In the annals of comedy, there should be a special place reserved for Harvey Korman. For 10 seasons, he was an integral part of “The Carol Burnett Show,” acting not only as the driving comedic force in countless scenes but also as the straight man against Tim Conway’s crazy characters, which was no easy role to play. He also turned in masterful performances in multiple Mel Brooks movies, including “History of the World: Part I” and “Blazing Saddles.” But before all of that, he provided a voice on “The Flintstones” that audiences are still divided over today.
In the 6th and final season of “The Flintstones,” one of the best-ever animated shows for adults, Korman was brought in to voice the Great Gazoo, an alien sent to Earth from his home planet as punishment. For 12 episodes, the Great Gazoo would make fun of Fred and Barney and show off his powers, like levitation, time travel, and appearing out of nowhere.
Despite the popularity of the Great Gazoo, Korman said he felt completely out of his league. “I didn’t know what to do,” Korman told the Television Academy Foundation. “I’m really not a very good voiceover actor. That’s a special, special talent that these people have.” Korman explained that the key for him was being prepared, saying, “I would like to get the script beforehand … I make notes for myself … I have different colors for different symbols that only I understand.”
Not everyone was thrilled with the addition of the Great Gazoo
Despite “The Flintstones” going down as one of the best ABC shows of all time, it’s fair to say that not everyone was in favor of the Great Gazoo. Many fans saw him as a sure sign the show had jumped the shark. Detractors saw him as annoying and more of a sign that the writers were struggling to keep the show fresh than anything else.
However, over the years the Great Gazoo has earned a unique place in animation history. In his interview with the Television Academy Foundation, Harvey Korman remarked that years after the show went off the air, he was surprised to find out how well-liked the character was. “I traveled for [animation studio] Hanna-Barbera,” he said. “They had these huge conventions and seminars where collectors collect [animation] cells, and the cells with the Great Gazoo on it are worth lots of money. … It was a very popular character, the Great Gazoo.”
Despite not being universally loved, the character did make multiple Flintstone appearances after the show went off the air, popping up in commercials, video games, and comic books. He even made a brief appearance in the 2000 live-action movie “The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas.” There was a reboot of “The Flintstones” planned by Fox in 2021, but we’ll never know if the Great Gazoo was part of those plans, as the project was scrapped in 2024.