#Target barney toys series#

He pitched it to CPTV president Jerry Franklin, whose preschool son also fell in love with it. Rifkin thought Barney had appeal because he was not as neurotic as Big Bird.

Rifkin thought the concept could be developed for PBS. One day in 1991, the daughter of Connecticut Public Television executive Larry Rifkin rented one of the videos and was 'mesmerized' by it. The first three videos starred actress Sandy Duncan.

#Target barney toys series#

Leach then brought together a team who created a series of home videos, Barney & the Backyard Gang, initially released in 1988. She came up with the idea of a children's program after noticing that her son outgrew Wee Sing Together, and then recognizing that there were no videos to appeal to her son. Barney has also received immense praise from parents for being a wholesome yet engaging show for children that delves into common, kid-friendly topics.īarney was created by Sheryl Leach of Dallas, Texas. The anti-Barney phenomenon is the basis of the 2022 Peacock documentary I Love You, You Hate Me. While popular with its intended audience, Barney drew severe negative reaction from the older set, who mocked the title character in popular culture through song parodies and comedy routines such as being beaten up by NBA star Charles Barkley on a Saturday Night Live episode. On October 18, 2019, Mattel Films announced that a second Barney film was to be produced British actor Daniel Kaluuya's production company was involved. In 2015, a revival was announced to premiere in 2017 but was delayed into an undated launch until being re-announced as a CGI-animated series in February 2023. Reruns aired on Sprout from 2005 to 2015, and from December 17, 2018, onward on Sprout's successor network, Universal Kids. The series ended on November 2, 2010, although new videos were still released on various dates after the last episode aired. The series first aired on PBS on April 6, 1992, and features Barney, a purple anthropomorphic Tyrannosaurus rex who conveys educational messages through songs and small dance routines with a friendly, huggable and optimistic attitude. Barney & Friends is an American children's television series targeted at children aged 2–7, created by Sheryl Leach.