<Li> Uncle Tex Hardrock is Fred's maternal uncle and a member of the Texarock Rangers . He constantly holds Fred's future inheritance over his head . </Li> <Li> Sam Slagheap is the Grand Poobah of the Water Buffalo Lodge . </Li> <P> Fred Flintstone physically resembles both the voice actor who played him, Alan Reed, and Jackie Gleason, whose series, The Honeymooners, inspired The Flintstones . The voice of Barney Rubble was provided by voice actor Mel Blanc, though five episodes during the second season (the first, second, fifth, sixth, and ninth) employed Hanna - Barbera regular Daws Butler while Blanc was incapacitated by a near - fatal car accident . Blanc was able to return to the series much sooner than expected, by virtue of a temporary recording studio for the entire cast set up at Blanc's bedside . Blanc's portrayal of Barney had changed considerably after the accident . In the earliest episodes, Blanc had used a much higher pitch to the point of portraying Barney as a smart - aleck . After his recovery from the accident, Blanc used a deeper voice, quite similar to the voice of the Abominable Snowman he performed in other cartoons, and was shown as somewhat dopier than before . </P> <P> Reed based Fred's voice upon Gleason's Honeymooners interpretation of Ralph Kramden, while Blanc, after a season of using a nasal, high - pitched voice for Barney, eventually adopted a style of voice similar to that used by Art Carney in his portrayal of Ed Norton . The first time the Art Carney - like voice was used was for a few seconds in "The Prowler" (the third episode produced). </P>

Who is the original voice of fred flintstone