Barney is a large purple dinosaur (a tyrannosaurus rex to be exact), who conveys learning through his songs and friendly, optimistic attitude ("I love you, you love me, we're a happy family...").

Origin and development of the show

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 3 videos. Later, Barney was joined by Baby Bop and B.J.

Although the videos were a modest regional success, Barney only became a mega hit when the character and format were revamped for series television and picked up by the Public Broadcasting System, debuting as "Barney & Friends" in 1992. The series was produced by Lyrick Studios. 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 in Las Colinas. Currently, the series is produced in a northern suburb of Dallas. The TV series and videos are distributed by HIT Entertainment.