is a home video series produced from 1988 to 1991. The series focused on a purple tyrannosaurus rex named Barney , and a group of kids known as The Backyard Gang , and the adventures they take, through their imaginations.

The series made more than $3.5 million. The first three tapes alone sold 50,000 copies and the whole series would end up selling 500,000 copies. The series was a success across the US and Canada, but especially in the creators' native Texas.

The first six videos of this series were written by Frank Olsen. After he left the Barney franchise after the first six videos of this series, Sheryl Leach, Dennis and Kathy Parker (The creators) wrote the last 2 videos.

Contents show]

Cast

Dinosaurs

Children

Adults

Guest Appearances

Videos

Gallery

Title Cards

Other

Cast

Dolls

Stills and Behind the Scenes

Trivia

Music for the Backyard Gang videos was done by Stephen Bates (Baltes) and Philip A. Parker (as with the television series that aired later), while Lory Lazarus wrote the first original song created for Barney, Friends Are Forever .

Stephen Bates (Baltes) Philip A. Parker Lory Lazarus Friends Are Forever In the first five videos, "I Love You" was sung at the beginning. However, it was sung at the end of Barney Goes to School and Barney in Concert and is frequently sung at the end of Barney & Friends

and and is frequently sung at the end of The first six videos of this series aired on Disney Channel in November 1990 as a part of its "Lunch Box" program. [1]

Related merchandise to the Backyard Gang videos include read-along books (of the first three videos) and tape sets (of the entire series), and later in the series, the first Barney dolls (two of them actually used in the videos).

videos include read-along books (of the first three videos) and tape sets (of the entire series), and later in the series, the first Barney dolls (two of them actually used in the videos). The earlier videos from 1988 and 1989 featured actress Sandy Duncan as Michael and Amy's mother.

The first three videos of this series featured Barney with a slightly deeper voice, perhaps larger eyes, a visible red tongue (until 2000), and a much darker color of purple (which turned more magenta as the series went on).

All eight videos were re-released in 1992, and the last five titles were re-released in 1996. Two of them, Waiting for Santa and Barney in Concert , were also re-released by Lyrick Studios, in 1997 and 2001.

After David Voss left the show to join the military, Barney was performed by a woman for one concert. She couldn't stay in the costume for a long time and she ended up freaking out, so she was never heard from again. Then David Joyner did the rest of the concerts and continued as Barney's costume performer.

This is a prologue to the actual series, Barney & Friends, similar The Tracey Ullman Show , whose shorts serve as a prologue to The Simpsons .

similar , whose shorts serve as a prologue to . There were plans to re-release the first three videos in 1994, but plans fell through and Lyons instead re-released the last four videos in 1995/1996