The Flintstones ended its original run in 1966. The final original episode aired on April 1, 1966, after the animated sitcom had completed six seasons on ABC.
The series debuted in 1960 as television’s first prime-time animated sitcom. It followed Fred and Wilma Flintstone, their neighbors Barney and Betty Rubble, and their families in the fictional Stone Age town of Bedrock. Although the setting was prehistoric, its stories often parodied modern suburban life, work, marriage, family, and consumer culture.
The show’s last original broadcast is sometimes confused with later reruns, syndicated episodes, specials, or spin-offs. Those continued to keep the characters on television after the original series ended, but they did not extend the initial six-season run. The Flintstones produced 166 episodes, and its success helped establish animation as a format that could attract prime-time audiences rather than being limited to Saturday-morning programming.