After creating one lovably dysfunctional cartoon family with troublesome pets and a rather chunky old man, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has revealed plans to reinvent another similar household, The Flintstones.
MacFarlane, who has promised a modern take on the classic show which featured Fred Flinstone, his neighbour Barney Rubble and their long-suffering wives Wilma and Betty, talked of how the Hanna-Barbera creation inspired him as a child. He even worked for their company as an animator before launching Family Guy in 1999.
The new version of the animated series, which originally ran in the US on ABC between 1960 and 1966 – and has been repeated virtually ever since – will air on Rupert Murdoch’s Fox network according to Media Guardian.
“What’s the animal version of the iPod? That’s the kind of thing we have to think about,” said MacFarlane.
“One of the first things that I drew when I was two years old was Fred Flintstone,” he added. “So it’s appropriate that events have come full circle, allowing me to produce the newest incarnation of this great franchise. Plus, I think America is finally ready for an animated sitcom about a fat, stupid guy with a wife who’s too good for him.”
Fox said production on the show would begin immediately with it due to debut on the network on 2013.
“Fox has long been home to iconic families like the Simpsons and the Griffins, so I have no doubt that the Flintstones and the Rubbles are going to fit right in on our air,” Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly told the Hollywood Reporter.
