The product became a staple on the television show "The Pretender."

In the television series "The Pretender," the main character, Jarod, a genius who can master any profession, is often seen with a PEZ dispenser. Having escaped from a secretive research facility where he was raised in isolation, Jarod experiences many aspects of everyday life for the first time. He discovers PEZ in the pilot episode and it becomes a recurring personal item he enjoys throughout the series, symbolizing his newfound freedom and childlike wonder in the outside world.

The candy's own history is as unique as the character who famously consumed it. PEZ was originally invented in Austria in 1927 by Eduard Haas III. It was first marketed to adults as a peppermint-flavored breath mint and an alternative to smoking. The name "PEZ" is derived from the German word for peppermint, "Pfefferminz," taking the P from the first letter, the E from the middle, and the Z from the end.

The iconic dispensers were introduced in 1949 and were initially designed to look like cigarette lighters to appeal to the adult market. It wasn't until PEZ was introduced to the United States in the 1950s that the company began to market the product to children. This new strategy included introducing fruit-flavored candies and the now-famous character-headed dispensers, which have since become popular collectibles.