Fred Flintstone is the lovable Neanderthal best known for bellowing, “Yabba dabba doo!” He first rose to stardom in the 1960s, when he enjoyed the leading role in Hanna-Barbera’s animated series, The Flintstones. His co-stars included his wife Wilma, his daughter Pebbles, his best friend Barney Rubble, Barney’s wife Betty, and their son Bamm Bamm. The family also included a pet dinosaur named Dino and a pet saber tooth tiger named Baby Puss.
Aside from these two pets, Fred Flintstone has a house full of animal life that serves as a spoof on modern day appliances. There is a baby elephant that doubles as a vacuum cleaner, a buzzard that serves as a garbage disposal, a long beaked bird that operates the record player, and a turtle for a lawnmower.
Flintstone is an average working class man who, along with his best friend Barney, continually gets involved in various get-rich-quick schemes. When not involved in some misadventure, he is a hardworking dinosaur operator at Slate Rock quarry in Bedrock, USA. He has also held positions as a bus driver and a sheriff.
Fred enjoys the same hobbies as many modern American men. He is a member of the Loyal Order of Water Buffalos and enjoys golfing, team sports, and bowling. His bowling team has nicknamed him Twinkle Toes because of his graceful skill. Like many modern men, he dislikes doing household chores such as lawn mowing, especially after a long day of work.
By now, it might be obvious that the character of Fred Flintstone is reminiscent of Ralph Kramden, played by Jackie Gleason in The Honeymooners. In fact, The Flintstones is an animated parody of the popular sitcom The Honeymooners, which first aired in 1955.
The original animated Fred Flintstone was played by three notable voice artists: Daws Butler, Alan Reed, and Henry Corden, with Alan Reed appearing in the majority of the original episodes. Although never achieving the popularity of the original series, attempts at subsequent versions of The Flintstones included Fred Flintstone and Friends, The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm show, and the 1994 motion picture The Flintstones, starring John Goodman as Fred Flintstone.