Barney is back with a brand new look however fans who grew up with the friendly purple dinosaur are far from pleased. In fact, some are actually quite scared.
On Monday (13 February) American toy brand Mattel announced that the dinosaur 'from our imagination' will be making a grand return with a fresh CGI makeover.
The beloved character, who brought lots of cheerfulness and fun adventures to children in the 1990s and 2000s, will inspire a whole new generation with content spanning television, film, YouTube, music and a full of products for children from 2024.
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But with every relaunch, reboot or revival, fans of the original have taken to social media to critique the new era Barney, whose design includes a gap between his front teeth, large green eyes and prominent eye ridges but with the same purple and green colour scheme.
Perhaps the biggest change is the fact that the OG Barney was played by a suit actor while the new version of the character seems to be completely animated. This hasn't gone down well with people who grew up with the 'dinosaur sensation' at all.
Social media has shifted its focus from praising Rihanna's Super Bowl Halftime show to wondering why Barney is coming back and why he looks so different.
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The new look in particular hasn't been welcomed with open arms by former Barney fans, with some calling the design 'terrifying'.
One person quoted the Barney theme song we all still remember, writing: "taking ‘from our imagination’ to another level cos who is that fraud the random gap teeth cute tho."
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A second Twitter user wrote: “Wtf did they do to Barney?”
While another comment said: “Well that’s terrifying.”
Another disappointed former fan declared: "As a Barney lover as a child, this ain't it chief."
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And another unimpressed past viewer tweeted: "Am I the only one being traumatized at the thought of Barney coming back?!"
Barney has made headlines recently after the arrival of a documentary which explored the character's dark side.
Streaming service Peacock dropped the docuseries I Love You, You Hate Me which looked into the dark and seedy underbelly of one of the biggest children's TV icons.
Barney alumni you may recognise include Disney Channel actresses and pop stars Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez.
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Well-known media personalities like Bill Nye the Science Guy and NBC’s Al Roker, as well as the former cast and crew, share the real story of how the world turned against Barney and Friends.
Barney performer and voice of the purple children's icon, Bob West, revealed in the trailer that he and his entire family received death threats in the wake of the show.
Hopefully the folks behind the Barney relaunch won't experience anything like this.
Fred Soulie, SVP and General Manager of Mattel Television, shared a few details about the reboot: “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.
“With our modern take on Barney, we hope to inspire the next generation to listen, care, and dream big. We think that parents, many of whom will fondly remember the original Barney from their own childhoods, will love the show, too.”
Topics: Film and TV
Gregory Robinson