The futuristic world of The Jetsons, made in the early 1960s, was filled with impressive gadgets, robots, and of course, amazing furniture. Although the architecture of the Jetsons is a reflection of the future, it’s even more so a reflection of the late 1950s and early 1960s space age design. The space age took several mid-century modern elements seen in furniture by Eames, Saarinen, Jacobsen, and Nelson and applied more a futuristic and spaceflight-inspired aesthetic.
Similar pieces of furniture seen in The Jetsons include
Charles and Ray Eames' 1952 Swivel Chair
and Arne Jacobsen’s 1958 Egg Chair. The furniture seen in the series takes classic mid-century modern designs and ideals and adds another layer of abnormality and futuristic, spaceflight-inspired design.
An amazing example of real life architecture-inspired scenes in The Jetsons, is the 21st episode, titled “TV or Not TV,” which originally aired on February 17, 1963.
George and Astro are involved in a misunderstanding where they think they’ve witnessed a robbery. Thinking that mobsters want to snuff him out, George goes into hiding with Astro at Mr. Spacely’s vacation home in the woods. Mr. Spacely’s vacation home, “old fishing cabin” is one of the most amazing examples of Jetsonian architecture seen throughout the series because it bears a striking resemblance to Vandamm’s hide-out in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1959 film North By Northwest.
