On “Barney & Friends,” Barney starts off as a plush toy and then comes to life. That iconic stuffed animal wasn’t just on the small screen; it was in the homes of children around the world. Merchandise was a huge part of the show’s success. But “Barney & Friends” wasn’t the first movie or TV show to connect with fans through merch. That dates back a long time — and has a history that includes He-Man, Ronald Reagan, and George Lucas.

This episode is sponsored by MasterClass. Learn from the best to become your best. Head over to masterclass.com/DINO for the current offer.

For more info on Generation Barney, visit ctpublic.org/barney. 

On “Barney &amp; Friends,” Barney starts off as a plush toy and then comes to life. That iconic stuffed animal wasn’t just on the small screen; it was in the homes of children around the world. Merchandise was a huge part of the show’s success. But “Barney &amp; Friends” wasn’t the first movie or TV show to connect with fans through merch. That dates back a long time — and has a history that includes He-Man, Ronald Reagan, and George Lucas.
This episode is sponsored by MasterClass. Learn from the best to become your best. Head over to <a href="http://masterclass.com/DINO">masterclass.com/DINO</a> for the current offer.
For more info on Generation Barney, visit <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/podcast/generation-barney">ctpublic.org/barney</a>.

Meet “Generation Barney,” a podcast about the media we loved as kids and how it shapes us. It’s about the purple dinosaur. But it’s also about music and love and backlash and toys and nostalgia. Most of all, it’s about the television that helps us become who we are, from the station that helped launch Barney into the world.

The seven-part podcast is produced by Connecticut Public and hosted by Sabrina Herrera. The reporter-producers are Meg Dalton and Lily Tyson. The editor is Cassandra Basler. The project manager is Megan Fitzgerald. The sound designer and theme composer is Jay Cowit. 

Learn more at https://ctpublic.org/barney. To support more journalism like this, visit https://donate.ctpublic.org.

Meet “Generation Barney,” a podcast about the media we loved as kids and how it shapes us. It’s about the purple dinosaur. But it’s also about music and love and backlash and toys and nostalgia. Most of all, it’s about the television that helps us become who we are, from the station that helped launch Barney into the world.
The seven-part podcast is produced by Connecticut Public and hosted by Sabrina Herrera. The reporter-producers are Meg Dalton and Lily Tyson. The editor is Cassandra Basler. The project manager is Megan Fitzgerald. The sound designer and theme composer is Jay Cowit. 
Learn more at <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/barney">https://ctpublic.org/barney</a>. To support more journalism like this, visit <a href="https://donate.ctpublic.org">https://donate.ctpublic.org</a>.

Meet “Generation Barney,” a podcast about the media we loved as kids and how it shapes us. It’s about the purple dinosaur. But it’s also about music and love and backlash and toys and nostalgia. Most of all, it’s about the television that helps us become who we are, from the station that helped launch Barney into the world.

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