‘The New Fred and Barney Show: The Complete Series’ Blu-ray Review
Hanna-Barbera are responsible for some of the most iconic cartoons ever created, and when they set out to develop their Stone Age sitcom The Flintstones, they drew clear inspiration from The Honeymooners. The parallels are unmistakable when revisiting the episodes today.
Following the original show’s success – alongside numerous specials and spin-offs – Hanna-Barbera returned to Bedrock two decades later with a brand-new Saturday morning outing, The New Fred and Barney Show. The short-lived series premiered on February 3, 1979, and now, 47 years after its television debut, Warner Archive Collection is finally giving the show its long-overdue physical media release, and its very first appearance on Blu-ray.
In this “revival” series Fred and Barney find themselves in trouble with witches, werewolves, genies, vampires, Frankenstein monster and more. All this with the hilarious fun that made The Flintstones so much fun.
The New Fred and Barney Show is never going to be mentioned in the same breath as the original – and no one would seriously argue otherwise. That said, it remains a genuinely fun and engaging series in its own right. Watching certain episodes, it’s hard not to notice a light Scooby-Doo vibe running through the storytelling, and that’s very much meant as a compliment. Seen through that lens, the show feels like a charming and worthwhile expansion of the wider The Flintstones mythology.
Unfortunately, the series was short-lived, lasting just two seasons – ten episodes in its first run and only seven in its second. The reasons are open to debate: the introduction of new voice actors for such beloved characters, the tonal shift toward spookier plots involving witches and mysteries, or perhaps simple scheduling issues. Whatever the cause, one thing is certain: the show disappeared from the airwaves far too soon.
Warner Archive Collection has given the series a careful restoration, with all episodes newly transferred in 1080p and presented in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Audio is provided via an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track, with optional English subtitles available for the deaf and hard of hearing.
On Blu-ray, the episodes both look and sound fantastic. Colours are bold and vibrant, the image is sharp and clean, and the presentation feels genuinely premium. Spread across two Blu-ray discs, the set avoids compression issues entirely, resulting in a viewing experience free from noticeable digital artefacts or audio problems. The two discs include:
- Disc One: Sand-Witch / Barney’s Luck / The Bad Luck Genie / Fred & Barney Meet the Frankenstones / Physical Fitness Fred / Fred Goes to the Houndasaurs / Moonlighters / Dinosaur Country Safari
- Disc Two: Stone Age Werewolf / Haunted Inheritance / Roughin’ It / C.B. Buddies / Bedrock Rocks / Blood Brothers / Barney’s Chickens / The Butler Did It…and Did It Better / It’s Not Their Bag
I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this series, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the original. With all 17 episodes spread across two Blu-ray discs, it makes for an easy and consistently enjoyable watch. My only real criticism of the release is the lack of bonus features. A retrospective featurette, cast or crew interviews, or even a brief look back at the show’s place in animation history would have gone a long way toward elevating the package. As it stands, it’s a solid and welcome release, but one that could have been even better with a little extra care on the supplements front.
***** 5/5
If you are as much of a fan of The Flintstones franchise as I am, well, then you need this Blu-ray of The New Fred and Barney Show in your collection. Head over to Amazon and order your copy now.
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