Generation Barney

“Generation Barney” is a super-dee-duper podcast about the media we loved as kids and how it shapes us. 

It’s about “Barney & Friends.” But it’s also about music and toys and nostalgia. Most of all, it’s about the television that helps us become who we are, from the station that launched Barney into the world.

The Generation Barney podcast comes during the recent nostalgia boom! With the Barney generation now entering parenthood, there’s a real desire to revisit things from our childhood, from Mister Rogers to Barbie. The podcast launch coincides with the launch of a new Barney animated children’s television series in the Fall of ‘24 and as production begins on a “surrealistic” adult-oriented feature movie focusing on the disenchantment of the generation that grew up with the loving and loveable purple dinosaur.

Back in the ’90s, Connecticut Public Television “discovered’ and then launched Barney on PBS and into the world, making us uniquely positioned to tell this story. It’s the perfect time to re-examine the Barney phenomena that over swept the country and world over three decades ago. It’s time to hear from those who were directly involved with bringing Barney to life. And it’s time to rekindle those memories of the unconditional love, acceptance and joy that were always on display in every Barney & Friends episode.

Limited Series | 7 Episodes | 30-35 Minutes

Episodes

Episode 1: Toddler TV | 11/12
Barney & Friends was the first children’s show targeted to preschoolers. It took kids seriously in a way that wasn’t common at that time. The people behind the show put a lot of thought into every detail, from the words and movements to the music and behaviors. There were even studies supporting the educational value of Barney for preschoolers. In this episode, we learn how television helps children grow their hard and soft skills and learn about the world, and we discuss the impact Barney had on children’s programming overall.

Episode Two: Dinosync | 11/12
For years, two men—Bob West and David Joyner—brought Barney to life. Bob was the voice, David was the body, and together they engaged and educated preschoolers around the world. But Barney taught them about life as much as he taught those kids. In this episode, we look at how the people who embodied Barney shaped the character, and how Barney in turn shaped their lives, too.

Episode 3: Love 2 Hate | 11/12
Barney was beloved by preschoolers across the globe. But even though Barney loved everybody, not everybody loved Barney. There were grown men who started anti-Barney fan clubs, and college students who literally bashed Barney stuffed animals. There were even people who blamed the dinosaur for preaching the occult and witchcraft. In this episode, we explore our connections to the characters we love and hate, and what that tells us about our culture and ourselves.

Episode 4: Purple Capitalism | 11/18
On the show, Barney starts off as a stuffed animal and then comes to life. But that iconic plushie wasn’t just on the small screen; it was in the homes of children around the world. Merchandise was a key piece of the show’s success. Fans of the purple dinosaur had Barney sneakers, tracksuits, sheets, and of course, plushies. In this episode, we explore how merchandise connects us with a character, brings them to life, and helps them live on in our minds and our homes.

Episode 5: Purple Dino Puppeteers | 11/25
Barney was a larger-than-life character. The purple dinosaur towered over the child actors on the show, but moved around with the energy of a kid himself. It was a performance that resonated with a lot of kids. Bob West’s voice acting and David Joyner’s work inside the Barney costume inspired a whole new generation of performers and puppeteers. In this episode, we hear from some of those people about the art and soul of puppetry.

Episode 6: Title TBD | 12/2
Music was always central to Barney & Friends. Every song had to be active, repetitive, memorable, and easily understood by toddlers. In this episode, we look at the intention behind and the power of Barney’s music, as well as the educational and social-emotional value of songs like the more popular “I Love You” and other ones like “Clean-up” or “S’mores.”

Episode 7: Title TBD | 12/9
Like Mister Rogers before him, Barney made kids feel loved. He was a friend, sometimes a father figure, to millennials. To this day, many are finding comfort in this purple anthropomorphic dinosaur and trying to put his values into practice. In this episode, we look into why millennials revisit the things they love as kids, including Barney, and the lasting power of this media to shape who we become.

Meet the Host

Sabrina Herrera is living her inner child's dream as host of Generation Barney. As a lifelong journalist, she's worked in media from newspapers, digital, social, and public media.

Sabrina performs improv comedy and believes anyone can do it. (Yes, you!) She helps lead an initiative to expand Latine content and audience at Connecticut Public and serves on the National Association for Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) New England Chapter Board.

Much like Barney, she's often described as enthusiastic and optimistic, and likes to look for the fun in things. She previously owned a Barney tracksuit and is not ashamed.

Generation Barney Podcast Guests Include:

• David Joyner, actor who played Barney (costume)​
• Lynn Zubernis, expert on the psychology of fandom​
• Larry Rifkin, former CT Public exec who helped launch​ Barney onto PBS​
• Bob Singleton, music director on “Barney & Friends”​
• Leora Rifkin Edouard, Larry’s daughter who “discovered”​ Barney at a local video store ​
• David Joyner, actor who played Barney (costume)​