Who Knew? Pebbles Flintstone Was Originally Intended to Be A Boy!?! - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 01-13-2011, 11:28 PM

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/

Marvo301 · 01-13-2011, 11:45 PM

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."

TV Knowledge Fan · 01-14-2011, 12:44 AM

...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 Knowledge Fan · 01-14-2011, 12:57 AM

...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.

comedyfreak · 01-14-2011, 06:44 AM

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

TeeVeeCloset · 01-14-2011, 10:05 AM

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.

MickeyMac · 01-14-2011, 05:36 PM

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

TeeVeeCloset · 01-14-2011, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

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.

TeeVeeCloset · 01-14-2011, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TV Knowledge Fan

...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.

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.

MrCleveland · 01-15-2011, 03:22 PM

Really? Pebbles was supposed to be a boy?

McGillicuddy · 01-15-2011, 07:03 PM

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

McGillicuddy · 01-15-2011, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TV Knowledge Fan

...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.

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.

Marvo301 · 01-15-2011, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markway895

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.

Marvo301 · 01-15-2011, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markway895

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.

McGillicuddy · 01-15-2011, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

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!!!!

01-13-2011, 11:28 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Who Knew? Pebbles Flintstone Was Originally Intended to Be A Boy!?! 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/
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01-13-2011, 11:45 PM	#2
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,460	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."
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01-14-2011, 12:44 AM	#3
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	The story is correct... ...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.

01-14-2011, 12:57 AM	#4
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	And... ...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.

01-14-2011, 06:44 AM	#5
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	I didn't know Pebbles was almost a boy, lol.
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01-14-2011, 10:05 AM	#6
TeeVeeCloset Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 25, 2003 Posts: 1,873	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.
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01-14-2011, 05:36 PM	#7
MickeyMac Member Forum Star Join Date: Jun 18, 2008 Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan Posts: 19,008	They decided to make Pebbles a girl because Hanna and Barbera found out girl dolls sell more than boy dolls.

01-15-2011, 03:22 PM	#10
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,236	Really? Pebbles was supposed to be a boy?
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01-15-2011, 07:03 PM	#11
McGillicuddy Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 28, 2002 Posts: 5,179	I wonder what the baby would have been named if it was a boy.