The very next year, 1992, “Barney and the Backyard Gang” hit PBS as “Barney & Friends” and found its way into the homes of millions of kids. “Barney was a one off,” Rifkin said.

Barney & Friends ran for 13 seasons on PBS, from 1992 through 2009. That series featured a live-action Barney, with a man in a costume, and set on a playground with a group of children.

The “Barney & Friends” show, featuring the titular violet-hued T-Rex, aired on PBS in the United States from 1992 until 2010.

The "Barney & Friends" show, featuring the titular violet-hued T-Rex, aired on PBS in the United States from 1992 until 2010. Mattel said Monday that the new show, unlike the original, will be ...