Barney The Dinosaur
Barney the dinosaur has been entertaining young children for over twenty years, making it one of the most preferred television shows by both parents and young audiences. Barney and friends airs on several different television networks.
Barney the dinosaur was created by Sheryl Leach of Dallas in 1987 as she considered ways to entertain her son while also providing good education. The first series, made for home video, had modest success. It wasn't until the characters and format were edited for series television that it saw widespread popularity. Originally picked up by the PBS, or Public Broadcasting Service, it debuted as Barney and Friends in 1992.
Barney the dinosaur is programmed for children of preschool age and younger. The show primarily focuses on humor and instilling positive morals, while glazing over more negative aspects taught in other television shows of the same type. Each episode tends to be its own story, allowing children to start into the series with no previous knowledge and still understand what is going on. With over twenty years of episodes to date, this makes the series popular with some parents, as they do not have to explain what happened previously in the series.
Barney the dinosaur, due to its vast success, has a wide range of children's toys, dinosaur bedding and other odds and ends. Coloring books can be downloaded from the internet or bought in many stores, as well as lunch boxes and crayons themed after characters in the show. There are some educational tools also available that help parents teach their children various skills before school has even begun.
As the focus of the show is primarily enjoyment, there is less actual teaching than competing shows. However, this is considered both a benefit and a disadvantage for the show, as it gives preschoolers something to enjoy that does not necessarily involve them having to always learn from their televisions. In this way, it can be treated as a reward by parents for good behavior, as well as a way to keep the entertained without parents needing to keep as close an eye on their children.
Barney the dinosaur is unsuitable for children above the preschool and entry grade levels of education, and is often viewed with ridicule by older audiences. It was voted onto the 2002 list of the Top 50 Worst TV shows of all time, part due to the high levels of success it has enjoyed.