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.

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.

Marketing support provided by The Podglomerate.

On &ldquo;Barney &amp; Friends,&rdquo; Barney starts off as a plush toy and then comes to life. That iconic stuffed animal wasn&rsquo;t just on the small screen; it was in the homes of children around the world. Merchandise was a huge part of the show&rsquo;s success. But &ldquo;Barney &amp; Friends&rdquo; wasn&rsquo;t the first movie or TV show to connect with fans through merch. That dates back a long time &mdash; 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&nbsp;<a href="http://masterclass.com/DINO">masterclass.com/DINO</a> for the current offer.
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.&nbsp;
Learn more at<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/barney"> https://ctpublic.org/barney</a>.&nbsp;
To support more journalism like this, visit<a href="https://donate.ctpublic.org"> https://donate.ctpublic.org</a>.
Marketing support provided by The Podglomerate.

From the creators of ‘Generation Barney’, ‘Generation Gilmore Girls’ revisits the popular TV series and asks why it still resonates 25 years later. We learn how it shaped some of the actors who worked on it, and the fans who watch it. It’s about the television that comforts us and helps us become who we are, from the state that inspired the whole phenomenon.

In season one, ‘Generation Barney’ explored 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.

Learn more about 'Generation Barney' at ctpublic.org/barney.

Learn more about 'Generation Gilmore Girls' at ctpublic.org/gilmore.

To support more journalism like this, visit ctpublic.org/donate.

From the creators of &lsquo;Generation Barney&rsquo;, &lsquo;Generation Gilmore Girls&rsquo; revisits the popular TV series and asks why it still resonates 25 years later. We learn how it shaped some of the actors who worked on it, and the fans who watch it. It&rsquo;s about the television that comforts us and helps us become who we are, from the state that inspired the whole phenomenon.
In season one, &lsquo;Generation Barney&rsquo; explored the media we loved as kids and how it shapes us. It&rsquo;s about the purple dinosaur but it&rsquo;s also about music and love and backlash and toys and nostalgia. Most of all, it&rsquo;s about the television that helps us become who we are, from the station that helped launch Barney into the world.
Learn more about 'Generation Barney' at <a href="https://ctpublic.org/barney">ctpublic.org/barney</a>.
Learn more about 'Generation Gilmore Girls' at <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/podcast/generation-gilmore-girls">ctpublic.org/gilmore</a>.
To support more journalism like this, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://donate.ctpublic.org">ctpublic.org/donate</a>.

From the creators of ‘Generation Barney’, ‘Generation Gilmore Girls’ revisits the popular TV series and asks why it still resonates 25 years later. We learn how it shaped some of the actors who worked on it, and the fans who watch it. It’s about the television that comforts us and helps us become who we are, from the state that inspired the whole phenomenon.

Generation Gilmore Girls

From the creators of "Generation Barney", "Generation Gilmore Girls" revisits the popular TV series and asks why it still resonates 25 years after its premiere. We learn how the show shaped some of the actors who worked on it, the fans who watch it, and the place that inspired it. It’s about the television that comforts us and helps us become who we are, from the state that inspired the whole phenomenon: Connecticut.

In season one, "Generation Barney" explored 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.

Learn more about 'Generation Gilmore Girls' at ctpublic.org/gilmore.

Learn more about 'Generation Barney' at ctpublic.org/barney.

To support more journalism like this, visit ctpublic.org/donate.

Marketing support provided by The Podglomerate.

From the creators of "Generation Barney", "Generation Gilmore Girls" revisits the popular TV series and asks why it still resonates 25 years after its premiere. We learn how the show shaped some of the actors who worked on it, the fans who watch it, and the place that inspired it. It&rsquo;s about the television that comforts us and helps us become who we are, from the state that inspired the whole phenomenon: Connecticut.
In season one, "Generation Barney" explored the media we loved as kids and how it shapes us. It&rsquo;s about the purple dinosaur, but it&rsquo;s also about music and love and backlash and toys and nostalgia. Most of all, it&rsquo;s about the television that helps us become who we are, from the station that helped launch Barney into the world.
Learn more about 'Generation Gilmore Girls' at <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/podcast/generation-gilmore-girls">ctpublic.org/gilmore</a>.
Learn more about 'Generation Barney' at <a href="https://ctpublic.org/barney">ctpublic.org/barney</a>.
To support more journalism like this, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://donate.ctpublic.org">ctpublic.org/donate</a>.
Marketing support provided by The Podglomerate.

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.

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