Back from extinction: US kids' TV icon Barney to receive major CGI reboot
Barney the Dinosaur: time has smiled on '90s playschoolers' fave
Barney is a dinosaur - but if you inhabited the school playgrounds of the 1990s, the next lyric that comes to mind, to the tune of his once-inescapable TV show's Yankee Doodle-referencing theme music, might well reflect how you felt about the imaginary dinosaur and his pals.
Whether he was a treasured memory, or the subject of a gleefully-delivered sung chronicle of dinosaur-slaughter, the US entertainment complex's penchant for reboots and renewals of classic intellectual properties (ie. patents and copyrights behind the characters) has finally caught up with the big purple T-Rex.Â
Toy company Mattel acquired the rights to Barney, and several other IPs behind a generation's treasured kids' franchises, upon buying out rightsholders HIT Entertainment in 2011 - and believe now is the time for a full-blown revival that sees a modern-day Barney realised in full CGI-vision in a new animated series, which, according to a statement, "will feature the ubiquitous purple dinosaur and friends, introducing new audiences to the world of Barney through music-filled adventures centered on love, community, and encouragement."
“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,” says 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."
The series is aimed squarely at playschool kids - many of whose parents would have sung and played along with the original Barney & Friends live show. "We think that parents, many of whom will fondly remember the original Barney from their own childhoods, will love the show, too,” says Soulie.Â
“Barney’s message of love and kindness has stood the test of time,” added 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 across content, products, and experiences.”
The reception on socials was... exactly what you'd expect.
Why did my brain see this picture and automatically assume Barney was coming to Fortnite https://t.co/QUAjoVOluK
— Carmen IRL (@Carmparens) February 14, 2023
Not the worst but like, he looks TOO happy. Barney in the costume still had an existential dread look about him. https://t.co/WicTBzaMxp
— Mid Barrett (@tamemeimpala) February 13, 2023
For those of you who might be slightly freaked out at the big lad's new look, Mattel will of course be readying a slew of 'classic' Barney merchandise to accompany the series' relaunch.
Here's hoping they fare a little better than the Dogtanian film did.
