Debuting in 1962, The Jetsons was a product of its time, when Americans were fascinated with science and technology. The Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union dominated the headlines, and NASA was preparing to send astronauts to the moon. Against this backdrop, the show portrayed a gleaming, automated future filled with flying cities, conveyor belts and meals prepared at the touch of a button. It was a hopeful vision of progress, wrapped in humor and charm.
The Jetson family — George, Jane, Judy, Elroy and their ever-reliable robot maid, Rosie — lived in a world that seemed lightyears ahead of its 1960s audience. The series playfully exaggerated trends and dreams of the era, imagining what life might be like in 2062. Its depiction of video chats and robotic helpers seemed outlandish then but feels oddly familiar now, as modern technology has caught up with some of the show’s “wild” predictions. Though it aired for only one season (24 episodes) during its original run, reruns — along with 51 new episodes produced between 1985 and 1987 — kept its futuristic world alive for generations of viewers.
The appeal of The Jetsons went beyond its gadgets and gizmos. It reflected mid-20th-century optimism about what science and innovation could achieve. Of course, it wasn’t perfect — the show’s vision of the future was still rooted in 1960s cultural norms, including gender roles that cast Jane as a housewife despite all the high-tech conveniences. Still, it remains a nostalgic look at what people once thought the 21st century might hold.
Below, we’ve gathered a collection of fun photos, video and a brief intro to their creative new concept straight from Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera.
Television in review: The Jetsons
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Today, Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, creators of “The Flintstones” and other notable animated characters on television, tell about their new series, “The Jetsons.”)
By Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera
This year, when World War II comes charging onto your television tubes during a season which will also find more unemployed actors suddenly working as M.J.’s, a quiet but significant milestone will turn over here at Hanna-Barbera.
No private eye, no Anzio landing, no brain surgery, no, none of that, Instead, as a sequel to our animated series about a stone-age family, “The Flintstones,” we will modestly present the first family of the future, ABC-TV’s “The Jetsons.” In ultra-dynamic spectoramic, everlovin’, living color, yet.
We learned several important lessons last season: 1) clever and witty dialogue cannot alone carry a show — there has to be action, and 2) there have to be strong points of identification between the audience and the characters in the show.
‘The Jetsons’ product of research
“The Jetsons” is the product of over 16 months of extensive research and planning by our talented staff of artists and writers. The feeling around our shop was that the public was intensely interested in what the future held for them in terms of space exploration, better things for better living, etc.
Voilà! The birth of the family of the future.
“The Jetsons” live in the sky pads apartments (high-level adjustable living). George Jetson is a hard-working, honest, lovable husband who is devoted to his family, which consists of wife Jane, teenage daughter Judy, 9-year-old son Elroy, and their dog Astro.
George works for Spacely Sprockets Co., which supplies materials to such futuristic corporations as General Rotors. He is the digital control operator — sort of 21st Century office foreman of the completely automated factory.
Jane Jetson, his attractive and spirited wife, solves the everyday problems of cooking and cleaning with a variety of time-saving appliances. These include a seeing eye vacuum cleaner, a machine with two electronic eyes which seeks out dust, dirt and debris and consumes it. Many times, however, when Jane isn’t looking, the vacuum will lift up the rug and sweep it under same.
There is also the foodarackacycle, a dandy gadget to end all dandy gadgets it stores, processes, prepares and serves food to the Jetson household. Just insert the meal ticket into the machine and out comes your desired meal. Beef Venus, sauteed with onions and mushrooms, cherries galaxy for dessert.
We hope that viewers will join us as we take a peek into the future. We promise them no two-headed monsters, no violence, just an honest glimpse of what lies ahead mixed with humor and fantasy.
The Jetsons TV show theme/intro/opening credits & lyrics
Meet George Jetson
His boy, Elroy
Daughter Judy
Jane, his wife
Watch The Jetsons right now on Amazon video, or get the series on DVD here!
