Barney Biography / Pictures

Barney & Friends is a 1992 children's television show produced in the United States aimed at preschool children. The series features the title character Barney, a purple anthropomorphic Tyrannosaurus rex who conveys learning through songs and small dance routines with a friendly, optimistic attitude.

Biography

Barney was created in 1987 by Sheryl Leach of Dallas, Texas. Sheryl Leach 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 3 videos. Later, Barney was joined by the characters Baby Bop, BJ, and Riff.

Although the original videos were a modest regional success, Barney became a major success only when the character and format were revamped for series television and were picked up by the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), debuting as "Barney & Friends" in 1992. The series was produced by Lyrick Studios (bought by HIT Entertainment) and Connecticut Public Television. For several years, the show was taped at the ColorDynamics Studios facility at Greenville Avenue & Bethany Drive in Allen, after which it moved to The Studios at Las Colinas, Texas. Currently, the series is produced in a northern suburb of Dallas. The TV series and videos are currently distributed by HiT Entertainment and Lionsgate, while the TV series is currently produced by WNET.

As of since 2006, All the Barney & Friends DVDs will be distributed by: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment due to the distribution bought of HiT Entertainment from Lionsgate.

Barney & Friends is now shown in other countries where it is translated if necessary. One such example is the Spanish language version dubbed in Mexico which is called Barney y Sus Amigos, (Spanish translation of "Barney & his Friends.") Another example is the Hebrew production produced from 1997-1999 in Tel Aviv, Israel, based on the first three seasons of the show. Rather than dubbing the American episodes, the episodes are recreated with a unique set in an original set and exclusive child actors.