Restored Flintstones now on Me-TV! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

merlinjones · 10-02-2020, 07:42 PM

Last Monday, Me-TV started showing restored HD masters of The Flintstones that look absolutely incredible -- even the formerly dupey titles (though the wrong ones) are crisp and clean (in the right way)! Worth watching all over again. I imagine these are the same masters coming up on blu-ray (though hopefully with correct credits).

Thanks Me-TV and WB!

OH Nuts! · 10-02-2020, 09:35 PM

YABBA DABBA GREAT!

I fondly remember The Flintstones from childhood with dear Bea Benaderet as the voice of Betty Rubble.

stevea · 10-02-2020, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merlinjones

Last Monday, Me-TV started showing restored HD masters of The Flintstones that look absolutely incredible -- even the formerly dupey titles (though the wrong ones) are crisp and clean (in the right way)! Worth watching all over again. I imagine these are the same masters coming up on blu-ray (though hopefully with correct credits).

Thanks Me-TV and WB!

When are these blu-rays coming?

To correctly restore the first two seasons, they would have to locate the original negs with the correct episode end credits (and these my not exist). Complicating this would be the fact the ABC showed these seasons in black and white.

The previously restored end credits use graphic recreations of the credits, and are not episode-specific. What they did with the Jetsons on Blu-ray was great, but there they had episodes which were originally broadcast in color.

The previous MeTV masters were OK, but if you look at the video with a critical eye, there were a lot of color abnormalities.

Charley Knox · 10-02-2020, 10:53 PM

Neat! I thought the episodes where looking a lot sharper.

snowpeck · 10-03-2020, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevea

When are these blu-rays coming?

October 27th.

https://www.amazon.com/Flintstones-C.../dp/B08CPDLSNH

1960'sTVfan · 10-03-2020, 10:00 PM

I have The Flintstones series on DVD's and I'm fine with those, I don't have a Blu Ray player and have no plans to invest in that format. VHS and DVD still work fine for me. However, out of curiosity I will probably tune in to MeTV and watch an episode or two to see what these "restored" versions look like.

Charley Knox · 10-04-2020, 10:39 AM

The new HD prints have replaced the Turner Cartoon Network identification logo with the Warner Brothers logo.

Yabba Dabba Doo Gal · 10-04-2020, 02:22 PM

The new look is fantastic and The Flintstones never get old for me so I can always watch them. I will definitely purchase the Blu Ray.

stevea · 10-04-2020, 06:44 PM

This morning I saw none of the color problems I previously saw on MeTV. I too saw the updated Warner logo.

It would be nice to see the Screen Gems logos restored on the Blu Rays, but along with early season credit corrections, I'm probably hoping for too much.

Charley Knox · 10-04-2020, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevea

This morning I saw none of the color problems I previously saw on MeTV. I too saw the updated Warner logo.

It would be nice to see the Screen Gems logos restored on the Blu Rays, but along with early season credit corrections, I'm probably hoping for too much.

I wish they would switch back to the Rise and Shine credits for the Sunday morning episodes, where ratings success
is probably not as critical as weekday evenings. The early episodes original credits just seem more appropriate for a hopefully peaceful Sunday morning.

Now if we could only convince METV to ditch the chalky Turner color first season episodes and go to cleaner b&w HD prints for Gilligan's Island. This change would make the show more at home with the other early morning black and white sitcoms.

stevea · 10-04-2020, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charley Knox

Now if we could only convince METV to ditch the chalky Turner color first season episodes and go to cleaner b&w HD prints for Gilligan's Island. This change would make the show more at home with the other early morning black and white sitcoms.

The TBS colorized prints are an embarrassment. It surprises me MeTV uses them.

MA · 10-05-2020, 05:16 AM

I'm not a fan of the TBS colorized prints either.

TV Guy · 10-06-2020, 04:01 PM

It does look amazing. It almost looks too good - because with the sharp picture, it makes you realize how limited the animation was.

I still don’t get the replacement of Rise and Shine on the early seasons. Do they really think that makes a difference in the ratings?

stevea · 10-06-2020, 09:24 PM

They must. They probably went thru a lot of trouble to change them, retiming breaks, etc.

The animation is typical Hanna-Barbera, with the most obvious problem being the repeating identical backgrounds. It's still better than the computer-generated garbage that passes for animation now. You know, the typical Cartoon Network junk.

LUNCH · 10-12-2020, 02:36 PM

The picture does look very clear so they must have done something with it. And I agree, The Flintstones animation may not be the best but it has always been good enough, far better than the computer generated junk that passes for animation these days.

10-02-2020, 07:42 PM	#1
merlinjones Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 30, 2019 Location: los ángeles Posts: 933	Restored Flintstones now on Me-TV! Last Monday, Me-TV started showing restored HD masters of The Flintstones that look absolutely incredible -- even the formerly dupey titles (though the wrong ones) are crisp and clean (in the right way)! Worth watching all over again. I imagine these are the same masters coming up on blu-ray (though hopefully with correct credits). Thanks Me-TV and WB!

10-05-2020, 05:16 AM	#12
MA Member Moderator Forum Idol Join Date: May 20, 2017 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 128,991	I'm not a fan of the TBS colorized prints either.
	__________________ ~-Mikaela-~

10-02-2020, 09:35 PM	#2
OH Nuts! Member Forum King Join Date: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 133,383	YABBA DABBA GREAT! I fondly remember The Flintstones from childhood with dear Bea Benaderet as the voice of Betty Rubble.

10-02-2020, 10:53 PM	#4
Charley Knox Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 09, 2019 Location: Tn Posts: 634	Neat! I thought the episodes where looking a lot sharper.

10-03-2020, 10:00 PM	#6
1960'sTVfan Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 30, 2009 Posts: 6,151	I have The Flintstones series on DVD's and I'm fine with those, I don't have a Blu Ray player and have no plans to invest in that format. VHS and DVD still work fine for me. However, out of curiosity I will probably tune in to MeTV and watch an episode or two to see what these "restored" versions look like.

10-04-2020, 10:39 AM	#7
Charley Knox Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 09, 2019 Location: Tn Posts: 634	The new HD prints have replaced the Turner Cartoon Network identification logo with the Warner Brothers logo.

10-04-2020, 02:22 PM	#8
Yabba Dabba Doo Gal Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Oct 04, 2020 Location: New Castle, Delaware Posts: 99	The new look is fantastic and The Flintstones never get old for me so I can always watch them. I will definitely purchase the Blu Ray.

10-04-2020, 06:44 PM	#9
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 45,182	This morning I saw none of the color problems I previously saw on MeTV. I too saw the updated Warner logo. It would be nice to see the Screen Gems logos restored on the Blu Rays, but along with early season credit corrections, I'm probably hoping for too much.

10-06-2020, 04:01 PM	#13
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	It does look amazing. It almost looks too good - because with the sharp picture, it makes you realize how limited the animation was. I still don’t get the replacement of Rise and Shine on the early seasons. Do they really think that makes a difference in the ratings?

10-06-2020, 09:24 PM	#14
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 45,182	They must. They probably went thru a lot of trouble to change them, retiming breaks, etc. The animation is typical Hanna-Barbera, with the most obvious problem being the repeating identical backgrounds. It's still better than the computer-generated garbage that passes for animation now. You know, the typical Cartoon Network junk.

10-12-2020, 02:36 PM	#15
LUNCH Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 23, 2010 Location: New York State Posts: 1,304	The picture does look very clear so they must have done something with it. And I agree, The Flintstones animation may not be the best but it has always been good enough, far better than the computer generated junk that passes for animation these days.