Lyrick Studios
Lyrick Studios, formerly The Lyons Group, was an American video production and distribution company based in Allen, Texas best known for their flagship property Barney & Friends.
 | |
| Formerly | The Lyons Group (1988–1994) |
|---|---|
| Type | Private |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Defunct | June 6, 2001 (in general) 2010 (as an in-name IP holder) |
| Fate | Acquired by and merged with HIT Entertainment. Used as the in-name IP holder for Barney & Friends until 2010. |
| Successor | |
| Headquarters | Allen, Texas, U.S. |
| Products | |
Number of employees | 650 (1997) |
| Subsidiaries |
|
The company was known for producing and distributing television shows, home videos, audio products and children's books and toys. On February 9, 2001, the company was acquired by HIT Entertainment and the two companies merged in June the same year, with the logo continuing to be used until August.
History
The company traces its origins to 1988, when The Lyons Group was formed as a division of DLM, Inc., an educational company owned by Richard C. Leach.[1] Lyons began producing and distributing a direct-to-video series titled Barney & the Backyard Gang, which was created by Leach's daughter-in-law, Sheryl Leach. Three years after its debut, Barney caught the attention of PBS executives, who subsequently revamped the concept for television as Barney & Friends and began airing on the organization's flagship television service on April 6, 1992.[2]
Lyrick Studios was formed in 1994, and The Lyons Group became a division of a new company under the name The Lyons Partnership. The company developed the series Wishbone for PBS in 1995. This series was produced by Big Feats! Entertainment, another division of the company, and was primarily filmed on a studio backlot in Allen, Texas.[3] In the late 1990s, Lyrick acquired the distribution rights for VeggieTales and The Wiggles and also distributed book publishing and video gaming rights for some Humongous Entertainment video game characters like Putt-Putt, Freddi Fish, and Pajama Sam.[3] On February 9, 2001, the company was acquired by HIT Entertainment for $275 million and merged in June of that year, even the logo would continue to appear until August.[4]
The home video division of the company was rebranded under the HIT Entertainment name and remained trading until 2006, when HIT shuttered the division and began to release products in the United States through outside third-parties instead.
Distribution
Programs
| Name | First release date | Final release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barney and the Backyard Gang | August 29, 1988 | August 1, 1991 | Direct-to-video pilot series to Barney & Friends |
| Barney & Friends | April 6, 1992 | August 31, 2001 | Flagship puppet franchise |
| Wishbone | October 9, 1995 | March 13, 1998 | |
| Francesco's Friendly World | 1996 | February 25, 1998 | |
| Joe Scruggs | March 11, 1997 | ||
| VeggieTales | March 31, 1998 | June 6, 2001 | Mass-market distribution[lower-alpha 1] |
| Tall Tales & Legends | June 16, 1998 | October 10, 1998 | |
| Groundling Marsh | June 23, 1998 | September 8, 1998 | |
| Kipper | July 14, 1999[lower-alpha 2] | August 31, 2001 | |
| The Wiggles | October 12, 1999 (music) August 1, 2000 (video)[lower-alpha 3] | US home video distributions[lower-alpha 4] | |
| Bob the Builder | 2001 | ||
| Angelina Ballerina | |||
Movies/TV Films
| Name | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme | 1990 | |
| Kids for Character | 1996 | Includes scenes from The Puzzle Place, Barney & Friends, The Magic School Bus, Lamb Chop's Play-Along, Gullah Gullah Island, and Babar |
| Kids for Character: Choices Count | 1997 | Includes scenes from Bananas in Pyjamas, The Big Comfy Couch, and Wishbone |
| Wishbone's Dog Days of the West | 1998 | Big Feats! Entertainment |
| Barney's Great Adventure | PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures | |
Notes
- Originally distributed in Christian bookstores.
- Originally released by Hallmark Home Entertainment from 1999 to 2000.
- The #1 preschool band collaborated Barney the purple dinosaur's national stage show tour "Barney’s Musical Castle" in America and Canada from Spring 2000 to Spring 2001.
- Except for alternate video copies of Angelina Ballerina.
References
- Labov, William; Browne, Ray Broadus; Browne, Pat (2001). The Guide to United States Popular Culture. ISBN 9780879728212. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- Genzlinger, Neil (April 7, 2017). "The Blame for 'Barney'? I'm a Little Guilty". The New York Times. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
- Tanner, Lisa (September 5, 1999). "Lyrick Studios expanding". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved January 23, 2004.
- Billings, Claire (February 9, 2001). "HIT acquires US rival Lyrick Studios in $275 million deal". CampaignLive. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
External links
- Lyrick Studios at the Wayback Machine (archived 2001-02-03)