Note: This page will only cover the Backyard Gang video series and the first three seasons on PBS.[3]
Overview[]
The show is about a friendly purple dinosaur who comes to life when children use their imaginations. They sing songs, do fun activities, and lots more, all related to education.
Cast[]
| Character's name | Portrayed by | Years active |
|---|---|---|
| Barney |
|
1988–2009 |
| Baby Bop |
|
1991–2009 |
| B.J. |
|
1993–2009 |
| Michael | Brian Eppes | 1988-1993 |
| Amy | Becky Swonke | 1988-1991 |
| Tina | Jessica Zucha | 1988-1995 |
| Luci | Leah Gloria | 1988-1993 |
| Derek | Rickey Carter | 1990-1995 |
| Adam | Alexander Jhin | 1988-1991 |
| Kathy | Lauren King | 1991-1995 |
| Shawn | John David Bennett | 1992-1996 |
| Min | Pia Manalo | 1992-1996 |
| Tosha | Hope Cervantes | 1992-1996 |
| Julie | Susannah Wetzel | 1993-1995 |
| David | Kenny Cooper | 1993 |
| Jason | Kurt Dykhuizen | 1993-1996 |
| Carlos | Corey Lopez | 1994-1996 |
| Juan | Michael Krost | 1995 |
| Kenneth | Nathan Regan | 1995 |
| Mr. Boyd | Robert Sweatman | 1995-2008 |
| Stella the Storyteller | Phyllis Cicero | 1995-2008 |
In 1998, the News in Purple section of the Barney Online website launched short autobiographies for five of the past cast members, who would all later appear in a video special released on January 12, 1999.[4]
| Kurt Dykhuizen (Jason) | "My name is Kurt Dykhuizen and I play Jason on Barney & Friends. Things I love to do include playing sports. I especially like to play soccer, tennis, and basketball. I enjoy playing with my brother, Kyle, my friends, and my two dogs. In the summer I love fishing, and water-skiing, at my grandparent's lake house. I also like to run with my Dad. My interests are cars, yo-yo's, dogs, and nature. I would love to continue acting but probably not as my primary career when I am older. I would like to be a surgeon, veterinarian, architect, artist, or professional athlete." |
|---|---|
| Lauren King (Kathy) | "Hi everyone, my name is Lauren, and I am 13 years old. At 5 1/2 I was chosen for the role of Kathy for the video Rock with Barney and the TV series Barney and Friends. One of my greatest memories was traveling to New York City to appear in the Barney Live at Radio City Music Hall concert. This summer I was back on the Barney set performing in a 10th anniversary video (Sing and Dance with Barney). I am still acting and doing commercials. I have won awards for dance, vocal, and piano. I am an 8th grade honor student and participate in school sports and music. I have a mom, dad, and a cute little peekapoo dog named Minnie."
"Some of my favorite activities are:"
|
| Brian Eppes (Michael) | Brian was one of the original characters with Barney, beginning at the age of 8 and working until he was 13. He began his acting career at the age of 2 and has worked in television, theater, movies, radio and print. After Barney, he decided not to continue with acting so he could concentrate on academics and sports. He grew up in Texas, and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arlington High School in May 1997. Brian played baseball and football in school for several years and was active in the Student Council. During the summer breaks he worked for his Father's company, Southwest Networks, as a lead technician installing fiber optic and data cable systems Brian also worked for the Texas Rangers Baseball Team. Brian is now attending a large University, majoring in Meteorology. Maybe some day we will see him as a weatherman on TV! He is an advanced scuba diver, and his favorite diving locations are the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. He also enjoys snow skiing, fishing, hunting, watching sports on TV, and playing his guitar. Brian keeps in touch with his "Barney" family and continues to enjoy hearing from lots of "Michael" fans. |
| Pia Manalo (Min) | "I am currently in the 11th grade and at the top 10% of my class. I am involved in many clubs and school organizations. In my free time, I dance and play the piano. I attend several dance conventions and competitions as well. I hope to pursue acting after college, and dance in my spare time."
Pia was about 16 years old when this was posted on the Barney website. |
| Hope Cervantes (Tosha) | "I am continuing to pursue my acting career. I currently perform with my Theatre Department at the school I am attending. I also volunteer for several community service organizations. In my spare time, I enjoy reading poetry, playing soccer, shopping for vintage clothing (I love the retro seventies look), playing with my two cats Dusty & Sachi. I also like playing sports with my two brothers. I have always been fascinated with science. I plan to pursue a career in the science field someday. My favorite color is purple, my favorite food is pizza. My favorite snack is a pickle (I have at least one a day)."
Hope was about 14 years old when this was posted on the Barney website. |
Autobiographies for three more alumni appeared later in 1999:
| Corey Lopez (Carlos) (April 1999) |
"Hi, my name is Corey Lopez and I played Carlos on the Barney & Friends TV show. I am now 14 years old. I live in Dallas, and am attending the eighth grade. Next year I will be entering high school. Since Barney, I have pursued my acting career in many ways. Besides acting, I enjoy doing other things. I play football, basketball, and baseball for my school. Outside of school, I play on a soccer team. I also enjoy tap dancing and hip hop music. I hope to someday meet Savion Glover. The first thing I did with Barney was Barney Live at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. After Barney Live, I came back and was on the regular series. I think that was the best experience in my life! My future holds college and hopefully Broadway. |
|---|---|
| Jessica Zucha (Tina) (Fall 1999) |
"Hi, Barney fans. I have really missed all of you over the past few years. I was one of the original characters with Barney playing the role of Tina. In 1987, I auditioned in Dallas for this role. Much to my surprise, I landed the part at the young age of five. I played Tina for 8 years. In 1995, I went back to Houston, TX and returned to my public school."
Jessica's fondest memories of the Backyard Gang:
Her hobbies:
Her famous quote: "A winner never quits and a quitter never wins." |
| John David Bennett II (Shawn) (February 2000) |
Hi everybody, my real name is John David Bennett II, but I go by JD. I am now 14 going on 15 and am in the 8th grade. I did Barney for 5 years and it was sooo cool! I started working with Barney on my 7th birthday. I didn't know a soul, but they threw me a great big birthday party the first day anyway and made me feel very welcome. I made a lot of great friends over the years and had sooo much fun! I have continued to do a lot of acting since I left Barney and have a movie that should be released this summer. Filming schedules for the movie is why I could not be on the 10th Anniversary video. The movie is called Certain Guys and has a bunch of people in it you will recognize, but the person you will know best is Deidrich Bader from the Drew Carey show. He plays the part of Oswald, Drew's tall, good looking, funny, dark haired sidekick. I am also the cohost of a new television series called Mark's Web World. It is a fun show and is sort of like Bill Nye the Science Guy meets Laugh In. We explore all the neat web sites that are out there. Keep watching, you might also see me in a number of commercials. I hope to continue doing TV, stage and movie work and would one day like to be a Director. It is hard to work much acting into my busy schedule. I run track, play soccer, I sing in Showtime (my Jr. High performance choir), love to scuba dive (Cayman is the best!!), rollerblade, play on my iMac, surf the web, and of course I just love being a kid and bugging my sisters and parents. I have 2 dogs and 3 ferrets. I loved my time on Barney and still love to hear from all the Shawn fans." |
All content was removed by Lyons Partnership when the website was redesigned in early 2001, shortly before Lyrick Studios and its divisions (including Lyons Partnership) went out of business.
Production timeline[]
- 1987: Sheryl Stamps Leach created Barney the dinosaur, after her son, Patrick, was more interested in dinosaurs. Originally, Barney was going to be a teddy bear. The creation of Barney was helped and approved by Kathy Parker, on a few conditions, where the dinosaur had to be a gender-neutral color and was to not appear menacing.
- 1988: Bob West, the voice of Barney, and the first six kids auditioned for the show. Barney's costume actor was David Voss.
- 1989: One of the kids -- Jason (Salim Grant), in this case, was replaced by Derek (Rickey Carter).
- 1990: For this year, Barney became a magenta-purple color.
- Early 1991: David Joyner replaced David Voss as Barney's costume actor. Kathy (Lauren King) joins the gang.
- October 1991: The TV series began production, starting with Season 1. Min, Shawn, and later Tosha join the gang, while Adam and Amy leave the show permanently.
List of episodes[]
Broadcast history[]
- Main article: Television broadcast timeline for Barney & Friends
The first of the newer generation of Barney & Friends entirely replacing this generation was announced on February 2, 1997. The transition lasted from November 3, 1997 through September 6, 1999.
Funding credits[]
| Underwriter's name | Season 1 | Season 2 | Seasons 3+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporation for Public Broadcasting | 1992-1998 | 1993-1998 | 1995-1998 |
| "Viewers Like You" | 1992-1999 | 1993-1999 | 1995-1999 |
| Kimberly-Clark | 1994-1998 | 1993-1998 | N |
| Chuck E. Cheese's | 1996-1999 | 1995-1999 | |
| Mead Johnson | 1996-1997 | 1996-1998 | 1995-1997 |
| Chef Jr. | 1997-1999 | ||
| Kellogg's Frosted Flakes | 1998-1999 | 1997-1999 | |
From 1998 through 2005, there were no new underwriters for Barney & Friends.
Home video timeline[]
- Main article: List of Barney Home Videos
Gallery[]
Title screen for "Barney & the Backyard Gang"
Season 1 title screen
Season 2 title screen
Season 3 title screen
| Barney & Friends | |
|---|---|
| Backyard Gang | The Backyard Show (1988) • Three Wishes (1989) • A Day at the Beach (1989) • Waiting for Santa (1990) • Campfire Sing-Along (1990) • Barney Goes to School (1990) • Barney in Concert (1991) • Rock with Barney (1991) |
| Episodes | Season 1 (1992) • Season 2 (1993) • Season 3 (1995) |
| Home videos | Barney's Birthday (1992) • Barney's Magical Musical Adventure (1992/1993) • Barney's Best Manners (1993) • Barney Rhymes with Mother Goose (1993) • Home Sweet Homes (1993) • Let's Pretend with Barney (1993/1994) • Barney's Alphabet Zoo (1994) • Barney Live! in New York City (1994) • Imagination Island (1994) • Families are Special (1994/1995) • Barney: Safety (1995) • Making New Friends (1995) • Riding in Barney's Car (1995) • Barney Songs (1995) • All Aboard for Sharing (1995/1996) • Exercise Circus/Parade of Numbers (1996) • Barney's Colors & Shapes (1997) |