The original release of these shows were both before my time. The Jetsons, originally aired March 3rd, 1963 and The Flintstones, originally aired April 7th, 1961.
While both of these shows were released at the same times. Almost all of us would believe that The Jetsons were from the future and The Flintstones were from the Mesolithic period or the stone age. But what if they were in the same time period...? The Flintstones are actually in The Jetsons time period.

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Just like every society, there are social classes and they are separated. The Jetsons were in the upper social class. Society happened in the sky, far away and disconnected from everyone else. Everything ran by machines and robots where the blue collar worker would be, was no longer needed. While the Flintstones were the lower social class. At ground level, completely separated from the upper class.

But why?

A possibility is that with the rapid growth in the global population caused too much pollution for the earth to properly sustain everyone. So people started to build up. Higher and higher until the pollution levels were safe and livable. This would be expensive and not everyone could afford to live safely in the sky. So the social classes become separated.

With this rapid growth and expansion for a newly livable frontier, natural resources become scarce. Scientist, Physicist, and Engineers come together to find a way to reset the earth. Turn back the environmental clock to a time where natural resources were readily available. Back to a time where the earth was green and blue again. The stone age.
They turn back the environmental clock and let the lower class harvest the earth for the social elite. Providing resources for them to live the lifestyle they have become a custom to.

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Bit far fetched but anything is possible