New Barney Docuseries Reveals The Disturbing Dark Side Of The Show

Barney, the title character of Barney & Friends is a purple anthropomorphic Tyrannosaurus rex who conveys educational messages and is one of the world’s most beloved children’s characters. However, everyone’s favorite talking dinosaur has a dark backstory. That story will be revealed in Peacock’s two-part docuseries I Love You, You Hate Me, which premieres on October 12.

According to the streamer’s description, the series will track “the rise and fall of Barney the Dinosaur’s furious backlash and what it says about the human need to hate.” The character, created by Sheryl Leach, has been a hit since the show’s debut in 1992. After all, “What color is happier than purple? No color,” says Bill Nye in the series’ trailer.

“As her beloved character was heading into the stratosphere,” states Al Roker, “people couldn’t accept that this was just a show. And so, let the bashing begin.” The “bashing” took the form of violently destroying Barney merchandise, spreading rumors such as one saying that Barney actors hid drugs in the tail of their costumes, and even directing death threats at the show’s performers, crew, and families.

Former Barney actor Bob West described such an incident in the trailer, saying, “They were gonna come find me and they were going to kill me.”

From Barney-bashing to frat parties to homicidal video games, something in American society broke into a million pieces, and it’s never been put together again or is this just who we were all along?

The series may also address a 2013 shooting involving Leach’s son Patrick, as hinted in the trailer. In 2015, he received a 15-year prison sentence for shooting neighbor Eric Shanks in the chest. An interviewee remarks at the end of the trailer, “I don’t think you could ever think somebody would go and shoot someone.”

The docuseries is directed by Tommy Avallone and executive produced by Rob Eric, Joel Chiodi, David Collins, Michael Williams, Tommy Avallone, Raymond Esposito, Wendy Greene, and Amy Goodman Kass. Trent Johnson also serves as a producer. You can check out the full twisted trailer below. To get the latest updates, keep an eye on Thirsty.

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