Barney the Purple Dinosaur Gets New Look for TV Return

(L-R) New Barney Character and Original Barney (Credit: Mattel/Hit Entertainment)

Barney is making a comeback.

The talking purple dinosaur is getting an updated look and a relaunch to connect with a new generation of fans, Mattel announced Monday.

The character’s “reintroduction” includes a new animated television series slated to debut globally in 2024.

“In creating the new series, it was important to us that we properly reflect the world that kids today live in so that the series can deliver meaningful lessons about navigating it,” Fred Soulie, SVP and general manager of Mattel Television, said in a press release.

“With our modern take on Barney, we hope to inspire the next generation to listen, care, and dream big,” Soulie added.

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Created for preschool children, the new series will feature “music-filled adventures centered on love, community, and encouragement,” according to Mattel.

Along with the TV show, the El Segundo, California-based company plans to develop Barney movies, YouTube content, music, toys, books, and clothes.

News of the relaunch follows the October 2022 release of the Peacock docuseries, I Love You, You Hate Me.

As Urban Hollywood 411 previously reported, the two-part series revealed the bizarre backlash against the 1990s and early 2000s Barney TV show. The docuseries featured interviews with crew members who recalled getting “violent” and “explicit” threats from angry adults who claimed the costumed character acted “inappropriate with children,” had a “gay voice,” and other issues.

Texas mom Sheryl Leach created Barney & Friends in 1992. After premiering on PBS, the popular series spawned toys, records, feature films and parodies.