - hence the "Itchy and Scratchy" parody by the Simpsons.

You cant pick and choose something and then pidgeon hole the entire generation. Animation is the strongest it has ever been and is heads and shoulders above yesteryears simplistic cartoons.

For the most part, watching The Flintstones was like eating cotton candy--both phenomena were sugary, full of air and had little substance. The Flintstones should have been cancelled before the arrival of Great Gazoo, who, along with Orbitty and Scrappy Doo, are the three biggest colossal cartoon character disasters in Hanna-Barbera history.

Orbitty aside, The Jetsons was a far superior series to The Flintstones, even though it would have helped for George to have a Barney Rubble-type friend. Jane out-"foxes" Wilma or Betty (or even her own daughter Judy) any day of the week! Too bad it's a cartoon...

In regards to the Flintstones animated movie: The Man Called Flintstone, if what is mentioned at the amazon review section is true, (look for the reviews with the fewest stars for details) then it is indeed a shame that TPTB, haven't found a way to resolve their differences and release the movie on DVD.

I do recall several years ago when the DVD was available for pre-order, and then all of a sudden the movie disappeared and wasn't available for sale. I had always wondered what the problem was.

That all being said, and I know I sound old by saying this, cartoons are not as good as they used to be. I don't know why the animators haven't found a way to come up with more cartoons without over the top profanity and violence.

Granted, Bugs Bunny and the Flintstones had their shares of violence, but you never did see blood like you can on one of the most craptacular cartoons in the history of animation on this planet, Family Guy.

Family Guy, IMO is absolute trash. Nothing more than shock value junk using crass and course language and bloody violence to prop up a cartoon that never should have been made.

The Soft Soap episode really cracks me up. You can buy Soft Soap in stores today.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't Pebbles added to the cast because a sponsor wanted a baby added to the cast? I have heard that mentioned, but I don't recall where.

Once Pebbles arrived, it did all of a sudden become a more family oriented show. I seem to recall in some earlier episodes or in some commercials where Fred was smoking a cigarette. Once in the cartoon world he became a parent, I don't think that continued to be the case. See: Wikipedia.

As for the Honeymooners, according to Wikipedia, there were only 39 episodes. The Flintstones by far produced more episodes.

I would like to get the movie: The Man Called Flintstone, but I don't think that has been put out on DVD.