Meet The Jetsons (again)

In September 1962, the world edged closer to the Cuban Missile Crisis as the USSR began shipping weapons to Cuba, prompting a September 4 warning from President Kennedy. Key events included JFK’s "We choose to go to the Moon" speech, The Beatles recording their first single, and the start of the Mississippi University desegregation crisis. 

Key Events of September 1962:

Cold War/Cuban Crisis: Soviet arms buildup in Cuba intensified, leading to U.S. surveillance and warning. Border tensions escalated between China and India in the Aksai Chin region.

Space & Science: On September 12, President Kennedy delivered his famous speech at Rice University, reaffirming the goal to land a man on the Moon.

Civil Rights: On September 30, James Meredith was escorted to the University of Mississippi to begin desegregation, leading to riots.

Culture & Society: The Beatles recorded their debut single, "Love Me Do," on September 5. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was published on September 27.

Politics: A coup in North Yemen on September 26 initiated a long civil war. The United Nations announced the Earth's population had reached 3 billion.

Labor: Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta established the National Farm Workers Association on September 30.

Celebrations: Anthony and Bernice Capone prepared for a 2nd Birthday Party for their son Tommy (born 10/02/1960).

And....... the original run of The Jetsons aired on ABC from September 1962 to March 1963 and consisted of only 24 episodes. 

So there was 1 year, 11 months and 21 days from my Birthday to the 'birth' of The Jetsons. Got it. Thanks, Google! 

Rosey the Robot | September 23, 1962 | Tired of housework, Jane hires a robot maid named Rosey, unaware that George is bringing his boss Mr. Spacely home to plead poverty and ask for a raise.

So Episode 1 of The Jetsons was 23,163 days ago (from today, 2/22/2026). Over 63 years. Again, thanks Google. 

The Jetsons was cancelled after its first season in 1963 primarily due to low ratings resulting from poor scheduling against popular competition, namely Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color. Furthermore, the show was produced in color, but few viewers owned color televisions in 1962, making the visuals less engaging in black and white. 

AND SO......... key reasons for The Jetsons cancellation:

• Brutal Time Slot: The show aired Sunday nights against Walt Disney and Dennis the Menace, which severely limited its audience share.
• Lack of Color TVs: Although it was ABC's first color series, less than 3% of U.S. homes had color sets, making the show's, "vibrant, futuristic design look flat and unengaging to most viewers," according to a Smithsonian Magazine article".

Tom, where are you going with this? Land the plane.....

Born in 1960, I have seen much. Space Race. Color TV. The Beatles. Thanks to (amazing) Saturday Morning Cartoons, I was introduced to The Jetsons ( in color ). And it was April 3, 1968 that 2001: A Space Odyssey was released. 

2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, who co-wrote the screenplay with Arthur C. Clarke. Its plot was inspired by several short stories optioned from Clarke, primarily "The Sentinel" (1951) and "Encounter in the Dawn" (1953). In the movie, HAL 9000 famously tells Dave Bowman, "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that," when asked to open the pod bay doors. HAL refuses this command to protect the mission after discovering that Dave and Frank plan to disconnect him. 

In 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL stands for Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer. Introduced in the 1968 film and novel, the sentient AI controls the Discovery One spacecraft. While often associated with the letters preceding IBM, author Arthur C. Clarke confirmed this was unintentional, and HAL refers strictly to its programmed, heuristic, and algorithmic functions. 

• Meaning: Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer.
• Origin: The name was chosen to describe the computer's operational processes (heuristic learning and algorithmic logic).
• Context: In the story, HAL was developed to control spacecraft systems and manage the crew on the mission to Jupiter.
• Myth: Despite popular belief that HAL is a one-letter shift from IBM, creators Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick stated this was an unintended coincidence, and they were actually embarrassed by the comparison. 

Tom???

THE 60s. JFK's "We choose to go to the Moon" speech. The Space Race. The concept of technology, specifically 'AI' and robots and The Wonderful World of Disney. IN COLOR. In our living room.  

"Slowly, and then all at once" (or "Gradually, then suddenly") describes an exponential process where change happens almost imperceptibly at first, followed by a rapid, dramatic culmination. Popularized by Ernest Hemingway in The Sun Also Rises (1926) regarding bankruptcy, it is widely used to describe love, addiction, systemic collapse, or personal growth. And AI. And then....(coming soon)... sentient AI. 

Let's hope for more Rosey and more R2-D2 and less HAL 9000 and a big NO to The Terminator. It's really up to us, right? Ah yes, the 60s gave us AI. But we (humans) always decide how things work out. 

More Woodstock and less Vietnam, please. 

It's up to us. It's always up to all of us. 2026: the human race, with our friends, the robots.