The Jetsons (1962) was
the third primetime series from the Hanna-Barbera Studio, after
The Flintstones (1960) and Top Cat (1961). Although
the show was cancelled after its first season, it proved a durable
Saturday-morning favorite, running for more than 14 years on all
three networks.
Like The Flintstones, The Jetsons
borrowed heavily from live-action sitcoms, notably The Donna Reed
Show and Hazel. The 21st century became a Futurelux
vision of a '60s suburb. George Jetson (voiced by George O'Hanlon)
pushed buttons for the penny-pinching Mr. Spacely (Mel Blanc). Judy
(Janet Waldo) was a typical teenager with a crush on rock & roll
singer Jet Screamer. Elroy (Daws Butler) was a bright little boy
whose experiments always blew up. Astro (Don Messick) was one of the
first anthropomorphic dogs that became a Hanna-Barbera standard.
Jane (Penny Singleton, basically reprising her role in the
Blondie films) kept everyone and everything on course. The
Flintstones used rocks and animals to approximate everyday
appliances; The Jetsons had high-tech gadgets that invariably
malfunctioned and clobbered George.
Aside from two commentaries by Waldo and a short making-of video
with old footage of Hanna and Barbera, the DVD set has little in the
way of extras: no bumpers, commercials, etc. The Jetsons
hardly ranks as great animation, but for anyone who grew up during
the '60s and '70s, these discs are the comforting video equivalent
of a slice of yellow cake with fudge frosting and a glass of milk.
(Rated G: alcohol and tobacco use, minor cartoon violence)
--Charles Solomon
Season 1 (1962–1963)
In the original closing credits, George came
home and tried to walk Astro, the family dog, but when Astro
noticed a cat by the electronic dog walk, Astro began to chase it
and George got caught into the dog-walk. Astro and the cat both
looked on as George cried "Jane, stop this crazy thing!" This was
a counterpart to The Flintstones' closing credits in which
the saber-toothed cat
Baby Puss puts
Fred Flintstone out for the night. This ending was parodied in
an episode each of
Animaniacs,
The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, and
Family Guy.
Season 1 contained a
laugh track, which was removed when the episodes were released
for syndication in 1985. The syndicated episodes were also
"updated" with a re-recorded theme song, episode title cards, and
a new closing sequence (see "Season 2," below). The title cards
and the closing sequence featured the character of Orbitty, who
did not appear in any of the original episodes.
The 24 1960s episodes were released on
DVD in
2004 with the laugh track, original closing sequence, and original
opening theme intact. However, the DVD release still featured the
1980s "Orbitty" title cards, and the original "Flintstones"-style
teaser intros were not reinstated. (The versions of "The Space
Car" and "The Coming of Astro" available on
Amazon Video on Demand retain the original opening teasers.)
#
Prod.
Airdate
Title
Notes
1
V-01
September 23, 1962
"Rosie the Robot"
The Jetsons take Rosie the robot maid into
their home, just in time to wreak havoc with a visiting Mr.
Spacely.
2
V-02
September 30, 1962
"A Date with Jet Screamer"
Despite George's best efforts, Judy wins a
date with
Ricky Nelson-esque pop idol Jet Screamer who sings Judy's
contest entry song, "Eep, Opp, Ork, Ah-ah!" (originally voiced
by
Howard Morris and later performed by the
Violent Femmes) which, despite its meaning in the song as "I
love you", actually means "meet me tonight".[1]
3
V-03
October 7, 1962
"Jetson's Nite Out"
When Spacely tells George that he has an
extra ticket for a championship robot football game, they run
into mishap after mishap when Mrs. Spacely believes her
husband's lie about his employee Jetson being ill.
4
V-04
October 14, 1962
"The Space Car"
George and Jane are mistaken for bank robbers
when their car is switched with Knuckles Nuclear's.
5
V-05
October 21, 1962
"The Coming of Astro"
The Jetsons adopt Astro, who must compete
with an electronic counterpart named 'Lectronimo for a place in
the home.
6
V-06
October 28, 1962
"The Good Little Scouts"
George reluctantly takes Elroy's scout troop
on a trip to the moon-and promptly gets lost. R.U.D.I.'s only
1960s appearance.
7
V-07
November 4, 1962
"The Flying Suit"
The rivalry between Spacely Sprockets and
Cogswell Cogs comes to a head with the invention of a suit that
can fly.
8
V-08
November 11, 1962
"Rosie's Boyfriend"
Rosie finds a beau in Henry Orbit's
mechanical assistant, named Mac.
9
V-09
November 18, 1962
"Elroy's TV Show"
First George and then Mr. Spacely become
over-enthusiastic stage parents for their sons when Elroy lands
his own TV show—entitled "Spaceboy Zoom and His Dog, Astro".
When Jane tunes to Elroy's frequency, Elroy states, "My mother's
tuning to my frequently." First George and then Mr. Spacely get
pounded by a robot; when George advises Spacely to give up TV,
Spacely replies with the classic: "What?! And give up show biz?
Never!"
10
V-10
November 25, 1962
"Uniblab"
George is fuming at having to work under
electronic "yes man" Uniblab.
11
V-12
December 2, 1962
"A Visit from Grandpa"
George's feisty grandfather—110-year-old
Montague Jetson—is embroiled in a paternity scandal.
12
V-11
December 9, 1962
"Astro's Top Secret"
Astro is given the
third degree when Cogswell suspects him to be party to a new
Spacely Sprockets invention after he swallows Elroy's flying toy
car.
13
V-13
December 16, 1962
"Las Venus"
On his second honeymoon, George divides his
time between taking Jane out and wooing a big sprocket contract.
14
V-14
December 23, 1962
"Elroy's Pal"
Elroy is enamored of TV superhero Nimbus the
Great, who may not be as great as he seems.
15
V-15
December 30, 1962
"Test Pilot"
A mishap at the doctor's office has George
believing he is about to die, so he volunteers for hazard duty,
testing an "indestructible" jacket.
16
V-16
January 6, 1963
"Millionaire Astro"
Astro,
née "Tralfaz," is caught in a custody battle between the
Jetsons and millionaire J.P. Gottrockets.
17
V-17
January 13, 1963
"The Little Man"
George is shrunk down to six inches high in a
machine for shrinking and enlarging parcels. When he tries to
re-enlarge himself he finds out the machine is broken and needs
a new cog, which is only made by Cogswell Cogs. George sneaks
into the Cogswell plant to steal a new cog. He is caught by Mr.
Cogswell under a glass, but escapes. He takes a cog and installs
it in the machine and re-enlarges himself.
18
V-18
January 20, 1963
"Jane's Driving Lesson"
Jane wants to take driving lessons while
egging George into buying a second car, and unwittingly (and
unknowingly) becomes Knuckles Nuclear's
moll.
19
V-19
January 27, 1963
"G.I. Jetson"
George, Henry Orbit, and Mr. Spacely are
drafted into a two-week stint in the U.S. Space Guard; George
finds himself under the command of his mortal enemy "Sgt."
Uniblab!
20
V-20
February 3, 1963
"Miss Solar System"
Jane enters a
beauty pageant to prove to her husband that she is just as
beautiful as Gina Lolajupiter (take on
Gina Lolabrigida).
21
V-21
February 10, 1963
"Private Property"
When a new Cogswell Cogs office opens next
door to Spacely Sprockets, George is put in charge of the
property dispute, only to discover Spacely Sprockets is on
Cogswell's property. Later retitled "No Space for Sprockets".
22
V-22
February 17, 1963
"Dude Planet"
Burnt out on housework, Jane takes a retreat
at a futuristic dude ranch. Note: Astro didn't appear in
this episode, however he was replaced by an unnamed cat.
23
V-23
February 24, 1963
"TV or Not TV"
When George and Astro witness the shooting of
a crime TV show called "The Naked Planet" (take on
The Naked City), they think they've witnessed a real
robbery and go into hiding to keep from being shot for knowing
too much.
24
V-24
March 3, 1963
"Elroy's Mob"
Elroy accidentally gets a report card mix-up
and gets 4 D's, an F, and an "H", so when his dad punishes him,
he and Astro run away and join a mob run by Muggsy Megaton.
Note: This episode featured a sort-of crossover with
The Flintstones; A boy in Elroy's class—Kenny
Countdown—has a TV Wristwatch which is showing part of a
Flintstones episode, before it is confiscated by Ms. Brainmocker,
the class teacher.
