Barney & the Backyard Gang
Direct-to-video series that launched the Barney franchise.
Barney & the Backyard Gang was a direct-to-video series from The Lyons Group that came out in installments between August 29, 1988, and September 21, 1991. As the very first entry in the Barney franchise, it was a major national success, leading directly to the television show Barney & Friends, which originally ran on PBS from April 6, 1992, to November 2, 2010.
The first three videos, released in 1988 and 1989, featured Sandy Duncan as the mother of Michael and Amy. (At the time, Duncan was starring in the NBC sitcom The Hogan Family.) Stephen Bates Baltes and Phillip Parker handled the music for these videos, just as they would for the TV series. Lory Lazarus wrote Barney’s first original song, “Friends Are Forever,” which Duncan performed. In the first five videos, “I Love You” was not played at the start; it first appeared at the end of the fourth and fifth videos—*Barney Goes to School* and *Barney in Concert*—and later became a standard closer for every episode of *Barney & Friends*, but it was not included at the end of *Rock with Barney*.
The series found strong regional popularity and achieved major national success, which paved the way for the PBS show. Then, in 1991, Larry Rifkin—then head of Connecticut Public Television—rented a Barney video for his daughter Leora. He liked what he saw and approached Sheryl Leach about bringing Barney to PBS. *Rock with Barney* was the last video released before the TV show debuted. Only three child characters from the videos—Michael, Amy, and Tina—made the jump to the television series.
**Production**
**Conception** In fall 1987, Sheryl Leach was stuck in traffic, thinking about how few videos could hold the attention of her two-year-old son, Patrick. At the time, the only preschool programs available were *Sesame Street* and *Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood*, but those appealed to a broader age range, not just toddlers. The only thing that kept Patrick engaged was a *Wee Sing* video. That got Leach thinking about creating her own show. She noticed how children often carry comfort objects like blankets or teddy bears. The idea of a talking blanket and teddy bear interacting with kids seemed promising, but the blanket concept proved too difficult to pull off.
Leach pitched a preschool video series—what would become *Barney & the Backyard Gang*—to DLM, Inc.
- Field
- Children's entertainment
- Nationality
- American
- Known for
- First installment in the Barney franchise; direct-to-video series that led to Barney & Friends
- First release
- August 29, 1988
- Final release
- September 21, 1991
- Number of videos
- 8
Lore & Background
The series was conceived in fall 1987 when Sheryl Leach, stuck in traffic, noticed a lack of videos holding the attention of her 2-year-old son Patrick. She proposed a preschool video series to DLM, Inc., where she worked as a writer, but the board turned her down. Owner Richard C. Leach, her father-in-law, backed the project with $700,000 of his own money. The concept evolved from a talking blanket and teddy bear to a dinosaur after Leach's son showed interest in dinosaurs following a visit to a Science Place exhibit. The costume was designed by Jamie Ruth Conner, who chose purple because that shade was trendy in the late 1980s. The first three episodes from 1988 and 1989 feature Sandy Duncan as Michael and Amy's mother. Music was created by Stephen Bates Baltes and Phillip Parker, and Lory Lazarus wrote the first original song for Barney, 'Friends Are Forever,' sung by Duncan. In the first five videos, 'I Love You' was sung at the beginning; it later appeared at the end of some videos and became a staple of Barney & Friends.
Reader's Guide
Barney & the Backyard Gang was a regional success but only moderately successful nationwide. Its significance lies in being the foundation of the Barney franchise, which became a global phenomenon through the PBS television series Barney & Friends. The series introduced key elements such as the purple dinosaur character, the song 'I Love You,' and the involvement of child actors as role models. The transition to television occurred after Larry Rifkin, head of Connecticut Public Television, rented a Barney video for his daughter in 1991 and saw its potential. This led to a $2.25 million grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to produce Barney & Friends, which debuted in April 1992. The direct-to-video series also established production methods, such as filming on weekends to accommodate child actors, and featured a cast that included Bob West as Barney's voice and David Voss and later David Joyner as the costume performer. Only four child actors from the videos—Michael, Derek, Tina, and Luci—were carried over to the television show.
Did You Know?
- The song 'I Love You' was sung at the beginning of the first five videos, not at the end.
- The costume color purple was chosen because that shade was trendy in the late 1980s.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Barney & the Backyard Gang?
It was an American direct-to-video children's series produced by The Lyons Group, consisting of eight installments released between August 1988 and September 1991. It served as the original entry in what would become the entire Barney franchise.
Who was involved in making the early Barney & the Backyard Gang videos?
The Lyons Group produced the series, while Stephen Bates Baltes and Phillip Parker composed the music. Sandy Duncan, who was simultaneously starring in the NBC sitcom The Hogan Family, voiced the mother of the children Michael and Amy in the first three videos from 1988 and 1989.
How many videos were in the Barney & the Backyard Gang series?
Eight installments were released over the series' run, beginning with the initial launch on August 29, 1988, and concluding with the final release on September 21, 1991.
What happened after the direct-to-video series ended?
The strong national reception of the eight home videos directly prompted the creation of Barney & Friends, which premiered on PBS on April 6, 1992, and aired until November 2, 2010.
Why is Barney & the Backyard Gang considered important to the Barney franchise?
As the very first installment, it established the character, format, and audience that would define an entire generation of children's programming. Without its initial run of home videos, the long-running PBS series that followed simply would not have existed.
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