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The Jetsons 50th Anniversary

Just one season and 24 episodes, but The Jetsons still managed to predict the future.

And not even a mention for The Jetsons at the Emmy Awards which has just turned 50…

Hanna-Barbera’s classic show first aired on September 23 1962 and lasted only 24 episodes. It was the first show ever broadcast in color on ABC.

Apart from it’s funky jazz theme tune, it managed to predict quite a few inventions, or their equivalent, that we see today.

I remember seeing Judy on a video phone call to her friend (Webcam, Skype anyone?) although she wore a mask to hide her early morning circles.

There were characters walking around watching tablet-size devices and viewing TV on their watches (ok maybe we don’t quite have the latter yet).

They had tanning beds and technology that talked with a human voice.

Ok admittedly we don’t have flying cars that can be folded up into a brief case, and The Jetsons sure weren’t able to predict multiculturalism.

But for a show that only ran for one season (let’s not even mention the dud revival or movie) it still burns brightly in our memories.

The Smithsonian magazine blog paleofuture, which has a much longer love letter to its 50th anniversary, called the show, “the single most important piece of 20th century futurism … that helped define the future for so many Americans today.”

“Jane, stop this crazy thing!”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNR6A0GGqEU[/youtube]

Source: Time

13 Responses

  1. Hmm, I agree with the commenter on the Smithsonian blog who pointed out that Star Trek “is the most important piece of 20th Century futurism”. The Jetsons is nowhere near as well known or popular or influential as Trek.

  2. The one season in the 60s was shown in prime time, so was therefore aimed at adults and children. The 80s version was not made for prime time and the quality was no where near as good. It can be confusing for viewers though, as i think the 80s version still had the same opening theme.

  3. I agree, I was also surprised to learn in this article that there was only one season!

    It certainly was a great show to watch in my childhood (re-runs not premieres! Haha)

  4. I just want to point out do others aren’t confused. It’s initial run was only 1 season of 24 eps in the 60s. But is was bought back to life for another 51 syndicated episodes in the 80s hence why some like me born in the early 80s remember it always being on tv.

  5. I can’t believe there were so few episodes – I remember it always being on when I was a little kid!

    Last week, teaching sci-if to my year 9 English class, I showed them Back to the Future II and got them to take notes about what they got wrong (where are all the fax machines?!?!) and what they got right – to an extent, the scene where Marty Jr watches 9 tv channels – the kids said they watch tv channels (usually flicking between 2), YouTube, Facebook and tweet – so I paid the producers that one!

  6. Yeah, I loved it too, David!
    Even though it was made a few years before I was born, it must have been on high rotation in the early ’70s because apparently (I don’t actually recall) I used to run around the house alternately making that weird flying car sound, ror ralking rike RAstro!

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