Barney's Tee-rific Comeback

Barney is back! The purple T. rex returned to TV in October, 14 years after he sang his last “I Love You” in a Carrollton, Texas, production studio.

Revitalized by Mattel, Barney made a super-dee-duper, CGI-animated return in the series Barney’s World on Max and Cartoon Network’s Cartoonito. Set in a public playground, the show stars Barney alongside Baby Bop, Billy (the yellow protoceratops formerly known as BJ), and three kid friends. Ten episodes dropped in October, and 10 more followed in January, reinforcing Barney’s lessons of love, community, and encouragement. Barney’s World is available in 190 countries and more than 30 languages through this new production.

“Our approach to any brand revival is rooted in partnership and collaboration,” says Josh Silverman, Mattel’s chief franchise officer. “For Barney’s World, this meant to ensure that Barney’s core values of love, kindness, and community remained front and center while also modernizing the character and his world to resonate with children today.” 

Barney’s journey from idea to comeback has been lengthy: His life began in the direct-to-video series Barney & the Backyard Gang, created by Sheryl Leach for her son. (Leach is currently working on a documentary about Barney’s early years.) Released direct-to-video from 1988-1991, the success of Barney led to his arrival on PBS — and in the pop-culture stratosphere — in 1992 through Barney & Friends. 

Despite being a runaway hit, PBS initially didn’t plan to renew the series after its first 30 episodes. A letter-writing campaign from parents to PBS affiliates changed that, keeping Barney, Baby Bop, BJ, and their pint-size friends — including Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, and Debby Ryan over the years — on air for a total of 268 episodes.

Barney made the saunter from the past to the present look easy. In a video posted online in August 2024, the iconic purple dinosaur entered the Mattel offices looking like he did more than 30 years ago. That video, teasing the new Barney’s World series, shows Barney giving the office’s Magic 8 Ball a try — and his outlook looks good! 

Outside the constraints of animation — and the office — Barney’s appearance is unchanged, like Paul Rudd for ‘90s kids. Golly! In October, he was a guest at Heidi Klum’s 23rd Annual Halloween Party, wearing a pumpkin costume.

This must be a relief for Barney Kids; a Barney Kid in childhood is a Barney Kid as an adult. “I’ve been a Barney fan my whole life. He had always been at the top of my interests,” says Barney History Fans Co-Founder Andrew Olsen, who appeared as an expert on NPR’s Generation Barney and Peacock’s 2022 documentary I Love You, You Hate Me. 

Barney History Fans was founded in 2021 as a Facebook page, and since has grown into a community hosted through its own site. “A lot of the people I’ve interacted with in the Barney fandom are people I would have never encountered in real life. We kind of found our people,” Olsen says. “When I was a seventh grader or eighth grader, I thought I was the only kid in the world that liked Barney. We have people from all over the world that I would’ve never encountered, that I would never would’ve talked to.” Speaking for the community, Olsen says, “We’re not weird. We have strange interests, but life’s too short to be normal.”

Kerron Stark, acting administrator and founding member of Barney History Fans, agrees that the community feels like a family dynamic. “Largely in part, it’s a bunch of people from all different walks of life who have a common interest,” Stark says. “I think Barney has the best community of any fan community.” 

When Stark talked to The Pop Insider, a tower of plushes sat behind him, including the classic ‘90s plush added to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History archives in 2013. That plush sits among his robust collection of Barneyabilia, including a script from the first Barney & the Backyard Gang VHS.

Stark grew up with Barney, first in his grandmother’s in-home daycare and then with his mother, who worked with disabled children. “I got to see firsthand all kinds of people gravitate to that character as I had done,” he says. “Now that I do my own children’s program, I’m working with people who worked on Barney.”

Though Barney’s songs and lessons were meant for kids ages 2-5, childlike excitement remains among his fans. “Being able to collect Barney merchandise from the ‘90s really helped me connect with my childhood and find, I guess, maybe a piece of my own puzzle that was missing,” Olsen says. 

Today, fans and parents don’t have to scour estate sales for originals. Mattel has licensed collaborations for kidults and a Walmart-exclusive line that includes plush and toys for toddlers and preschoolers.

Walmart carries 8-inch Fisher-Price plush of Barney, Baby Bop, and Billy ($9.97 each). This spring, Fisher-Price plans to debut three new cuddle-worthy plush: a 24-inch Barney ($29.99), a 12-inch Baby Bop ($19.99), and a 12.75-inch Sensory Barney ($17.99). If that seems like a lot of plush, Barney’s magical transformation on the playground in Barney & Friends is through a lookalike like the one in the Smithsonian.

Fisher-Price also plans on a toy phone ($19.99), a toy vacuum ($29.99) — which includes three songs — and four playsets, one of which features Barney’s beloved tree house ($39.99).

“We take a ‘newstalgia’ approach, which blends the emotional connection that older audiences have with a brand like Barney while updating the character and stories to engage an all-new generation,” Silverman says. “Our goal is to create experiences that parents and kids can enjoy together.” Silverman acknowledged Barney’s “timeless message” fits perfectly with Generation Z and millennials’ affection for retro brands.

Nothing says “newstalgia” like Barney Classic Crocs ($69.99). Jerry O’Connell, the host of Fox’s Pictionary, celebrated Barney’s return by wearing a pair in an episode in December. The fervor was palpable, and easily summarized by a comment on Instagram from 25 Words Or Less: “Those Crocs are everything!”

Like Barney, the Crocs are purple and have yellow toes. They feature green inner detailing and spots on the heel. Kids can match their parents with identical Kids Classic Clogs for $49.99. The matching Jibbitz charms ($19.99) come in a five-pack with Barney, Billy, Baby Bop, a set of stars, and a green heart with a multicolor tail. 

In a step toward modernity, Facer released three watch faces ($4.99-39.99) for smart devices last year. Barney Loves You, You Are Special, and Barney Love Club feature Barney prominently in his best ‘90s glory. “Barney’s the hero,” says Janice Ross, managing partner at Brand Fresh Management, who facilitated the relationship between Facer and Barney.

You Are Special features an animation with affirmations from an animated Barney: “You are loved” and “I love you, you love me.” Now, Barney Kids can have today’s technology and the Barney watch they had when they were young. 

“It is kind of fun to see the juxtaposition of Barney on a smartwatch now. It’s Barney’s exclamation at the end of the sentence,” Ross says. “Taking this analog character that’s touched the hearts and minds of young adults is fun to see.”

Mala released three pet-friendly and vegan candles ($30) for the more sophisticated — or grown-up — Barney Kid. The three scents are Peanut Butter & Jelly, Bubblegum, and Warm Milk. Peanut Butter & Jelly has notes of salty peanuts, sweet strawberries, and warm vanilla; Bubblegum “represents the playful spirit of childhood” with notes of citrus, vanilla, and grapes; and Warm Milk has cinnamon, amber, and tonka bean notes, “wrapping you in a cozy, nostalgic hug,” according to the company’s website.

Last year’s capsule collection from Emotionally Unavailable included a plush keychain, a hoodie, and three oversized T-shirts. Despite the clothing brand’s oppositional name to Barney’s ethos, it quickly sold out. And, there is a lot on the horizon for anyone suffering FOMB (Fear of Missing Barney): “Looking ahead, we’re exploring partnerships in music, live events, and digital experiences to further expand Barney’s reach,” Silverman says.

Upholding Barney’s mantra spans production and fandom. “We’re a group of people that love each other. We’re all about unconditional love, unconditional friendship, and acceptance,” Olsen says. “Barney is love.”

Remember, Barney loves you!