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[via press release]

“Boomerock” Rings in Stone-Age Homage to THE FLINTSTONES in December

Week-Long Marathon Dec. 15-21 and 24 Hours Every Friday Cover 35 Years of Flintstones Movies, TV Specials & Series

Boomerang, Cartoon Network’s 24-hour commercial-free classic animation network, will ring in the holidays this December as BOOMEROCK, presenting television’s largest-ever tribute to America’s favorite “Modern Stone-Age Family,” The Flintstones. Covering almost 35 years of Hanna-Barbera motion picture and television production, BOOMEROCK will showcase a mammoth-size 240 hours of cave-dwelling comedy, from the 1960 original series, The Flintstones, to the 1994 holiday special, A Flintstones Christmas Carol.

To launch the holiday celebration, Boomerang will devote three of four Fridays in December (Friday, 8 a.m. – Saturday, 8 a.m.) to favorite episodes of the original half-hour TV series, The Flintstones, television’s first prime time animated sitcom. Then from Dec. 15-19, BOOMEROCK will pre-empt Boomerang’s entire schedule to present a pre-historic plethora of Flintstones animation, from best-loved TV episodes, to multiple one-hour specials and feature-length TV films, to the 1966 theatrical motion picture release, A Man Called Flintstone, from Columbia Pictures.

Saturday, Dec. 20, will be devoted entirely to classic episodes of The Flintstones, and Sunday, Dec. 21, will pay tribute to Flintstones movies.

Following is an overview of the various Flintstone programming that BOOMEROCK will highlight throughout the month of December:

SERIES:

* The Flintstones (1960-66)-Created by Hanna-Barbera for ABC television on Friday nights (7:30 p.m.), television’s first-ever primetime animated series presented one of the world’s most entertaining, loved and unforgettable families ever to hit the cartoon world. Fred & Wilma Flintstone, along with their neighbors Barney & Betty Rubble, live in the thriving town of Bedrock (circa 1 million B.C.), enjoying average modern Stone Age lives that frequently run amuck when the boys get involved in yet another harebrained scheme. (Dec. 5, 12, 20 & 26 for 24 hours, starting at 8 a.m.-Dec. 15-19 from 12-4 p.m., 8 p.m.-12 a.m. and 4-8 a.m.)

* Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm (1971-76)-Barney Rubble’s muscular son, Bamm-Bamm, and Fred Flintstone’s lovely daughter, Pebbles, are young adults experiencing the tribulations of teenagers-dating, finding work, earning money, etc.-in the prehistoric town of Bedrock. They are joined by an odd yet lovable circle of post-adolescent friends that include Moonrock, Penny, Wiggy, Cindy and Fabian. (Dec. 15-19 from 9-10 a.m., 5-6 p.m. and 1-2 a.m.)

* The Flintstone Kids (1986-88)-The original members of The Flintstones cast are seen as 10-year-old children in which Fred, Barney, Wilma and Betty, together with their dinosaur “pup” Dino, get in and out of scrapes in the familiar surroundings of Bedrock. The show also features a rich assortment of supporting characters, including Rocky Ratrock, the neighborhood bully; Dreamchip Gemstone, the classic poor little rich girl; Philo Quartz, a budding private detective; and Nate Slate, who will grow up to be Bedrock’s biggest businessman. (Dec. 15-19 from 8-9 a.m., 4-5 p.m. and 12-1 a.m.)

FEATURE FILMS:

* The Man Called Flintstone (1966)–In a spoof on 1960s spy films, Fred fills in for a wounded American spy, Rock Slag, and draws the Flintstone family into a ddangerous game of prehistoric espionage. Asked to capture the villainous spymaster, Green Goose, and his seductive accomplice, Tanya, Fred quickly discovers that being a spy is far more difficult than his day job at the rock quarry. Luckily, the real Rock Slag recovers in time to zip to Fred’s aid. In true James Bond fashion, The Man Called Flintstone contains a number of original songs, such as Louis Prima’s “Pensate Amore,” that complement the madcap action and make this film an animated classic. (Dec. 15 at 10 a.m., 6 p.m. and 2 a.m.-Dec. 21 at 12:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 4:30 a.m.)

TELE-FILMS:

* The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones (1987)-A time machine catapults the Jetsons (George, Jane, Judy and Elroy) back in time to come face to face with Stone Age citizens Fred and Wilma Flintstone and their best friends, Barney and Betty Rubble. The original back-to-the-future movie premiered as a two-hour television special from Hanna-Barbera Prods. (Dec. 16 at 10 a.m., 6 p.m. and 2 a.m.-Dec. 21 at 11 a.m., 7 p.m. and 3 a.m.)

* I Yabba-Dabba Do (1993)-Longtime sweethearts Pebbles Flintstone and Bamm-Bamm Rubble tie the knot (get married, in other words), but will Fred, Wilma, Barney and Betty survive as friends as they plan the wedding? Note: Pebbles eventually wears an official Oscar-de-la-Rocka wedding frock created especially for her. (Dec. 17 at 10 a.m., 6 p.m. and 2 a.m.-Dec. 21 at 8 a.m., 4 p.m. and 12 a.m.)

* Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby (1993)-When Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm, now married, move to Hollyrock, the first thing they produce is a “double” feature: twins. Meanwhile, Fred tangles with jewel thieves and a glamorous starlet while helping his son-in-law sell a screenplay. It’s a fitting sequel to I Yabba-Dabba Do produced earlier that year. (Dec. 18 at 10 a.m., 6 p.m. and 2 a.m.-Dec. 21 at 9:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m.)

* A Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994)-Christmas is nearly ruined when Fred, who plays Ebenezer Scrooge in the Bedrock Community Players Christmas production, becomes a veritable “scrooge” himself. The entire Flintstones cast of characters take on familiar roles from the Dickens’ holiday story, including little Bamm Bamm as Tiny Tim. Fortunately, as in the original tale, Fred is taught the real meaning of Christmas and experiences a true change of heart. (Dec. 19 at 10 a.m., 6 p.m. and 2 a.m.-Dec. 21 at 2 p.m., 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.)

HALF-HOUR SPECIALS:

* The Flintstones: Fred’s Final Fling (1981)-With just 24-hours to live (or so he believes), Fred takes a final fling until his eyes close…with exhaustion. He awakens to discover the predictions of his demise were premature, but the lesson he learns will last a lifetime. (Dec. 15 at 11:30 a.m., 7:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.)

* The Flintstones: Little Big League (1976)-Fred and Barney go to bat as coaches of opposing Little League baseball teams and find their friendship crumbles as the big playoff game approaches. To make matters worse, Pebbles serves as Fred’s star pitcher while Bamm Bamm ranks as Barney’s ace slugger, which causes further strife among the friends. (Dec. 16 at 11:30 a.m., 7:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.)

* The Flintstones: Jogging Fever (1981)-Fred gets it from all sides about his bulging waistline. Even his boss, Mr. Slate, tells him to shape up. Fred decides to take up jogging and finds out how badly out of shape he really is. (Dec. 17 at 11:30 a.m., 7:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.)

* The Flintstones: Wind-Up Wilma (1981)-Wilma’s mean wind-up in the supermarket, where she throws a melon and knocks two thieves unconscious for trying to steal her grocery money, turns her into an instant local celebrity. She is offered a baseball contract to pitch for the local Bedrock Dodger team, who since their attendance is lagging, could use her talent to boost interest in the team. (Dec. 18 at 11:30 a.m., 7:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.)

* Christmas Flintstone (1964)-Fred works as a department store Santa to pick up some extra holiday cash. He is so successful that the real Santa Claus, who is ill, asks him to take over delivering toys on Christmas Eve. With Barney as his elf, Fred delivers the toys for Santa, but in his rush, forgets to deliver presents to his own house. To his delight, he finds that Santa has already taken care of it. (Dec. 21 at 3:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m., 7:30 a.m.)

* A Flintstone Christmas (1977)- Wilma and Betty try to get Fred to play Santa for the Ladies’ Auxiliary Christmas party but he refuses until Mr. Slate says that his wife wants him to do it which makes Fred think his job is on the line. However, before Fred and Barney are able to get to the party, the real Santa trips and falls off of Fred’s roof, spraining his ankle. Unable to walk, Santa convinces Fred and Barney to make his deliveries for him using a little Christmas magic. (Dec. 19 at 11:30 a.m., 7:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.)