Though The Jetsons has become one of the most beloved animated TV series in history, the show lasted just one season. It aired on Sunday nights on ABC and was the first color series to be broadcast on the youngest network (at the time anyway). Few ABC stations were broadcasting in color back then so most people who did watch the show saw it in black and white.
The 24 episodes became very popular on Saturday mornings and ran on all three networks at various times over a span of 20 years. In the early 1980s, Hanna-Barbera began producing new episodes specifically for syndication.
By September 1985, the original 24 episodes were combined with 41 new episodes. George O’Hanlan, Penny Singleton, Daws Butler, Janet Waldo, Don Messick, Jean Vander Pyl and Mel Blanc all returned to reprise their original roles — though they actually had to audition for their old parts. A cute alien character — Orbitty (Frank Welker) — was added and the new stories were written more for a young audience.
