Purple News

Documentary digs down on Barney, the purple dinosaur created in Dallas

Surprisingly controversial figure.

Courtesy photo

Hit children's TV series Barney & Friends, which was created by a Dallas schoolteacher and filmed around North Texas in the '90s, is the subject of a new documentary airing on Peacock.

Called I Love You, You Hate Me, it's a two-part series debuting on October 12that documents the mixed feelings that the lovable purple dinosaur drew.

Barney was created by Sheryl Leach as a way to keep her son, who was enchanted with dinosaurs, entertained. It started out in 1988 as a home release called Barney and the Backyard Gang. That became Barney & Friends which debuted on PBS in 1992 and aired through 2010.

The show was filmed in the Dallas area, first in Allen, then the Studios at Las Colinas in Irving, then to a space in Carrollton.

The Peacock documentary was produced by Scout Productions, the company behind Netflix's Queer Eye.

I Love You, You Hate Me is a limited series chronicling the rise and fall of Barney the Dinosaur’s furious backlash — and what it says about the human need to hate. From Barney-bashing to frat parties to homicidal video games, something in American society broke into a million pieces, and it’s never been put together again… or is this just who we were all along?

Scout senior VP Joel Chiodi tellsTV Insider that the show traces the creation of the character and inadvertenly helped sow the seeds of modern-day hate culture, stating that it "unpacks how a children’s character who stood for inclusion, understanding, and kindness birthed a movement of anger and criticism that threatened the show, its creators, and their futures."

A trailer gives a peek into how the backlash affected Leach, with quotes from luminaries such as Al Roker and Bill Nye the Science Guy. Leach's son Patrick was sentenced to 15 years in jail in 2015 for shooting his neighbor in Malibu, California following an argument.

This is not the first Dallas subject for director Tommy Avallone, who also produced a documentary on Dallas metal band GWAR.

kids

Movie Memorabilia News

Costumes from box office smash Wicked to go on display in Arlington

Photo by Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Glinda's pink bubble dress will be one of the items on display with "Wicked Threads: The Artistry of Costume in Oz" at the Arlington Museum of Art.

Fans of the movie adaptation of the musical Wickedwill soon be able to get up close and personal with the box office smash when the Arlington Museum of Art debuts a collection of costumes and more from the film in 2025.

Running January 17-April 27, "Wicked Threads: The Artistry of Costume in Oz" celebrates the artistry of the costume design and the 20+ year history of the beloved Broadway musical.

Curated by the Arlington Museum of Art, the exhibition will feature original costumes, props, and images from the film, provided by NBCUniversal Archives & Collections. Highlights from the exhibition will include Glinda’s “bubble” dress and Elphaba’s “Defying Gravity” costume.

The costumes were designed by Academy Award-nominated costume designer Paul Tazewell, who was no stranger to the world of Oz, having designed five productions of The Wiz.

“Costuming and filmmaking is an exciting form of visual art and storytelling," said Kendall Quirk, AMA Director of Exhibitions, in a statement. "The AMA is always excited to showcase the work of these artists, especially in our free community gallery spaces. We hope to see emerging designers, filmmakers, and other visual artists come to enjoy these costumes from such a universal story."

The film adaptation of Wicked, which earned over $110 million in its first weekend of release, is based on the musical stage play with music and lyrics by legendary Grammy and Oscar-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, and book by Tony nominee Winnie Holzman.

A prequel to The Wizard of Oz, it is the origin story of how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West and Galinda Upland became Glinda the Good. It’s a story of an unlikely friendship between two young women - one ostracized, one adored - and how the untapped power of one will reshape their lives and Oz, forever.

"Wicked Threads: The Artistry of Costume in Oz" will be on display in the community art space at the Arlington Museum of Art, where all visitors can view the exhibition for free, with no tickets required for entry.

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