The series first aired on PBS on April 6, , and features Barney, a purple anthropomorphic Tyrannosaurus rex who conveys educational messages through songs and small dance routines with a friendly, huggable and optimistic attitude. Reruns aired on Sprout from to , and from December 17, to January 25, on Sprout's successor network, Universal Kids. On October 6, , the series was initially renewed for revival with a new season to premiere in , but that never came to fruition.
The first three videos starred actress Sandy Duncan. One day in , the daughter of Connecticut Public Television executive Larry Rifkin rented one of the videos and was "mesmerized" by it. Rifkin thought the concept could be developed for PBS. Rifkin thought Barney had appeal because he was less neurotic than Big Bird.
Franklin and Rifkin pitched the idea to all of their colleagues with preschoolers, and they all agreed that kids would love a Barney show. Although the show was a runaway hit, PBS initially opted not to provide funding beyond the initial episode run.
By the time of the yearly member stations' meeting, station executives across the country were up in arms over the prospect of one of their most popular shows being canceled. Faced with an atmosphere that Rifkin later described as "like an insurrection", PBS ultimately relented. The episodes open with the theme song over clips from various episodes and the title card before it dissolves into the school in seasons 1β6 or park in seasons 7β The children are seen doing an activity, occasionally relating to the episode's topic.
They eventually cause Barney to come to life from a plush doll, transforming into the "real" Barney, how he appears in the children's imaginations. Beginning in season 9, Barney's transformation occurs in a clip at the end of the theme song. Here, the main plot of the episode takes place. Barney and the children learn about the main topic of the episode, with Baby Bop, BJ, or Riff appearing during the episode and numerous songs themed relating to the subject featured in the series.
