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.

“Generation: The media we love & how it shapes us” is a podcast series from Connecticut Public. Each season tells the origin story of a beloved cultural touchstone, asks what keeps it alive across generations, and explores how it shapes who we’ve become.

From the creators of "Generation: Barney" and “Generation: Gilmore Girls” comes "Generation: Baby-Sitters Club”. This season we revisit “The Baby-Sitters Club” book franchise and ask what it means 40 years later. Over five episodes, we learn about how the paperbacks shaped the world of children’s publishing,from the writers and editors who brought them to life. We hear from creators and actors about how it’s reaching new audiences through graphic novels and on-screen adaptations, and why we cherish these stories that take the tender years between elementary school and high school seriously.  

In season two, "Generation: Gilmore Girls" revisited 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 the podcast at ctpublic.org/generation. 

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

Marketing support provided by The Podglomerate.

&ldquo;Generation: The media we love &amp; how it shapes us&rdquo; is a podcast series from Connecticut Public. Each season tells the origin story of a beloved cultural touchstone, asks what keeps it alive across generations, and explores how it shapes who we&rsquo;ve become.
From the creators of "Generation: Barney" and &ldquo;Generation: Gilmore Girls&rdquo; comes "Generation: Baby-Sitters Club&rdquo;. This season we revisit &ldquo;The Baby-Sitters Club&rdquo; book franchise and ask what it means 40 years later. Over five episodes, we learn about how the paperbacks shaped the world of children&rsquo;s publishing, from the writers and editors who brought them to life. We hear from creators and actors about how it&rsquo;s reaching new audiences through graphic novels and on-screen adaptations, and why we cherish these stories that take the tender years between elementary school and high school seriously.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In season two, "Generation: Gilmore Girls" revisited 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 &ldquo;Barney&rdquo; into the world.
Learn more about the podcast at <a href="http://ctpublic.org/generation">ctpublic.org/generation</a>.&nbsp;
To support more journalism like this, visit <a href="https://donate.ctpublic.org">ctpublic.org/donate</a>.
Marketing support provided by The Podglomerate.

Each season tells the origin story of a beloved cultural touchstone, asks what keeps it alive across generations, and explores how it shapes who we’ve become.

Generation: Baby-Sitters Club

&ldquo;Generation: The media we love &amp; how it shapes us&rdquo; is a podcast series from Connecticut Public. Each season tells the origin story of a beloved cultural touchstone, asks what keeps it alive across generations, and explores how it shapes who we&rsquo;ve become.
From the creators of "Generation: Barney" and &ldquo;Generation: Gilmore Girls&rdquo; comes "Generation: Baby-Sitters Club&rdquo;. This season we revisit &ldquo;The Baby-Sitters Club&rdquo; book franchise and ask what it means 40 years later. Over five episodes, we learn about how the paperbacks shaped the world of children&rsquo;s publishing, from the writers and editors who brought them to life. We hear from creators and actors about how it&rsquo;s reaching new audiences through graphic novels and on-screen adaptations, and why we cherish these stories that take the tender years between elementary school and high school seriously.&nbsp;&nbsp;
In season two, "Generation: Gilmore Girls" revisited 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 &ldquo;Barney&rdquo; into the world.
Learn more about the podcast at <a href="http://ctpublic.org/generation">ctpublic.org/generation</a>.&nbsp;
To support more journalism like this, visit <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.