Just to make it clear, I am only compairing The Honeymooners the 1955-56 tv series or the classic 39, and The Flinstones before they added Pebbles and Bam Bam. The reason I ask this, is today I was at Sam Goody, and they were selling both "The Honeymooners: Classic 39" and "The Flinstones: Season 1" DVDs.

So which one is better? The Honeymooners or the early Flinstones? I loved both shows, but I am going with the Honeymooners, because when it comes down to it, I just can not say that any cartoon is better then the great Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. And the Honeymooners were great at two things that a cartoon can not do, improv and studio audience energy.

Also, the Honeymooners had the much better catch prases. I find some of the Flinstones catch prases very corny. But the Honeymooners "Bang zoom to the moon", or when Ralph gets pissed off at Norton when he does or says something stupid and yells "Would you stop it", or "Come on already" is still hilarous today.

PS: a little off the topic, but did Jackie Gleason and/or the Gleason estate ever sue the Hanna Barbera company, over profits from The Flinstones? The Flinstones are not just a cartoon, they sell a lot of merchandice, and I always thought Gleason and/or his estate deserves a piece of the profits that the people that own the rights to the Flinstones get from the cartoon and the products they sell.

I never really did like the Honeymooners I have always like the Flinstones. Especially Fred and Barney

The Honeymooners

Although as a kid I would have chosen The Flintstones. Now that I'm 22 and own both "Classic 39" and "First Season" of the two shows, I watch and enjoy The Honeymooners more.

I would choose "The Flintstones".... ohh wait.... I did.
Although eventually I will buy "The Classic 39"




I dont think Gleason deserves ANY of the money that has come from The Flintstones.
Because with an arguement like that.... almost EVERY sitcom EVER owes money to Lucy.... because they stole her idea of a studio audience.

Originally posted by barwars88
Because with an arguement like that.... almost EVERY sitcom EVER owes money to Lucy.... because they stole her idea of a studio audience.
I couldn't agree with you more! Well said! :)


Back to the original post . . . I prefer The Flintstones over The Honeymooners.

Originally posted by tvje
Just to make it clear, I am only compairing The Honeymooners the 1955-56 tv series or the classic 39, and The Flinstones before they added Pebbles and Bam Bam. The reason I ask this, is today I was at Sam Goody, and they were selling both "The Honeymooners: Classic 39" and "The Flinstones: Season 1" DVDs.

So which one is better? The Honeymooners or the early Flinstones? I loved both shows, but I am going with the Honeymooners, because when it comes down to it, I just can not say that any cartoon is better then the great Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. And the Honeymooners were great at two things that a cartoon can not do, improv and studio audience energy.

Also, the Honeymooners had the much better catch prases. I find some of the Flinstones catch prases very corny. But the Honeymooners "Bang zoom to the moon", or when Ralph gets pissed off at Norton when he does or says something stupid and yells "Would you stop it", or "Come on already" is still hilarous today.

PS: a little off the topic, but did Jackie Gleason and/or the Gleason estate ever sue the Hanna Barbera company, over profits from The Flinstones? The Flinstones are not just a cartoon, they sell a lot of merchandice, and I always thought Gleason and/or his estate deserves a piece of the profits that the people that own the rights to the Flinstones get from the cartoon and the products they sell.

I had already answered this question on the "Flintstones" page, but to save you some time...Yes, Jackie Gleason was inded going to sue Hanna-Barbera over "The Flintstones" for copyright infringement (and he had a strong case), but his handlers talked him out of it. They said that if he took a show that a lot of little kids enjoyed off the air, he would look bad, so Gleason reconsidered and let the whole thing go.

Now, as to whether Mr. Gleason deserved any compensation for "The Flintstones", one has to consider the source for "The Honeymooners"...and those of you with any knowledge of old-time television (or, for that matter, old-time radio) will undoubtedly realize that Mr. Gleason's concept wasn't all that original to begin with. For starters, the "bickering couple" angle had been used on just about every sitcom on radio ("The Bickersons" and "The Life of Riley" immediatly come to mind), but the kicker is that the 'fat-guy-with-stupid-friend-money-making schemes-and-nagging-wife' angle came from..."Amos 'n' Andy".

So, while Jackie Gleason may have had a case, he would've had a few uncomfortable moments proving it in open court.

I like both The Flintstones and The Honeymooners equally. But both have some comparisons that make it feel that both might not fit the other.

The Honeymooners: Ralph Kramden worked at a bus company.
The Flintstones: Fred worked at the rock quarry.

The Honeymooners: Ed Norton worked for the city as a septic tank cleaner
The Flintstones: Barney,although it is not given where he worked at,in an episode Fred drops Barney off at a place that looks like an office. In the later Flintstone cartoons that aired on Saturday mornings in the late 70's and early 80's both Fred and Barney worked at the quarry,and in some episodes,policemen.

The Honeymooners: The Kramdens and Nortons lived in a brownstone apartment.
The Flintstones: The Flintstones and Rubbles live in different houses.

I don't know how in the first place that they would compare The Flintstones and The Honeymooners.

Originally posted by barwars88
I would choose "The Flintstones".... ohh wait.... I did.
Although eventually I will buy "The Classic 39"




I dont think Gleason deserves ANY of the money that has come from The Flintstones.
Because with an arguement like that.... almost EVERY sitcom EVER owes money to Lucy.... because they stole her idea of a studio audience. Don't forget the episode where Wilma gives birth to Pebbles,they copied word for word from I Love Lucy the reanactment of what to do when Wilma was ready to go to the hospital to have Pebbles.

One thing that has been ripped off from the Honeymooners many times is the coin flip joke. The episode when the Kramdens and Nortons share a tv set, and Ed and Ralph have a coin flip in determaining which apartment the tv set stays in.

Ralph says "Heads I win. Tails you lose." I have seen many sitcoms use that joke.

One thing about the two shows, Barney jokes about Fred's weight, but Barney is also fat. Art Carney was a thin man, so it made sense when Norton made fun of Ralph's weight.

One other thing the Honeymooners and Flinstones have in common.

Both Raph and Fred can't stand their mother - in - laws.