# Who Created "Barney"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2004, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889 "2004-10-24T13:25:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/1 "2004-10-24T13:25:42Z")
Just trying to recall…who was the creator of the PBS kids’ show, “Barney”? - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/2 "2004-10-24T13:28:07Z")
Beelzebub ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/3 "2004-10-24T14:14:34Z")
A very wealthy person [Barney and Friends](http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Barney%20and%20Friends) > [@](#): > > Barney & Friends is a children’s television show, mainly aimed at preschoolers, starring a large purple dinosaur named Barney. Although beloved by its target demographic it has a reputation of being somewhat tedious for older people to watch. Barney, with his magenta body complete with a green underbelly and yellow toenails, was created in 1987 by Sheryl Leach of of Dallas, Texas, as an attempt to entertain her son during long car trips and traffic jams. She created her own videos, which were picked up by PBS. The show became a megahit after debuting on PBS and videotapes are distributed by Hit Entertainment HIT Entertainment PLC was established in 1989 and is one of the fastest growing children’s animation studios. It is one of the top holders of rights to child-targeted properties in the world. > > Traded on the London Stock Exchange (HTE), HIT Entertainment is a FTSE 250 company with a market cap of over $US600 million. HIT’s catalogue of characters include Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, Barney & Friends, Kipper, Angelina Ballerina, Pingu and The Wiggles. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/4 "2004-10-24T14:16:53Z")
[Sheryl Leach](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_&_Friends) came up with that happy bastard, apparently as a way to entertain her son. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/5 "2004-10-24T14:17:54Z")
_shakes fist at **astro** _ I’ll get you, you simulposting… mutter… grumble… ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/6 "2004-10-24T18:50:09Z")
> [@chatelaine](#): > > _shakes fist at **astro** _ > > I’ll get you, you simulposting… mutter… grumble… Ahhh!! Simultaneity! Was it good for you too? ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/7 "2004-10-24T23:26:54Z")
It was Satan. He created B’harni, the Supreme Bringer of Stupor and Eater of Minds and cruelest of the Old Ones. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/8 "2004-10-25T00:43:44Z")
_I hate you you hate me Barney transmits HIV_ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/9 "2004-10-25T00:52:44Z")
I’d say Satan, but that’s already been brought up. Were it not for Kipper, I’d damn HIT to hell. Robin ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/10 "2004-10-25T01:36:41Z")
I shudder to think how Sheryl Leach’s son turned out. Hopefully some of that money is being used for his therapy. ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/11 "2004-10-25T01:40:10Z")
It comes as a great comfort to me that I am not alone in finding this character mildly unsavoury. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/12 "2004-10-25T02:28:06Z")
I hate you. You hate me. Why don’t you get a lobotomy? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/13 "2004-10-25T03:02:20Z")
I knew the parody as: I hate you. You hate me. We’re a dysfunctional family! ---
**Author:** ![TheOnlySaneOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@TheOnlySaneOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOnlySaneOne)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2004, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-created-barney/270889/14 "2004-10-25T04:11:18Z")
The popular ditty when I was in kindergarten (when the monster was at his peak) went: I hate you You hate me Let’s get together And kill Barney With a .357 And a bullet To his head Let’s be glad That Barney’s dead Morbid kids, weren’t we?