Barney and the Backyard Gang

Barney and the Backyard Gang
Genre children's
music
Created by Sheryl Stamps-Leach
Kathy O'Rourke-Parker
Developed by Sheryl Stamps-Leach
Kathy O'Rourke-Parker
Dennis DeShazer
Written by Frank H. Olsen (1988–1990)
Pat Reeder (1988–1989)
Kathy O'Rourke Parker (1991)
Sheryl Stamps Leach (1991)
Dennis DeShazer (1991)
Directed by John Grable (1988–1989)
Dwin Towell (1990)
Garry Potts (1990)
Jim Rowley (1991)
Starring David Voss (1988–1990)
David Joyner (1991)
Dao Knight (1991)
Sandy Duncan (1988–1989)
Brian Eppes
Becky Swonke
Jessica Zucha
Leah Montes
Salim Grant (1988–1989)
Rickey Carter (1990–1991)
Alexander Jhin
Jeffrey Lowe (1990)
Bob Reed (1988–1989)
Voices of Bob West
Julie Johnson
Composer(s) Stephen Bates Baltes
Lory Lazarus
Philip A. Parker
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of episodes 8
Production
Executive producer(s) Richard C. Leach (1988–1989)
Sheryl Stamps-Leach (1990–1991)
Kathy O'Rourke-Parker (1990–1991)
Producer(s) John Grable (1988–1989)
Dennis DeShazer (1990)
Location(s) Allen, Texas (six videos)
Dallas, Texas (two videos)
Editor(s) Doug Wilson (1988–1989)
McKee Smith (1990–1991)
Running time ~30 min.
Production company(s) The Lyons Group
Distributor Kids Edutainment Video
Release
Original release October 13, 1988[1] – October 20, 1991[1]
Chronology
Followed by Barney & Friends

Barney and the Backyard Gang is a direct-to-video series produced by The Lyons Group and was produced from October 13, 1988 to October 20, 1991. This series launched the PBS television show Barney & Friends.[2]

The first three episodes from 1988 and 1989 include Sandy Duncan as Michael and Amy's mother. Music for the Barney & the Backyard Gang videos was created by Stephen Bates Baltes and Phillip Parker (as with the television series), and Lory Lazarus wrote the first original song produced for Barney, "Friends Are Forever", sung by Duncan. In the first five videos, "I Love You" was sung at the beginning. It was sung at the end of Barney Goes to School and Barney in Concert, and later frequently sung only at the end of all episodes of Barney & Friends. (The "I Love You" song was not featured at the end of Rock with Barney.)

The series was a regional success, but only a moderate success throughout the rest of the country. Then one day, in 1991, Larry Rifkin, then head of Connecticut Public Television, rented a Barney video for his daughter Leora.[3] He liked the concept and talked to Leach about possibly putting Barney on television through the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Rock with Barney was the last video in the series before the television show debuted. Also, only four of the kids from the videos (Michael, Derek, Tina, and Luci) were carried over to the television show.

Video list

In order of release date:[1]

Cast

Main article: Barney & Friends

Guest appearances

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Classic Barney Videos". Classic Barney. Tripod.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
  2. Lawson, Carol (December 3, 1992). "Why Young Children Scream". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
  3. Walters, John. The Same River Twice. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-9716999-0-8.
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