The Roman Holidays, 1972
I remember this kicking about during summer holidays but not repeated as regular as others, probably during the 1980’s. It’s another one the BBC imported from good old USA.
The Roman Holidays was originally a Hanna-Barbera animated series airing on Saturday mornings. It was a failed attempt by Hanna-Barbera to replicate the success of their much loved 1960-1966 show The Flintstones, with another modern family living in heavily fictionalized Roman times. Sadly it failed to catch on lasting just 13 episodes.
The series was very similar in theme to both The Flintstones and The Jetsons in that it brought a look at “marble age” life in Ancient Rome, as seen through the eyes of Augustus “Gus” Holiday and his family. The opening titles showed a chariot traffic jam and a TV showing football on Channel “IV”.
Summary
Meet the ‘Holidays’, a Roman family living at the Venus DeMilo Arms Apartments in A.D. 63.
Gus Holiday lives with his wife Laurie, children Precocia and Happius, and pet lion Brutus. He works at the Forum Construction Company for his demanding boss Mr. Tycoonius who is constantly threatening to fire Gus if an assignment he is given goes awry.
Their neighbours are good friends Herman, Henrietta, and their daughter Groovia.
Their lives are embittered by their exasperated landlord Mr. Evictus who tries to find proof that Brutus lives with them. He also has a daughter Snobbia (all sounds a bit Frankie Howerd).
Fred Flintstone had “Yabba Yabba Do” Gus Holiday’s tagline was “Evictus will evict us”
Clips
Details
Channel: NBC (USA), BBC1 (UK)
Created and Produced By: William Hanna and Joseph Barbera
Original USA Transmission Dates: September 9th – December 2nd 1972