The Jetsons is a Hanna-Barbera cartoon sitcom that began airing in the early 1960s. It originally aired a single season on ABC beginning in 1963. In the 1980s, two more seasons were produced and aired on various networks. Additionally, The Jetsons franchise includes televisions specials and movies, a theatrical movie release and live action film, as well as several comics and video games.
The Jetsons is usually compared with Hanna-Barbera’s similar show, The Flintstones. While The Flintstones was set during the stone age, The Jetsons was set during the year 2062. Both shows feature similar animation and writing, but have very different settings. The Jetsons family includes George, the father; Jane, his wife; Judy and Elroy, their kids; Astro the Dog; and Rosie, the maid who happens to also be a robot. Other important characters include George’s boss, Mr. Spacely and R.U.D.I., George’s work computer.
The family in The Jetsons seems like a typical middle-upper class American family. George, who is often getting himself in trouble at his job, has a typical full-time job, working just a few hours a week. The people in Orbit City work minimally and have numerous technologies that help them to take it easy, like moving sidewalks and automatic cookers. The technology is a very typical 60s idea of the future, with buildings in the air, flying saucers, and friendly, boxy robots.
The Jetsons itself was a short-lived original series, but it has run in syndication with reruns for a total of more than 50 years. It can still be seen on certain stations, and it’s a classic look at American culture and futuristic idealism.
The Jetsons Cast
- George Jetson — George O’Hanlon
- Jane Jetson — Penny Singleton
- Elroy Jetson — Daws Butler
- Judy Jetson — Janet Waldo
- Astro the Dog, Mac, RUDI, Uniblab — Don Messick
- Rosie, Mrs. Spacely, Miss Galaxy — Jean Vander Pyl
Featured image via http://tvlistings.zap2it.com