Mattel jumps at the chance to entice a new generation of anti-buccal fat Barney fans

What’s a happy family without some friendly generational divide? Sowing disagreement between elder PBS aficionados and sympathetic parents of modern toddlers, Mattel announced today that a new, revitalized Barney is heading consumers’ way next year, with a lengthy slate of projects spanning television, film, YouTube content, and music on the way.

Inherent in Barney’s re-up: a new and thoroughly yassified character design of the lovable purple dinosaur. Depicted with wider eyes and significantly less of the internet’s current bodily béte noire: buccal fat. Whether New Barney begets adoration a la Baby Yoda or anarchy a la Sonic The Hedgehog, he’s driving the cultural conversation (well, a cultural conversation); as of this writing, “Barney” is the No. 1 trending term on Twitter. General consensus: he’s cute, but he wasn’t born that way.

“Barney’s message of love and kindness has stood the test of time,” says Josh Silverman, Chief Franchise Officer and Global Head of Consumer Products at Mattel. “We will tap into the nostalgia of the generations who grew up with Barney, now parents themselves, and introduce the iconic purple dinosaur to a new generation of kids and families around the world across content, products, and experiences.”

The centerpiece of Barney’s big comeback is a new animated television series aimed at preschool kids, currently slated for 2024. Chronicling “music-filled adventures centered on love, community, and encouragement,” the series aims to introduce a new generation to Barney (and the “toys, books, clothing, and more” one can buy with his likeness on it.)

“In creating the new series, it was important to us that we properly reflect the world that kids today live in so that the series can deliver meaningful lessons about navigating it,” says Fred Soulie, SVP and General Manager of Mattel Television. “With our modern take on Barney, we hope to inspire the next
generation to listen, care, and dream big.” Seeming more than aware that a redesign stands to ruffle some nostalgic feathers, Soulie also shares: “We think that parents, many of whom will fondly remember the original Barney from their own childhoods, will love the show, too.”