DVD Review: The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show: The Complete Series

Writers: Neal F. Barbera, Walter Black, Larz Bourne, Tom Dagenais, Bob Ogle, Larry Rhine, Dick Robbins
Directors: Joseph Barbera, William Hanna,Charles A. Nichols
Cast: Sally Struthers, Mel Blanc, Carl Esser, Gay Hartweg, Mitzi McCall, Don Messick, Jay North, Alan Reed, Jean Vander Pyl, Lennie Weinrib
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Turner Home Entertainment (through Warner Bros)
Release Date: March 18, 2008

The primetime success of The Flintstones has led to a series of spin off and prequel shows by Hanna Barbera. My favorite was The Flintstone Kids, but its hard to go wrong with any of the shows that feature characters from the original series. The very first spinoff originally aired in 1971 and that sequel was The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show. Geared towards the teen audience of the early 70s, the show featured some funny humor, especially for the time period.

Sure, The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show wasn’t The Flintstones. It’s hard to be that good. It’s hard for any spin off or sequel to rival the original production. Still, younger fans of the show, especially in the 70s and early 80s were able to enjoy The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show and really get the humor. I was born in 80, myself, so I found the show to be absolutely hilarious. Not everyone seems to share in my enthusiasm.

Release Information:
The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show originally aired as a 30-minute, Saturday morning cartoon. The first season of 16 episodes, ran from September 11, 1971 to September 2, 1972. A shorter, second season of just 10-minute episodes (four in total) ran from September 9, 1972 to September 1, 1973 as a part of The Flintstone Comedy Hour. I saw the reruns of the show, which aired in the 1980s and the show has also made its way onto Boomerang, in recent years.

Warner Bros and Turner Home Entertainment are releasing a two-disc, 16 episode, complete series (all of the 30-minute episodes) as The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show: The Complete Series. The DVD is available for purchase as of today, March 18, 2008. You can purchase it at local retailers, through the WB website, and at online retailers such as Amazon, where its available for $22.99.

The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show Plot
Okay, I’ll admit it. The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show is pretty corny. The humor is cheesy, but that’s what makes it so fun. The show might not have lasted as long as its predecessor, but it is still entertaining nonetheless. There are 16 episodes included in this set. The episodes are:

1. “Gridiron Girl Trouble”
2. “Putty in Her Hands”
3. “Frog For a Day”
4. “The Golden Voice”
5. “Daddy’s Little Helper”
6. “Focus Foolery”
7. “Pebbles’ Big Boast”
8. “The Grand Prix Pebbles”
9. “The Terrible Snorkasaurus”
10. “Schleprock’s New Image”
11. “Coach Pebbles”
12. “No Cash and Carry”
13. “Wooly the Great”
14. “Mayor May Not”
15. “They Went That A-Way”
16. “The Birthday Present”

These episodes start out crazy and end on a crazy note. With Pebbles mistaken for a football player, to protect Bamm Bamm’s pet dog, she must play in the next big game as Bedrock’s secret weapon in “Gridiron Girl Trouble”. That was pretty good, but my favorite episode has to be “The Golden Voice”. In it, Pebbles and her band want to get a recording contract, but they stink. Overhearing Bamm Bamm singing perfectly in the shower, they decide to make him the lead singer of the band. Unfortunately, Bamm Bamm can’t sing at all, unless he’s in the shower, so Pebbles concocts a plan to make sure Bamm Bamm sings and remains wet during the entire process. I also liked “They Went That A-Way” where Pebbles, Bamm Bamm and their friends go to Texrock to work on Uncle Hatrock’s ranch.

The formula for most of the episodes is the same. Pebbles and/or Bamm Bamm and their friends Moonrock, Penny and Wiggy get into trouble. Pebbles concocts an idea to fix their problems, but usually things go awry. Cindy, Pebbles rival, and her boyfriend Fabian are always there so Cindy can make fun of Pebbles, but Cindy usually looks dumb when things work out in the end. There are obstacles standing in their way thanks to the presence of Bad Luck Schleprock, an unlucky soul, and the Bronto Bunch motorcycle gang composed of members, Bronto, Noodles, Stub and Zonk.

The voice acting was pretty good for this one. Pebbles was portrayed by Sally Struthers, which was an interesting choice, though it did make Pebbles seem kind of ditzy, which fit her role. The interesting thing is that Jay North (yes…THE Dennis the Menance himself) voices Bamm Bamm and he sounds exactly like you’d expect Bamm Bamm to sound. His voice is deep enough to portray the hulking Rubble teen and he has perfect timing when it comes to getting the laughs. It’s always nice to see the original Barney, Wilma, and Fred voiced and this cartoon features Mel Blanc, Alan Reed and Jean Vander Pyl.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
While the visual quality for The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show: The Complete Series DVD is the standard 1.33:1 aspect ratio, full frames transfer, it does have an incredibly clear picture. It’s hard to imagine that these episodes are over 35 years old, because the colors are vibrant, there is very little, visible dirt, and the visual quality has been updated to give the cartoon a newer feel. It’s not as perfect as the animation made today, but for what it is, it’s excellent.

It’s hard to find an old cartoon such as The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show that has a soundtrack other than Dolby Digital mono. This English track gets the job done and the sound comes through clearly and consistently. A 5.1 track might be too much for what The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show: The Complete Series DVD has to offer so the mono seems to work out just fine.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
Many of the cartoon collections we receive, from Warner Bros or otherwise, lack bonus features. The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show: The Complete Series isn’t one of these DVDs. This DVD features all of the second season 10-minute episodes to make this truly a complete series collection. As I stated previously, these episodes aired as a part of The Flintstones Comedy Hour. This was the only bonus feature, but it is a nice edition, especially when I wasn’t expecting much of anything in the way of extras.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show: The Complete Series is a fun, family DVD. Fans of the original Flintstone show can enjoy the adventures of the teenage Pebbles and Bamm Bamm as they play boyfriend and girlfriend and hang out with the friends (and get in trouble) with their friends from Bedrock High. This DVD is a must have for retro cartoon collectors, fans of the series, and anyone who likes corny cartoons.

Overall Rating:

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Written by Dominick Evans - Visit Website
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Dominick is in his late 20s. He lives in Michigan with his life partner, Ashtyn, their 14 year old son Robert, and their Shih-Tzu, Oliver. Dominick is a writer and the head editor for both LI Kids and Literary Illusions. He enjoys composing music and is an aspiring director/screenwriter. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, playing video games, watching movies, and singing.