‘The Jetsons’: 1 Revolutionary Feature on the Show Existed Before the Show Itself
ABC’s TV show The Jetsons first premiered in 1962. The animated series centered around a pretty normal family that lived in Orbit City. The catch, of course, was that the show took place very far off in the future. Though the series never explicitly stated it, sources like DePauw University have confirmed that The Jetsons was set in 2062. In so many ways, the television series was well ahead of its time. Many decades later, fans and critics often reflect on the countless predictions The Jetsons seemed to be spot on about. Take a look back at the legendary show and which revolutionary feature actually came before The Jetsons introduced it on-screen.
The beloved characters of ‘The Jetsons’
In the show, George Jetson and his wife, Jane, have two children, Judy and Elroy. Astro, the family’s infamous dog, and Rosie, the Jetson’s robot maid robot, are two other memorable characters who appeared in the episodes. Ironically enough, the characters in the series were pretty average. As one professional put it:
In the Jetsons’ world of the future, people are pretty much the same as they are today, except that they have more gizmos and far more leisure time. There are families, kids in school, teens in love, workers complaining about bosses, rock stars, and spouses assuming agreed-upon specializations. They love good food, so long as it is made very fast. They have pets. They shop. They are buffeted by fashion trends. They enjoy sports. That’s the future: it is an extension of today, just as today is an extension of everything that followed before.
Many decades later people continue to discuss the well-thought-out and well-executed show. From uncanny and spot-on predictions about the future to the series’ unforgettable theme song, The Jetsons continues to find ways to be relevant.
The tricky timing of ‘The Jetsons’
Unfortunately, when The Jetsons first began premiering, there was one small but crucially important detail the broadcasting network had overlooked. As Mental Floss recapped, at the time, the majority of the audiences weren’t able to secure a color TV. With that being said, most viewers were watching the series in black and white. Without the vibrant colors, Orbit City simply was not the same. In reflection, the whole ordeal is incredibly ironic. However, as a result, the show came to an end after 24 episodes. The Jetsons would later be revitalized during the 1980s, but even before then, the series had already impressed audiences with its impressive features.
What surprising revolutionary feature actually existed before it appeared on ‘The Jetsons’?
In The Jetsons, George is often seen walking Astro outside their home on the series’ infamous moving walkways. This is one of the surprising features that already existed at the time, but the show took the idea, quite literally, above and beyond. This concept was already beginning to pop up in airports toward the late 1950s, but The Jetsons took the notion to all-new futuristic extremes. Many people might think the popular animated television series is responsible for coming up with the idea, but, in reality, the show just glorified the concept to fit into the world of The Jetsons. The Jetsons may have predicted many things about the future, but this was not one of them. Fans and interested individuals can go to Amazon, HBO Max, and MeTV to view episodes of The Jetsons today.
