mikezalepa Boy I tell ya. this show. 1st of all they always have the same 2 beginning and end songs. 2nd they teach kids a stranger is a friend you never met.WHAAAAAAAAAA and last. what makes barney come alive?? so yeah the worst show in pbs kids history.

MilkywayCannonball Barney was a dearly beloved part of my childhood, and not something I regret loving. It burdens me greatly that this harmless and lovable show is so widely despised, and often due to untrue rumors. First of all, the 'strangers are a friend you haven't met' thing. It simply never happened. Not a real episode or something Barney ever said. Second, the condoning cheating claim. There was an episode where the kids balance peanuts on spoons in a race. One boy puts peanut butter on his spoon and is told he is creative. This is just played off as a silly joke. Kids are smarter than they get credit for. I've heard there is some episode where they supposedly say it's okay to steal if the person you steal from doesn't mind it. Not only does that not really make sense, but I cannot find evidence of it. It's possible this one really happened, but I have a strong feeling it was also played as a joke or something, and not really saying this. Barney is often accused of teaching kids that magic solves all their problems. I say this simply isn't the case. Remember that Barney only exists in the kids' imaginations. Therefor, the kids are solving problems with their imaginations. In fact, this show encourages a lot of imagination.Something else people don't like is the fact that most of the kids are so much older than the target audience, and act like younger kids. I like to think this is just another example of what TV Tropes calls Dawson Casting. I also feel that the kids are probably playing kids in like first grade. I also have found they usually act like they are sharing conversation with each other, not just learning preschool stuff they didn't already know. People also don't like the positive attitudes and happiness this show encourages. I say it has great messages that are sadly underrated. While this might not be a great show for most older than it's target audience, I feel it is a cute and harmless show with great messages young kids need. I also don't find it to talk down to kids like most claim.

georgefamilycrafts Many folks on these reviews have either never watched the show or allow the television to raise their children. This show is great for preschoolers and my kids both loved it when they were little. In my case, I actually monitor what my children watch, and I find nothing wrong with Barney. The show tries to promote what most of us accept as good social behavior. Some of the reviews on here are so ridiculous that I will not even try to respond to them. I would hate to hear what the same people think about the old cartoons I watched as a kid. Great show for preschoolers... don't listen to these trolls with these absolutely ignorant, bad reviews. Thanks, Actual parent of two young kids that loved Barney as toddlers!

TheLittleSongbird When I was a little girl, I loved Barney and Friends and never missed it. Then I never understood why my parents hated it so much. Seeing Barney and Friends again from an 18 year old perspective, I do feel sorry for my parents. My summary may be a little harsh, but I feel ashamed for loving this show. I do think though this is a perfect example of something you grow out of when you get older. Kids might like it, like I did, but now I find it too annoying and childish for my tastes.First and foremost, the characters are very annoying and obnoxious now. I am not going to compare this to other shows or their characters, but characters like Rosie and Jim, Pingu and Big Bird are lovable characters and their respective shows are classics in my opinion. I may have liked Barney when I was little and I still remember the time when he was one of the attractions at Alton Towers, but now I see him as the annoying purple dinosaur he is, and to me his voice actor(s) sounds like he is high on something. Other than Barney, the most annoying character is Baby Bop. When I was little, I used to think she was adorable and huggable, but now she is probably the only character I consider more annoying than Barney, if that was actually possible. I even find Tutter from Bear in the Big Blue House much more adorable, and funny as well.The music is incredibly repetitive and simplistic. I appreciate that the writers try to keep it simple, but like with Dora the Explorer they go overboard with the simplicity. The main theme song is merely a variation of Yankee Doodle complete with awful lyrics and out of tune singing, and the I love you, you love me song is the sort of song I have thought in a different light, in a bad way as well since seeing the show.Then there is truly banal and childish writing, quite possibly the worst asset of the show. The writing alone made my parents wince with contempt because of the complete shallowness and banality of it all. Complete with repetitive story lines, next to no educational value(well to an adult), some of the cheapest effects for any children's show, blatant talking down to the audience and negative lessons such as stealing and cheating being okay. As a kid I loved the production values for their vibrancy and colour, but to an adult they are very tacky and unoriginal. I get the sense that Barney, BJ and Baby Bop are people dressed up in dinosaur suits and the scenery looks as though it is about to fall over any minute.The voice acting is uninspired, and the kids sometimes act as though they don't know what they are supposed to be doing.Any redeeming qualities? No not really... wait there's one. Stella the Storyteller. Probably the only character I can tolerate. Even as a young girl, I loved how pretty she was and her maternal attitude. And there you have Barney and Friends. I strongly dislike the show now, I loved it as a child, but now I hate how childish and simplistic it is. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I've heard it's worse. Maybe I'll check it out to give it the benefit of the doubt. 1/10 Bethany Cox