50 Fun Facts About The Jetsons

Which studio produced The Jetsons?

William Hanna and Joseph Barbera created it as the Space Age counterpart to their Stone Age hit The Flintstones.

In what year did The Jetsons first air in prime time?

It debuted on ABC on September 23, 1962, and lasted just one season of 24 episodes.

The Jetsons holds what distinction in ABC's history?

Only a handful of ABC stations could show colour then; The Flintstones aired in black and white for its first two seasons.

What is the name of the sky-high metropolis where the Jetsons live?

Its buildings sit on adjustable columns above the pollution, in a style known as Googie architecture.

What is the name of the Jetsons' apartment building?

Henry Orbit is the building superintendent, and his robot helper Mac is Rosie's boyfriend.

What is the name of the Jetsons' robot maid?

She was an old demonstrator model, number XB-500, hired from U-Rent a Maid.

What is Rosie's model number?

The first episode, "Rosey the Robot", gives it; her name is spelled Rosey on the title cards of seasons one and three.

What is the name of the Jetsons' dog?

He speaks with every word starting with an R, a trick voice actor Don Messick later reused for Scooby-Doo.

What breed is Astro?

He was designed by Iwao Takamoto, who later designed Scooby-Doo, another Great Dane.

What was Astro's original name when he belonged to millionaire J.P. Gottrockets?

In "Millionaire Astro" the tycoon lets him go back to the Jetsons after seeing how much he loves them.

What is the name of the electronic dog George buys before the family settles on Astro?

It fails to catch a burglar whom Astro stops by accident, so the family gives it to the police.

Where does George Jetson work?

His job title is digital index operator, which mostly means pushing one button.

What is Mr. Spacely's first name?

Spencer is Cogswell's first name and Orwell is Spacely's inventor nephew.

What is the name of Mr. Spacely's business rival?

His company is Cogswell Cogs, sometimes Cogswell's Cosmic Cogs, and Daws Butler voiced him.

How much does George Jetson actually work?

He still complains bitterly about exhaustion.

What is George Jetson's job title?

The computer he pushes buttons on in the 1980s episodes is RUDI, the Referential Universal Digital Indexer.

What does RUDI, the name of George's office computer, stand for?

In The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones, Cogswell's computer S.A.R.A. seduces RUDI into leaking company secrets.

How old is George Jetson?

Jane is 33, Judy is 16 and Elroy self-reports as six and a half.

How old is Judy Jetson, according to her mother in the first episode?

She goes to Orbit High School and swoons over rock singer Jet Screamer.

Where does Elroy go to study astrophysics and star geometry?

He studies space history, astrophysics and star geometry there, aged six and a half.

What is the name of the rock singer Judy wins a date with in a songwriting contest?

Sky Rocker is the star of the 1988 TV movie Rockin' with Judy Jetson.

What is Jane Jetson's running-gag weakness?

"The Space Car" and "Jane's Driving Lesson" leave her instructor and husband nervous wrecks.

Which comic strip was The Jetsons partly based on, with George modelled on its Dagwood?

Jane's voice, Penny Singleton, had played Blondie in the films of the 1930s to 1950s.

Which Looney Tunes voice legend played Mr. Spacely?

Daws Butler was Elroy and Cogswell, Don Messick was Astro, and Frank Welker joined in the 1980s as Orbitty.

Who voiced the head of the Jetson household in the original series?

Morey Amsterdam claimed he had been cast first and sued; Jeff Bergman took over after O'Hanlon died in 1989.

Which two performers sued the studio in 1963, claiming they had been cast as George and Jane?

They recorded one episode before being replaced, reportedly over sponsor conflicts; the court sided with the studio.

Which two shows was The Jetsons scheduled against in 1962, which helped sink its ratings?

It was cancelled after one season, then thrived for decades on Saturday mornings.

How many episodes were in the original 1962-63 season?

Forty-one new episodes followed in 1985 for syndication, at $300,000 each, plus ten more in 1987.

How much did each of the 41 new episodes made for syndication in 1985 cost?

All the surviving original voice actors returned for the revival.

What is the name of the springy-legged alien who became the Jetsons' second pet in the 1980s episodes?

Frank Welker voiced him; he has suction-cup feet.

Which obnoxious robot becomes George's supervisor and mortal enemy?

Don Messick voiced him; Sentro is Spacely's robot guard dog and Mac is Rosie's boyfriend.

Who wrote the theme song, which became a pop hit in 1986?

Curtin was Hanna-Barbera's house composer and also wrote the Flintstones theme.

How do the Jetsons and the Flintstones end up meeting in the 1987 TV movie?

Cogswell's computer S.A.R.A. has meanwhile been seducing RUDI into leaking Spacely's secrets.

Which pop singer controversially replaced Janet Waldo as the voice of Judy in Jetsons: The Movie?

Waldo had already recorded all her lines; it was Tiffany's feature film debut.

In what year was Jetsons: The Movie released?

It grossed $20.3 million on an $8 million budget, but a $12 million marketing spend made it a flop.

What is George promoted to in Jetsons: The Movie?

Four vice presidents had already fled the Orbiting Ore Asteroid before Spacely picks someone loyal, expendable and able to push a button.

Which two lead voice actors died during production of Jetsons: The Movie, which was dedicated to them?

Jeff Bergman finished George's and Spacely's lines, and no new episodes were made after 1989.

Which WWE star does George find frozen in the 2017 film Robo-WrestleMania!?

He had flown a plane into a blizzard in modern-day Denver and thawed out in the future.

What was the 1974 proposed Jetsons sequel retooled into after CBS rejected it?

Later live-action attempts by Paramount and Universal, and a Robert Rodriguez CGI version, also never arrived.

How does George commute to work?

It folds into a briefcase when he lands, one of the show's most-remembered gadgets.

The Jetsons is one of the few series to have aired on all three big US networks. Which two, besides ABC?

It spent two decades on Saturday mornings before syndication began in 1976.

What did Smithsonian writer Matt Novak call The Jetsons?

Video calls and robot vacuums arrived; the flying car is still pending.

In which architectural style is Orbit City rendered?

Homes and businesses sit high on adjustable columns to escape the pollution below, a detail later read as a dystopian hint.

On which night of the week did The Jetsons air during its original 1962-63 prime-time run?

Poor ratings got it cancelled after one season, but the move to Saturday mornings made it a long-running success.

How many additional 'season 3' episodes were made available for syndication in 1987?

They followed the 41 new episodes of 1985 that were packaged with the original 24 for morning and afternoon slots in 80 US markets.

Which other Hanna-Barbera show joins The Jetsons in having aired on all three big US networks?

Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes shorts complete the rare trio that ran on ABC, CBS and NBC.

Which studio first tried to make a live-action Jetsons film in 1985?

Gary Nardino was to executive produce; decades of false starts followed, including Robert Rodriguez talks in 2007.

Which rapper was mistakenly reported in 2012 to be creative director of a Jetsons movie?

West said the idea came up on a call when someone yelled that he should do a Jetsons tour instead.

Which filmmaker executive produced the live-action Jetsons sitcom pilot ABC ordered in 2017?

Gary Janetti wrote the pilot, with Zemeckis and Jack Rapke producing.

Which turn-of-the-millennium animated series was influenced by The Jetsons and referenced it often?

Complaints about missing flying cars and jet packs when the 21st century arrived often cited the Jetsons too.