One of children’s TV’s biggest shows also has one of the darkest backstories. Check out the first look at Peacock’s upcoming Barney docuseries I Love You, You Hate Me.
New Barney Docuseries Reveals Dark Side of the ’90s Show
One of the world’s most beloved children’s characters turned into a target for hate.
Such is the dark story of everyone’s favorite talking dinosaur, Barney. And that story will be explored in Peacock’s two-part docuseries I Love You, You Hate Me, which premieres Oct. 12.
The series will follow “the rise and fall of Barney the Dinosaur’s furious backlash—and what it says about the human need to hate,” according to the streamer’s description.
Since the premiere of Barney & Friends in 1992, the character, created by Sheryl Leach, became a hit. 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” came in the form of violently destroying Barney merchandise, spreading rumors—including one claiming that Barney actors hid drugs in the costume’s tail—and even death threats towards the show’s performers, crew and their families.
Former Barney actor Bob West recalled such an instance in the trailer, stating, “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,” Peacock’s description continues, “or is this just who we were all along?”
Hinted at in the trailer, the series may also touch upon a 2013 shooting involving Leach’s son Patrick. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2015 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.
Check out the full twisted trailer above.
I Love You, You Hate Me premieres Wednesday, Oct. 12, on Peacock.
(E! and Peacock are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Peacock is live now! Check out NBCU’s streaming service here.
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