The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show | |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No.of seasons | 1 |
No.of episodes | 16 |
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Running time | 30 minutes |
Production company | Hanna-Barbera Productions |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | September 11, 1971 January 1, 1972 | –
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The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Showis an Americananimated television seriesproduced byHanna-Barbera Productionsthat originally aired for one season onCBSSaturday morningfrom September 11, 1971, to January 1, 1972. With an ensemble voice cast ofSally Struthers,Jay North,Mitzi McCall,Gay Hartwig,Carl Esser andLennie Weinrib,the show follows teenagePebbles FlintstoneandBamm-Bamm Rubbleas they encounter problems growing up in the fictional town ofBedrock.[1]The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Showis the firstspin-offseries ofThe Flintstones.For the 1972–73 season, the show was revamped asThe Flintstone Comedy Hour,with more time given to the originalFlintstonescast alongside both reruns and newly produced segments ofPebbles and Bamm-Bamm.[2]
Similar to Hanna-Barbera'sJosie and the Pussycats,it usedcontemporary rock musicto attract more viewers. The 16 episodes have since had reruns broadcast onBoomerangoften surrounded by interstitial cartoons and shorts. Critical responses were mixed. It has since been released on DVD as part ofWarner Home Video's "Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection" on a two disc set.
Overview
[edit]Set in theStone Age,the series followsPebblesandBamm-Bammas they face problems with growing up in the town ofBedrock.[3]No longer toddlers, the two are now teenagers and began dating each other. The show focuses on them attending Bedrock High School and also getting their first jobs.[4]Together, Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm form a musical band called the Bedrock Rockers, which was considered an attempt to be the "Stone Age" version ofthe Archiesby one critic.[5]UnlikeThe Flintstones,it centers on the children of the family, rather than parentsFredandWilma Flintstone,andBarneyandBetty Rubble.These characters continue to appear in the series, albeit in reduced roles.
Cast and characters
[edit]The series features the following seven main characters throughout its run:
- Sally StruthersasPebbles Flintstone,Fred and Wilma's daughter, Bamm-Bamm's best friend/girlfriend, Barney and Betty's honorary niece and a beautiful, social teenager.[4]Enthusiastic, well-meaning and kind-hearted, she often tries to help someone in trouble, but usually ends up getting herself and her friends into even bigger trouble. Like her father, her catchphrase was "Yabba-dabba-doozy!", which was appropriate as most of her schemes were indeed doozies. Much likeThe Flintstones,Pebbles's "trademark"ponytailwas held in place with a bone in the show.[4]When Struthers left the series in order to fulfill a role on the American sitcomAll in the Family,actress Mikki Stevens took her place for "The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show" segments onThe Flintstone Comedy Hour.[3]
- Jay NorthasBamm-Bamm Rubble,Barney and Betty's muscular, adopted son, Fred and Wilma's adopted nephew and Pebbles' best friend/boyfriend.[3][6]This marked North's second role as a voice actor for Hanna-Barbera (outside ofArabian Knights;he also voice acted in DePatie-Freleng'sHere Comes the Grump), having previously acted on series likeDennis the Menace,Wanted Dead or AliveandMy Three Sons.[7]
- Mitzi McCallasPenny,the small intelligent friend of Pebbles who often worried about her weight.[4]
- Gay Hartwigas:
- Carl Esser asFabian,the other spoiled antagonist of the series and a nemesis of Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm.[4]
- Lennie WeinribasMoonrock,one of Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm's friends who was intelligent and enjoyed inventing things, though they don't always work as intended.[4]Weinrib was a frequent voice actor for Hanna-Barbera, previously fulfilling roles onThe Jetsons,Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!,andHelp!... It's the Hair Bear Bunch!.[8][9]
Production and continuation
[edit]The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Showwas the first spin-off TV series derived fromThe Flintstones,following the theatrical filmThe Man Called Flintstonein 1966.[10][11]Joe RubyandKen Spears,creators ofScooby-Doo, Where are You!,served as story editors onPebbles and Bamm-Bamm,and several individuals wrote episodes for the series, including Joel Kane,Woody Kling,and Howard Morganstern. Executive produced byWilliam HannaandJoseph Barbera,Charles A. Nicholsserved as the director andIwao Takamotowas the creative producer and key character designer. The main title theme and musical directors forThe Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Showwere made byHoyt CurtinandTed Nichols.Elliot Lawrencewrote songs for the series, with music arrangements byLanny Meyers.The songs were recorded by Regent Sound Studios.[12]
Author Christopher P. Lehman wrote that the success ofThe Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Showinspired Hanna-Barbera to createThe Flintstone Comedy Hourin 1972. It combined previously broadcast episodes alongside new cartoons and shorts.[13]Serving as a continuation, the new series featured newly-produced eleven-minutevignetteversions ofThe Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm Show,as well as reruns from the 1971-72 season, during each of its eighteen episodes.The Flintstone Comedy Houralso included musical interludes performed by The Bedrock Rockers, similar to the original series.[14][5]Fred Flintstone and Friends(1977), a later anthology series compiled for syndication, included reruns of segments from bothThe Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm ShowandThe Flintstone Comedy Hour.[3]
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Showwas one of the first shows to use Hanna-Barbera'slimited laugh track,as they stopped using a full laugh track provided byCharley Douglassby the fall of 1971.[15]
Episodes
[edit]No. | Title | Original air date [16] | |
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1 | "Gridiron Girl Trouble" | September 11, 1971 | |
Bamm-Bamm's pet triceratops Snoots is disguised in order to hide from a dogcatcher. However, the disguise causes both Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm trouble at their high school. | |||
2 | "Putty in Her Hands" | September 18, 1971 | |
After being offered free art lessons at a local school from a con artist, Pebbles vows to prove her artistic abilities with the assistance of Bamm-Bamm to spite her rival Cindy. | |||
3 | "Frog for a Day" | September 25, 1971 | |
In an attempt to learn about witchcraft, Pebbles accidentally turns Barney into a frog, requiring the help of an actual witch to turn him back into a human. | |||
4 | "The Golden Voice" | October 2, 1971 | |
Pebbles hears Bamm-Bamm singing in the shower and recognizes his talent. However, Bamm-Bamm finds difficulty singing live when he is brought into Pebbles's band as the lead singer. | |||
5 | "Daddy's Little Helper" | October 9, 1971 | |
Mr. Slate, Fred's boss, hires Pebbles as a new employee. However, Pebbles misinterprets a conversation with an important individual, which risks Fred's future in the company altogether. | |||
6 | "Focus Foolery" | October 16, 1971 | |
In order to remain unnoticed during a bank robbery, Bamm-Bamm dresses up as an infant. Meanwhile, Pebbles enters Bamm-Bamm into a toddler pageant contest with the hopes of beating Cindy. | |||
7 | "Pebbles's Big Boast" | October 23, 1971 | |
Pebbles lies to Cindy, claiming that she is friends with the members of a popular rock band called theRolling BoulderswithMick Jadestone.In order to prove her popularity, Pebbles wants to track down the band and get them to perform for her friends. | |||
8 | "The Grand Prix Pebbles" | October 30, 1971 | |
Because of several misfortunes on Fred and Barney's behalf, Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm must fill in for their fathers during the Bedrock Grand Prix racing competition. | |||
9 | "The Terrible Snorkosaurus" | November 6, 1971 | |
Pebbles tracks down a snorkosaurus in order to receive $1,000 from a local aquarium. However, the aquarium dislikes the animal so Pebbles is forced to hide the snorkosaurus in her parents' swimming pool. | |||
10 | "Schleprock's New Image" | November 13, 1971 | |
In an effort to help Schleprock and his continual experiences with bad luck, Pebbles, Bamm-Bamm and their friends accidentally become trapped in an underground mine shaft. | |||
11 | "Coach Pebbles" | November 20, 1971 | |
Despite being unfamiliar with the rules of baseball, Pebbles becomes the new coach of a local baseball team, replacing a laryngitic Fred. Upset, Bamm-Bamm and Moonrock persuade Fred to remain as the coach. | |||
12 | "No Cash and Carry" | November 27, 1971 | |
Pebbles begins working at Gimbelstone's department store and is tricked by a phony security guard into robbing the store. After realizing the situation, Pebbles and her friends must undo the damage she has caused. | |||
13 | "Wooly the Great" | December 4, 1971 | |
Pebbles's pet mammoth, Wooly, learns how to fly after testing out a magical shampoo. Wooly abuses his powers and causes everyone to get mad at him, so he runs away and joins a local traveling circus. | |||
14 | "Mayor May Not" | December 11, 1971 | |
Pebbles serves Bedrock as an honorary mayor for a week, so she decides to improve the town to the best of her capabilities. Because of this, all of the city's workers decide to leave their jobs, which causes ruckus and mayhem. | |||
15 | "They Went That-A-Way" | December 18, 1971 | |
As a favor, Pebbles promises to look after her uncle's ranch while he is away on vacation. However, she mistakenly hires cattle rustlers who rob her uncle of his prized animals. | |||
16 | "The Birthday Present" | January 1, 1972 | |
Wooly steals Pebbles's birthday present that she bought for Wilma and buries it in the backyard, leaving Pebbles in a panic. Pebbles wrongfully blames her neighbor Mrs. Gruesome for the crime, which also disrupts a family reunion that the Gruesomes are throwing. |
Reception
[edit]Broadcast history
[edit]The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Showwas broadcast onCBSas part of their Saturday morning children's lineup between September 11, 1971, and January 1, 1972.[16]Reruns of the series would later air again during 1975 and 1976.[17]
The reruns ofThe Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Showwere incorporated into the 1972 hour-long showThe Flintstone Comedy Houras the second half-hour of the show. When theComedy Hourfirst started airing, a few new Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm half-hour cartoons were produced for this position. After a few weeks, the new episodes stopped and the reruns of the original series began. Those new episodes were included inThe Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm ShowDVD as bonus episodes. The noticeable difference is Mickey Stevens as Pebbles's voice in the new episodes, concurrent with Stevens's voice appearing as Pebbles anytime Pebbles is seen in the shorter cartoons that comprised the first half ofThe Flintstone Comedy Hour.
Boomeranghas broadcastThe Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Showon several occasions since its initial launch in 2000.[18][19]Reruns on the network would occasionally air alongside interstitial cartoons, such asBarney Bear'sThe Unwelcome GuestorTex Avery'sHound Huntersfor example.[18][20]As part of theWarner Bros. Family EntertainmentandWarner Bros. Television Distribution's "Hanna-Barbera Classic Collection", the complete series was made available on DVD as a two-disc set.[21]
Critical reception
[edit]Author Derek Tait wrote in his book1970s Childhood: From Bell-Bottoms to Disco Dancingthat the cartoon was one of the popular Hanna-Barbera productions of the 1970s.[22]In a retrospective view of older cartoons, the staff atMeTVincluded the show on their list of "15 Forgotten Cartoons from the Early 1970s You Used to Love".[23]Regarding the musical aspects, Tom and Sara Pendergast felt that bothThe Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm ShowandJosie and the Pussycatsincorporatedcontemporary rock musicto attract a larger audience.[24]OnThe Christian Science Monitor's list of "the five dumbest moments" ofThe Flintstones,writer Chris Gaylord listed the series at number two. He called it "the most curious" of the various spin-offs and wrote, "Mercifully, these misadventures at Bedrock High School only lasted one season".[25]
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^Sennett, Ted (1989).The Art of Hanna-Barbera: Fifty Years of Creativity.Studio. p. 94.ISBN978-0670829781.Retrieved2 June2020.
- ^Erickson, Hal (2005).Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003(2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 333–344.ISBN978-1476665993.
- ^abcdKlossner 2006,p. 114
- ^abcdefgMansour 2011,p. 357
- ^abLehman 2006,p. 173
- ^He often tries to talk Pebbles out of her crazy ideas, but ends going along with them.Terrace 2008,p. 820
- ^Hunter 2013,p. 244
- ^Lentz III 2007,p. 397
- ^Lisanti 2012,p. 303
- ^Mansour 2011,p. 160
- ^Chagollan & Milvy 2017,p. 109
- ^Terrace 1985,p. 321
- ^Perlmutter 2014,p. 152
- ^Lehman 2006,p. 172
- ^Iverson, Paul R. (1994), The Advent of the Laugh Track (2nd ed.),Hempstead, New York:Hofstra University Archives
- ^ab"The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show: TV Show".TV Guide.RetrievedFebruary 19,2017.
- ^Newcomb 2014,p. 1060
- ^ab"Boomerang Schedule: Thursday, August 9, 2004".Cartoon Network.August 9, 2004. Archived fromthe originalon August 10, 2004.RetrievedFebruary 25,2017.
- ^"Boomerang Schedule: Tuesday, November 7, 2006".Cartoon Network.November 7, 2006. Archived fromthe originalon November 7, 2006.RetrievedFebruary 25,2017.
- ^"Boomerang Schedule: Friday, February 15, 2008".Cartoon Network.February 15, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon February 15, 2008.RetrievedFebruary 25,2017.
- ^The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show – The Complete Series,18 March 2008,ASINB000ZBEOHY
- ^Tait 2011,p. 146
- ^MeTV staff (June 17, 2016)."15 Forgotten Cartoons from the Early 1970s You Used to Love".MeTV.RetrievedFebruary 14,2017.
- ^Pendergast & Pendergast 2000,p. 355
- ^Gaylord, Chris (September 30, 2010)."The Flintstones turns 50: The five dumbest moments".The Christian Science Monitor.RetrievedFebruary 25,2017.
Bibliography
[edit]- Chagollan, Samantha; Milvy, Erika (April 10, 2017).101 TV Shows to See Before You Grow Up: Be Your Own TV Critic–the Must-see TV List for Kids.Walter Foster Jr.ISBN978-1633222779.
- Hunter, James Michael (2013).Mormons and Popular Culture: The Global Influence of an American Phenomenon. Literature, art, media, tourism, and sports. Volume 2.ABC-CLIO.ISBN978-0313391675.
- Klossner, Michael (January 12, 2006).Prehistoric Humans in Film and Television: 581 Dramas, Comedies and Documentaries, 1905-2004(revised ed.). McFarland & Company.ISBN1476609144.
- Lehman, Christopher P. (October 26, 2006).American Animated Cartoons of the Vietnam Era: A Study of Social Commentary in Films and Television Programs, 1961-1973(illustrated ed.). McFarland & Company.ISBN0786451424.
- Lentz III, Harris M. (April 26, 2007).Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2006: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture(illustrated ed.). McFarland & Company.ISBN978-0786429332.
- Lisanti, Thomas (August 24, 2012).Hollywood Surf and Beach Movies: The First Wave, 1959-1969.McFarland & Company.ISBN978-1476601427.
- Mansour, David (June 1, 2011).From Abba to Zoom: A Pop Culture Encyclopedia of the Late 20th Century.Andrew McMeel Publishing.ISBN978-0740793073.
- Newcomb, Horace (February 3, 2014).Encyclopedia of Television(reprinted, revised ed.). Routledge.ISBN978-1135194727.
- Pendergast, Tom; Pendergast, Sara (2000).St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture(illustrated ed.). St. James Press.ISBN1558624023.
- Perlmutter, David (March 18, 2014).America Toons In: A History of Television Animation(illustrated, reprinted ed.). McFarland & Company.ISBN978-0786476503.
- Tait, Derek (November 1, 2011).1970s Childhood: From Bell-Bottoms to Disco Dancing.The History Press.ISBN978-0752466422.
- Terrace, Vincent (November 6, 2008).Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010.McFarland & Company.ISBN978-0786486410.
- Terrace, Vincent (1985).Encyclopedia of Television Series, Pilots and Specials, Volume 2.VNR AG.ISBN0918432618.
External links
[edit]
- The Flintstones spin-offs
- 1970s American animated television series
- 1970s American high school television series
- 1971 American television series debuts
- 1971 animated television series debuts
- 1972 American television series endings
- American children's animated comedy television series
- American animated television spin-offs
- Animated musical groups
- Animated television series about siblings
- Animated television series set in the Stone Age
- Crossover animated television series
- American English-language television shows
- Fictional couples
- Television series by Hanna-Barbera
- Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
- Teen animated television series
- American animated sitcoms
- CBS sitcoms
- CBS animated television series