Fun facts: She was almost a boy (Hanna Barbera was convinced a toy company to change Fred and Wilma's child to a girl), and her name was chosen via a national "Name the Flintstones Baby" contest.


http://www.tvsquad.com/best-shows-ever/tv-babies/

http://kukhahnyoga.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/flintstones_pebbles.jpg

I knew that! But only because I read about it in Joe Barbera's book "My Life In Toons" Here's how he explained it. "A few days later I took a phone call from Ed Justin our merchandising man in New York. 'I hear the Flintstones are having a baby.' 'That's right,' I said.' 'Boy or girl?' 'It's a boy! Fred Jr. - A chip off the old rock!' 'That's too bad,' he said. "I've got the vice president of Ideal Toy here, and the only dolls they're doing are girls.We could have had a hell of a deal if it had been a girl.' 'It is a girl,' I said. 'Her name is ...Pebbles. A pebble off the old rock.' Some ideas develop after days of meetings. Others are born in the flash of a dollar sign set off by a single phone call."

...but Ed Justin (aka "Hone$t Ed Justin") was actually head of Screen Gems' merchandising division [Screen Gems was the television subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, who controlled the rights and distribution of Hanna-Barbera's 1957-'66 cartoon series through the '80s, when Taft Broadcasting, which owned the H-B studio since 1966, acquired all rights to them]. His slogan was "Not needy, just greedy". He did a fantastic job of merchandising various Screen Gems/Columbia (and H-B) characters into toys: he even placed a Libbey "Jeannie" doll into a 1966 "I DREAM OF JEANNIE" episode {"My Master, the Author"}, and an Ideal/H-B "Ricochet Rabbit" doll into a "BEWITCHED" episode that same season (although Dick York referred to it on screen as "Peter Rabbit"). And there are model sheets of what would have been introduced as "Fred, Jr." during the 1962-'63 season.

:tv:

...when Ideal Toys sponsored 'THE MAGILLA GORILLA SHOW" and "THE PETER POTAMUS SHOW" in syndication from 1964 through '66, Ed Justin made sure there were "plush" dolls of virtually all the characters made available by Ideal.

:tv:

I didn't know Pebbles was almost a boy, lol.

Actually in an early little golden book published in 1961, the flintstones are pictured with their son inside and on the cover....I have the book and it is also fully pictured in the coffee-table 1990's "F" book by Turner Publishing, a wonderful reference material.

They decided to make Pebbles a girl because Hanna and Barbera found out girl dolls sell more than boy dolls.

They decided to make Pebbles a girl because Hanna and Barbera found out girl dolls sell more than boy dolls.

Yes, wise decision but don't forget soon after pebbles was born, bam-bam arrived and a doll was produced very successfully....btw writing of "boy dolls", the "All In The Family" Joey Stivic doll included all parts that males have. Manufactured by Ideal and advertising the "reality" of the doll in bold print.

...but Ed Justin (aka "Hone$t Ed Justin") was actually head of Screen Gems' merchandising division [Screen Gems was the television subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, who controlled the rights and distribution of Hanna-Barbera's 1957-'66 cartoon series through the '80s, when Taft Broadcasting, which owned the H-B studio since 1966, acquired all rights to them]. His slogan was "Not needy, just greedy". He did a fantastic job of merchandising various Screen Gems/Columbia (and H-B) characters into toys: he even placed a Libbey "Jeannie" doll into a 1966 "I DREAM OF JEANNIE" episode {"My Master, the Author"}, and an Ideal/H-B "Ricochet Rabbit" doll into a "BEWITCHED" episode that same season (although Dick York referred to it on screen as "Peter Rabbit"). And there are model sheets of what would have been introduced as "Fred, Jr." during the 1962-'63 season.

:tv:

Yes and many real toys including the Pebbles doll could be seen in the background on a shelf in a "Monkees" episode when Peter gets a job at a toy testing company.

Really? Pebbles was supposed to be a boy?

I wonder what the baby would have been named if it was a boy.

...but Ed Justin (aka "Hone$t Ed Justin") was actually head of Screen Gems' merchandising division [Screen Gems was the television subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, who controlled the rights and distribution of Hanna-Barbera's 1957-'66 cartoon series through the '80s, when Taft Broadcasting, which owned the H-B studio since 1966, acquired all rights to them]. His slogan was "Not needy, just greedy". He did a fantastic job of merchandising various Screen Gems/Columbia (and H-B) characters into toys: he even placed a Libbey "Jeannie" doll into a 1966 "I DREAM OF JEANNIE" episode {"My Master, the Author"}, and an Ideal/H-B "Ricochet Rabbit" doll into a "BEWITCHED" episode that same season (although Dick York referred to it on screen as "Peter Rabbit"). And there are model sheets of what would have been introduced as "Fred, Jr." during the 1962-'63 season.

:tv:
On Bewitched, I've seen several plush toys of the characters from MG and PP in Tabitha's room. I've seen Peter Potomus, Richochet Rabbit, Droop-a-Long, and Breezley. They can be seen in more than one episode, also.

I wonder what the baby would have been named if it was a boy.
According to Joe Barbera in his book "My Life In Toons" the baby would have been called Fred Jr. if it had been a boy.

On Bewitched, I've seen several plush toys of the characters from MG and PP in Tabitha's room. I've seen Peter Potomus, Richochet Rabbit, Droop-a-Long, and Breezley. They can be seen in more than one episode, also.
That's probably because Bewitched was a Screen Jems show. And Screen Jems controlled the rights to the Hanna-Barbera library (and therefore the characters) at that time.

That's probably because Bewitched was a Screen Jems show. And Screen Jems controlled the rights to the Hanna-Barbera library (and therefore the characters) at that time.
Fred Jr.?! How Boring. Sure glad they had a little girl. The name "Pebbles" was absolutely perfect!!!!

They were planning to refer to Fred Jr. a chip off the old rock. Instead they had a pebble off the old rock!

If Pebbles was a boy, then I'm assuming that Bamm-Bamm would have been a girl. I wonder if the girl version of Bamm-Bamm would have had super strength.

Actually in an early little golden book published in 1961, the flintstones are pictured with their son inside and on the cover....I have the book and it is also fully pictured in the coffee-table 1990's "F" book by Turner Publishing, a wonderful reference material.

I used to have that book as a child! It was very confusing :) - the book was written before the series aired I believe and the author probably had never seen an episode thus you had (I believe, remember this was 40 years ago!) a brunette Wilma and a king-sized full grown Dino, no Rubbles, and the "son" of Fred and Wilma who was featured thoroughout the story. I can't remember his name but he looked like a male Peppermint Patty! The crazy thing is the Little Golden Book was in print thoroughout the 1960's, even after the show's prime time run had ended so you had this children's book author confusing untold numbers of kids :crazy: I wonder if the "son" was a leap in plotline from the book's author or he had notice a "son" would be introduced into the show (even so "junior" is not a baby like Pebbles and Bamm Bamm, he's elementary school age.)

I used to have that book as a child! It was very confusing :) - the book was written before the series aired I believe and the author probably had never seen an episode thus you had (I believe, remember this was 40 years ago!) a brunette Wilma and a king-sized full grown Dino, no Rubbles, and the "son" of Fred and Wilma who was featured thoroughout the story. I can't remember his name but he looked like a male Peppermint Patty! The crazy thing is the Little Golden Book was in print thoroughout the 1960's, even after the show's prime time run had ended so you had this children's book author confusing untold numbers of kids :crazy: I wonder if the "son" was a leap in plotline from the book's author or he had notice a "son" would be introduced into the show (even so "junior" is not a baby like Pebbles and Bamm Bamm, he's elementary school age.)

My mother was a big flintstones fan luckily and even though we were very poor, I was very lucky to have her purchase many items from the early days, including the book, i was one of those children that took care of their toys and books, so it still remains a prized near mint part of my massive collection which also includes the 12 inch figures that were released in 1960 where Barney has green hair! I treasure them all!