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Fleshly Flintstones. Another lift from H. G. Wells's time-machine gimmick is It's About Time (CBS). In this one, two moronic astronauts have exceeded the speed of light, which, according to CBS science, thrusts them all the way back to the Stone Age. There they run into a tribe of fleshly Flintstones and lots of painful slapclub humor. It is enough to make a laugh track cry to see Imogene Coca squandered in this series as a cavewife.
Returning from beyond the paleolithic aeons this season was Uncle Milton Berle, who had his moments in the comeback show, especially when Guest Star Lucille Ball was on. But the rest of the variety acts—Berle in drag, and his old pie-in-the-face gags—bombed out. Opposite NBC's The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and CBS's Friday night movie, Berle is ABC's sacrificial ham for 1966. Miltie is just one reason why ABC has at least five replacement series all ready to pop into the schedule in January. So, reportedly, does CBS, and NBC has three. They'll need them.