The Frankenstones
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The Frankenstones are a family of fictional characters who appeared on The Flintstones television series. They debuted in 1979 and appeared in various spin-offs and specials through the early 1980s. The parents are a parody of Munsters, and the children are a parody of the Addamses
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[edit] Introduction
The first version of the family appeared in the episode "Fred and Barney Meet the Frankenstones" of The New Fred and Barney Show. They were featured as the managers of a condorstonium development that the boys consider moving their families into. This Frankenstone family consists of:
- Frank Frankenstone, the Frankenstein-style father,
- Hidea Frankenstone, his wife,
- Atrocia Frankenstone, their giggly teen daughter, and
- "Little Freaky" Frankenstone, chip-off-the-ole-block.
Frank's voice is done in a "Monster Mash" style by John Stephenson, and Hidea has a pseudo-Transylvanian accent.
[edit] Television Specials
Another version of the Frankenstones moves next door in the September 1980 television special The Flintstones' New Neighbors. This time, the family consists of:
- Frank Frankenstone
- Oblivia Frankenstone, his wife
- Hidea Frankenstone, their daughter who resembles the original Atrocia, except that Atrocia has pale blue/white hair and seems very light on her feet, and
- Frankenstub Frankenstone, who closely resembles Freaky
Again, the family is odd, but there doesn't seem to be any animosity between the Frankenstones and the Flintstones, and Frank's voice is still done in "Monster Mash". This version of the Frankenstones appears in The Flintstones: Fred's Final Fling in November 1980. They are not to be confused with the Frankenstone "monster" that appears in-between in the halloween special, The Flintstones Meet Rockula and Frankenstone.
[edit] The Flintstone Comedy Show
Meanwhile, November 1980 premieres The Flintstone Comedy Show on Saturday mornings. The show features a weekly segment starring the neighboring Frankenstones. This version of the Frankenstones more closely resembles the version seen in The New Fred and Barney Show than the Frankenstones that just moved in next door in the prime-time specials.
This version of the family consists of:
- Frank Frankenstone
- Hidea Frankenstone, his wife (and previously the name given to their daughter in past specials),
- Atrocia Frankenstone, their kooky daughter who is now the youngest child, and
- "Freaky" Frankenstone, their son who is now a teen and friends with fellow teenager Pebbles Flintstone.
They now have a pet, Rockjaw, who devours anything. The previously soft-natured Frank is now hot-tempered and wired, with his voice now done by Charles Nelson Reilly in his traditional high-pitched hyper-whiny style. Frank now becomes volatile at the drop of a hat, especially when he has to deal with his annoying neighbor and rival Fred Flintstone. Both men are frustrated by the friendships between their wives and children — and by the way they always seem to be thrust into one mess after another because of each other.
This series runs for two years, and consecutively with two more prime-time specials in 1981 (which both revert back to John Stephenson's verion of Frank with his wife Oblivia, and children Hidea and Frankenstub). The continuity of the the prime-time Flintstones and Saturday morning Flintstones drift farther apart because both have their own version of Frankenstone neighbors!
It is not revealed what happens to the Frankenstones or their castle after 1982. They don't appear in any later specials or movies. However, in one episode of The Flintstone Comedy Show, a dinosaur picks up and runs off with the Frankenstone castle, proving it's mobile.
[edit] External links
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