A Failed Sci-Fi Series Brought The Flintstones Back To Primetime In The '80s
The Flintstones came back to TV in the '80s when a sci-fi series on NBC needed a last-minute replacement and gave the modern stone-age family a second chance.
In 1982, the classic cartoon series The Flintstones made an unexpected return to primetime television after the star of a forgotten 1980s sci-fi show suffered an injury on set. The Powers of Matthew Star, which aired on NBC, featured Peter Barton as the title character, an undercover alien prince attending high school. However, Barton was injured during filming when he fell onto magnesium flares, resulting in second- and third-degree burns.
The show was put on hiatus, and NBC turned to The Flintstones, a prehistoric family that had been on primetime TV from 1960 to 1966 on ABC. The Flintstones had previously aired on Sunday nights at 7:00 p.m. with Fred and Barney temporarily replacing the injured Matthew Star. Barton, who still has scars from the accident, said he was lucky the injuries were not on his face.
The Powers of Matthew Star only ran for one season and was ranked as the 22nd worst show in television history by TV Guide in 2002. Steven E. de Souza, co-creator of the short-lived sci-fi series, went on to become a successful screenwriter behind classic 80s action movies like Die Hard, Commando, and The Running Man. A decade later, de Souza co-wrote the live-action Flintstones movie, which starred John Goodman and Rick Moranis, but received poor reviews.
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