| This article is written from the Real World perspective |  |
| Fred and Barney Meet the Thing | |
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| Beginning date | September 8, 1979 |
| End date | December 1, 1979 |
| Number of Episodes | 13 |
| Producers | William Hanna Joseph Barbera Alex Lovy |
| Original Channel | NBC |
| Previous Series | Spider-Woman |
| Next Series | Spider-Man |
Fred and Barney Meet the Thing was series running between September 8th and December 1st of 1979. The series featured a teenage boy named Benji Grimm who could transform into the Thing. Besides the name and physical appearance, it bears no resemblance to the Marvel Comics character. Despite the title, the two The Flintstones characters did not actually crossover into the Thing segments other than the opening titles and segment bumpers.
Story
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Thing was Benji Grimm, an ordinary teenager who could turn into the Thing or back into human form whenever he wanted via a set of magic rings. He would say "Thing ring, do your thing" when he put them to together to transform. The title refers to the supporting segment on the show The New Fred and Barney Show, which featured the characters from The Flintstones. The title is misleading because the only time Fred and Barney ever "met" Thing was during the opening credits and bumpers between the segments.
Cast
Actor Role(s) Wayne Morton Benjy Grimm Joe Baker Thing Noelle North Kelly Marilyn Schreffler Betty
Miss TwillyJohn Erwin Ronald Radford Art Metrano Spike Michael Sheehan Turkey John Stephenson Doctor Harkness
Episodes
There were thirteen episodes, each with two segments.
The next year, it became Fred and Barney Meet the Shmoo and featured an additional segment about Shmoo, a shapeshifting white blob-like creature who first appeared in Al Capp's "Lil' Abner" comic strip.