Hey there, it's Kathy. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to History of the 90s

early and ad-free on Amazon music included with Prime.

Cheryl Leach, a working mom in Texas, was stuck in traffic when her thoughts drifted to her two-year-old

son Patrick. She was always looking for ways to keep the little guy entertained.

The former teacher turned writer at a kid's educational publishing company thought about the blankets and teddy bears that children frequently drag around with them

and how wonderful it would be if those beloved items could come to life.

She also remembered a recent trip to the museum and her son's new obsession with dinosaurs.

And just like that, she envisioned a plush toy dinosaur that comes to life and entertains a

backyard full of kids with songs and games.

I'm Kathy Kinsora, and this is History of the 90s,

a podcast about a decade that changed the world.

On this episode, we spend time with a purple dinosaur sensation,

with millions of fans who taught the ABCs, the 123s,

and reminded children that sharing means caring.

All while stirring up an unexpected level of hate

from parents and other adults

forced to watch the hit PBS show.

This is the story of Barney.

After Cheryl Leach came up with her brainstorm idea for the Talking Dinosaur in 1987, she approached DLM Incorporated, the Dallas company she worked for. They published children's educational products, and Cheryl hoped they might agree to develop a series of videos

featuring the prehistoric creature.

Direct-to-consumer VHS tapes were the web series of that era,

and a lot of individuals and small businesses were shooting them,

...