The Mattel Company is bringing back everyone’s favorite [or most hated] purple dinosaur, Barney. The company will be relaunching the children’s franchise through a new television show aimed at the preschoolers. This time, the positivity-spreading dinosaur will be animated instead of someone in a costume.
The relaunch may also include films and YouTube content, which may be more accessible to the younger set now. There will also be “apparel and accessories for adult fans, featuring classic Barney, are also in development,” Mattel says. Sounds like they are trying to hit the nostalgia-loving millennial set and hoping their kids come along for the ride.
Which is totally possible considering “Barney & Friends” ran for 18 years after debuting on PBS in 1992. The show only ended in 2010, which is probably way more recent than many realized. While we doubt this relaunch will inspire the same ire among parents and older children, Barney’s message of acceptance is always welcome.
“Barney’s message of love and kindness has stood the test of time,” said Josh Silverman, chief franchise officer and global head of consumer products at Mattel. “We will tap into the nostalgia of the generations who grew up with Barney, now parents themselves, and introduce the iconic purple dinosaur to a new generation of kids and families around the world.”
“In creating the new series, it was important to us that we properly reflect the world that kids today live in so that the series can deliver meaningful lessons about navigating it,” said Fred Soulie, senior vice president and general manager of Mattel Television. “With our modern take on Barney, we hope to inspire the next generation to listen, care, and dream big. We think that parents, many of whom will fondly remember the original Barney from their own childhoods, will love the show, too.”
The new animated series will have Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana banner producing. Mattel Television’s Soulie and Christopher Keenan will executive produce with Colin Bohm and Pam Westman of Nelvana. Expect to see the return of Barney sometime in 2024.
