A three-part documentary about Barney the Dinosaur has started production at Peacock, the streamer announced Monday.
The project will examine the meteoric rise of Barney, the beloved children’s character who captured the hearts of millions of children and then became the target of hate and rage across pop culture, the early internet and playgrounds around the world. It hails from Scout Productions and Tommy Avallone.
“Barney the Dinosaur was a ubiquitous character for children and parents alike and we are thrilled to work with the Scout Productions team to bring this three-part series to Peacock,” said Rod Aissa, executive vice president of unscripted content for NBCUniversal Television & Streaming. “This documentary is bound to captivate audiences like Barney has over the years.”
With exclusive interviews and archival footage, the three-part documentary will offer first-hand accounts of the Barney phenomenon from the cast and crew to its most outspoken critics.
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Barney was created by Sheryl Leach, with the character debuting in 1988 in the ” Barney and the Backyard Gang” home video series. That was followed by the PBS series “Barney & Friends,” which aired until 2010. There have also been numerous Barney concert specials, movies, toys, and more.
The documentary is produced by Scout Productions. Tommy Avallone is the director and executive producer. Rob Eric, David Collins, Michael Williams, Amy Goodman Kassm, and Joel Chiodi of Scout Productions executive produce along with Raymond Esposito. Wendy Greene is co-executive producer and Trent Johnson is the producer. The untitled doc will premiere on Peacock in 2022.
Scout Productions is known for producing unscripted shows like “Queer Eye” at Netflix as well as “Legendary” and “The Hype” at HBO Max. They previously produced the critically-acclaimed documentary “Fog of War” as well as the LGBTQ history doc “Equal.” Scout has also confirmed it is currently developing a gay ghost hunter series with Kristen Stewart.
