The Jetsons premiered Sept. 23, 1962, as ABC’s first program to air in color. Its 24-episode first season was followed by additional episodes in the mid-1980s, bringing the series to three seasons. Jim Carrey is set to star in a live-action adaptation.
Less than 3% of American households had color TVs in 1962, according to Smithsonian Magazine, so many viewers likely watched the premiere in black and white. The Flintstones had been produced in color earlier, but ABC aired its first two seasons in black and white.
Set in 2062, the sitcom followed George Jetson and his family in Orbit City, amid flying cars, moving walkways and robot maids. The series did not necessarily predict the future, but it featured technologies that now exist, including screen-based video calls, smart watches, robot vacuums, flat-screen TVs and voice assistants.
