Lyrick Studios
FormerlyThe Lyons Group (1988–1994)
TypeSubsidiary
Founded1988 (1988)
DefunctAugust 31, 2001 (2001-08-31)
FateAcquired by and folded into HIT Entertainment. Used as the in-name IP holder for Barney & Friends until 2010.
Successors
HeadquartersAllen, Texas,
U.S.
Products
Number of employees
650 (1997)
ParentHIT Entertainment
Divisions
  • Big Feats! Entertainment
  • Lyons Partnership

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.

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 British entertainment company HIT Entertainment and completed in June. HIT later folded Lyrick in 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 DLM sold The Lyons Group to Lyrick Studios becoming the new division of the former and was renamed under the new name 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 the two companies completed their merger in June of that year, Lyrick continued to use their logo until it was later folded into HIT on August 31, 2001.[4] HIT also took over Lyrick's home video division and rebranded it under its name and it remained like this until 2006, when HIT Entertainment shuttered the division and began to release it's products in the United States under third-parties instead.

Distribution

Programs

NameFirst release dateFinal release dateNotes
The Faithful Revolution: Vatican II1996Sole non-children's video release by Lyrick Studios[5][6]
Barney and the Backyard GangAugust 29, 1988August 1, 1991Direct-to-video pilot series to Barney & Friends
Barney & FriendsApril 6, 1992August 31, 2001Flagship franchise
WishboneOctober 9, 1995March 13, 1998
Francesco's Friendly World1996February 25, 1998
Joe ScruggsMarch 11, 1997
VeggieTalesMarch 31, 1998June 6, 2001Mass-market distribution[lower-alpha 1]
Tall Tales & LegendsJune 16, 1998October 10, 1998
Groundling MarshJune 23, 1998September 8, 1998
The WigglesOctober 12, 1999 (music)
August 1, 2000 (video)[lower-alpha 2]
August 31, 2001US home video distributions

Movies/TV Films

NameYearNotes
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme1990
Kids for Character1996Includes 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 Count1997Includes scenes from Bananas in Pyjamas, The Big Comfy Couch, and Wishbone
Wishbone's Dog Days of the West1998Big Feats! Entertainment
Barney's Great AdventurePolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures

Notes

  1. Originally distributed in Christian bookstores.
  2. 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.

References

  1. Labov, William; Browne, Ray Broadus; Browne, Pat (2001). The Guide to United States Popular Culture. ISBN 9780879728212. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  2. Genzlinger, Neil (April 7, 2017). "The Blame for 'Barney'? I'm a Little Guilty". The New York Times. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Tanner, Lisa (September 5, 1999). "Lyrick Studios expanding". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved January 23, 2004.
  4. Billings, Claire (February 9, 2001). "HIT acquires US rival Lyrick Studios in $275 million deal". CampaignLive. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  5. "The faithful revolution : [videorecording] Vatican II - Western University". ocul-uwo.primo.exlibrisgroup.com. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  6. "The Faithful revolution : Vatican II | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
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