Love him or hate him, Barney is back, with a new animated series coming in 2024
Millennials of a certain age (author raises her hand) have a, shall we say, complex relationship with Barney. Was the purple dinosaur a ubiquitous part of our childhoods? Absolutely. Did we love him like we loved other major TV characters of the time? Not even close.
Regardless of how we feel, though, Barney is back. Mattel just announced that the big, purple dinosaur is getting a new animated series in 2024, so if you’re like me and just finished thanking your lucky stars that it’s been 20 years since you heard “I love you, you love me…” well, kiss that inner peace goodbye.
The news was met with some seriously mixed emotions online.
Barney fans after seeing this: pic.twitter.com/sKuELlPjvV
— Smugs (@Smug_Mcbug) February 13, 2023
This is not the Barney of my childhood. https://t.co/lU69KUZv1t
— David Aguilar (@davidaguilar92) February 13, 2023
What I don’t like about the new Barney design is that his eyes remind me too much of the original Sonic movie design. pic.twitter.com/4Iy7UXVKun
— aLBERTO hERRERA (@Alberto9Herrera) February 13, 2023
https://twitter.com/ChrisMartin17/status/1625211836462145568?s=20&t=JotaSS9Z57rFyCg21yaTXg
There are people who are excited for the new show. And for anyone who has fond memories of Barney and wants the same for their kids, power to them. Personally, my clearest memories of Barney-mania are how all the kids on my school bus would regularly erupt into elaborate songs we had written about flushing the dino down the toilet. Potato, potahto.
Considering how this generation basically runs on pure nostalgia, it’s no wonder that Mattel decided to reboot Barney. We’re a little bit obsessed with reliving the pop culture we had when we were kids. Doug? Why isn’t it streaming anywhere?! Degrassi? Inject it straight into my veins. Legends of the Hidden Temple? HOW HAS NO ONE REBOOTED THAT SHOW YET? But Barney? Honestly, no one asked for this.
Our relationship with Barney is so complicated that there’s an entire docuseries about how hating the purple dinosaur was an inescapable part of the cultural zeitgeist at the height of Barney fame. Can any other kids’ show character claim that? I think not.
But ready or not, here comes Barney. Super-dee-duper, teeeeee-riffic.
