The Flintstones Frequently Asked Questions List

19. Don't the [houses/furniture/streets/cars/people] seem to change in appearance from episode to episode? Yes, they do. Lapses in continuity, some of which are due to the practice of having several different teams working separately on different episodes simultaneously, are among the many fascinating things to watch for on the show. Joe Rockhead has had several different physical appearances, as has Arnold the paperboy. Mr. Slate (whose first name is either "Sam," "George," or "Nate," depending on the occasion) is originally a short, dark-haired, moustached man; he soon disappears and is replaced by Fred's more familiar, bald, bespectacled boss. Even the boss's surname isn't stable, as he changes from "Mr. Boulder" to "J. J. Granite" to "Joe Rockhead" (no relation to Fred's friend--or is he?) to "Mr. Slate," and Fred's regular place of employment has been identified by at least 18 different names. The Flintstone family car, if it is indeed the same car from one episode to the next, is alternately a two- and four-seater, a roofed vehicle and a convertible, and has either a left- or right-side steering wheel. And the Flintstones' house never has the same size, furniture, or design twice. Obviously, the real reason for these discrepancies is that we're dealing with a television program. But this hasn't stopped many people from speculating endlessly about the possible weekly rebuilding of homes, motivations behind mysterious name changes, and explanations for inexplicable lapses in characters' memories. Nor has it prevented a steady stream of creative tinkering that attempts to make Flintstones history consistent with itself. Table of Contents | Next FAQ This Page Maintained by John Paul Murphy