Was there anything creepier 90s children’s TV than the dead eyes and empty platitudes of Barney, Big Purple Dinosaur? We’re not sure, but no matter how much nightmare fuel he provided to a generation of children, he also provided a crapload of money. Barney & Friends debuted nationally on PBS in 1992 and ran for 18 years before the network finally hung up the costume.
It might be more interesting to forget the reboot and create a series on the man inside the suit, David Joyner. After the show ended, he built a new life for himself as a sexual healer charging $350 for a 3-4 hour session. But, that’s not what’s happening here.
What is happening is that Mattel is ditching the suit and replacing it with a CGI-animated version of Barney that will debut in 2024. Along with a new TV series the toy company is looking at possible film and Youtube opportunities as well as enough Barney merch to turn the kiddie aisle of Target’s toy section purple. They are even planning retro merch featuring the original Barney so they can recapture the kids who grew up singing “I love you, You love me” as they now raise their own batch of potential customers.