IMDb >
"Fred and Barney Meet the Thing" (1979)
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditsepisode listepisodes castepisode ratings... by rating... by votestv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsrecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips"Fred and Barney Meet the Thing" (1979) More at IMDbPro »TV series
Overview
User Rating:
Writers:
Seasons:
Release Date:
22 September 1979 (USA)
more
Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
Gimmicky? Of course not! (*cough*)
more (3 total)
Cast
(Series Cast Summary - 1 of 12)| Gay Autterson | ... | Betty Rubble (unknown episodes) |
Additional Details
Runtime:
60 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Movie Connections:
Spin off from "Fantastic 4" (1967)
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (3 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for "Fred and Barney Meet the Thing" (1979)Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur | "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends" | The Flintstones Little Big League | "Fantastic 4" | A Flintstone Christmas |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Episode guide | Full cast and crew | Company credits |
| IMDb TV section | IMDb Animation section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |
You may add a new episode for this TV series by clicking the 'add episode' button

By the time this came on the air I was getting a little old for Saturday Morning Cartoons, but I watched them anyway, especially when they featured one of my favorite comic book characters, the Thing, who is basically a super-strong hero who looks like he's composed of orange rocks.
I kind of wondered about the title, but by then I'd caught on to the gimmick of two kids' shows being packaged into a "super-show" or "power hour" or whatever. The real idea was to pair two 1/2 hour shows together so young viewers would watch the whole hour.
The Thing and Fred & Barney only appeared together in the credits and some quick bits throughout the show. I didn't mind these so much, as the Thing is kind of a comic character, having four fingers like most "funny" cartoon characters, as well as a Brooklyn accent and a "Bowery Boy" demeanor.
Being the weaker of the two shows, the Thing got sandwiched in between the Fred and Barney segments. Here's where it got disappointing. The Thing was now "Benjy" Grimm, a scrawny red-haired teenager who could turn into the the title character by using a "Thing-Ring."(One episode explained that the Thing was originally a middle-aged test pilot like he was in the comics; he became "Benjy" when an attempt to turn him human again misfired.) Worse, there were no super-villains, only the Yancy Street Gang, a group of comical punks. Funny super-heroics I don't mind. Trite super-heroics is another, er, thing.
As for the Fred and Barney segments, they were like watching the Honeymooners' later reunion shows - Still great characters, but no one could think of anything new for them to do.
Apparently the Thing show flopped, because it was soon retitled "Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo" and showed "Shmoo" episodes with Fred and Barney, though I think the Thing segments were still part of it.
Still, I was glad the Thing at least got on the air. In the 70s, superhero fans took what they could get. Now Superheroes star in video games and big-budget movies every other week, and I barely even check them out. Go figure.