Barney and Friends
| Barney & Friends | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Created by | Sheryl Leach |
| Starring |
David Joyner (1991–2001) Carey Stinson (1994, 2002–2009) Josh Martin (1997; Barney suit) Bob West (1988–2001) Duncan Brannan (1999–2002) Tim Dever (1999–2002) Dean Wendt (2002–2009; Barney voice) Jenny Dempsey (1992) Jeff Ayers (1993–2008) Lauren Mayeux (2009; Baby Bop suit) Julie Johnson (Baby Bop voice) Jeff Brooks (1993–2002) Kyle Nelson (2002–2009; B.J. suit) Patty Wirtz (B.J. voice) Adam Brown (Riff suit) Michaela Dietz (Riff voice) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 13 |
| No. of episodes | 268 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Lyrick Studios (formerly The Lyons Group) (1992–2001) HIT Entertainment (2001–2010) Connecticut Public Television (1992–2005) WNET New York (2006–2010) |
| Release | |
| Original network | PBS |
| Picture format |
NTSC (480i) (1992–2008) HDTV (1080i) (2009–2010) |
| Original release | April 6, 1992 – September 18, 2009 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Barney and the Backyard Gang |
| Website | |
Barney & Friends is an American children's television series aimed at children from ages 1 to 8, created by Sheryl Leach and produced by HIT Entertainment. It premiered on PBS on April 6, 1992. The series features the title character Barney, a purple anthropomorphic tyrannosaurus rex who conveys educational messages through songs and small dance routines with a friendly, optimistic attitude. Production of new episodes originally ceased on September 18, 2009, although reruns of the series were still shown on several PBS stations in following years. Reruns aired for 10 years on Sprout from 2005 until 2015. A revival of the series is set for a 2017 launch.
Barney was created in 1987 by Sheryl Leach of Dallas, Texas. She came up with the idea for the program while considering TV shows that she felt would be educational and appeal to her son. Leach then brought together a team who created a series of home videos, Barney and the Backyard Gang, which also starred actress Sandy Duncan in the first three videos. Later, Barney was joined by the characters "Baby Bop", "B.J.", and "Riff".
One day in 1991, the daughter of Connecticut Public Television executive Larry Rifkin rented one of the videos and was mesmerized by it. Rifkin thought the concept could potentially be developed for PBS. Rifkin thought Barney had appeal because he wasn't nearly as neurotic as Big Bird. He pitched it to CPTV president Jerry Franklin, whose preschool son also fell in love with it. Franklin and Rifkin pitched the idea to all of their colleagues with preschoolers, and they all agreed that kids would love a potential Barney show. Franklin and Rifkin convinced Leach to let CPTV revamp the concept for television. The show debuted as Barney & Friends in 1992. The series was produced by CPTV and Lyrick Studios (later bought by HIT Entertainment).
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