As we stand neck-deep in a sea of primetime animated shows, one might wonder, "where did all of these animated shows for adults come from?" The answer is The Honeymooners, of course. Good night, everybody.
No, no, I'm kidding, folks. Obviously, The Flintstones serves as, coincidentally apt, the ancestral DNA for all of the contemporary animated heavyweights like Rick and Morty. As Hanna-Barbera began to perfect its trademarked "planned animation" technique, the studio started to churn out cartoons with the efficiency of a Ford assembly line. Possessing an unparalleled system for constructing cartoons at the time, Hanna-Barbera's "planned animation" allowed the studio to create a variety of shows for different demographics.
On this day in 1960, The Flinstones became the first cartoon animated for primetime. Despite being based on The Honeymooners, the idea proved wildly original and created a host of tropes that helped inspire its modern equivalent in The Simpsons. That would, in turn, inspire Family Guy. And Family Guy's success would prompt Fox to go back to the well and create American Dad! Which would then allow- -ya know what? I think you get the picture.
