Lyrick Studios
Lyrick Studios (formerly The Lyons Group from 1988-1993) was an American video production and distribution company based in Allen, a Dallas suburb. The company was known for producing and distributing television shows, home videos, audio products and children's books and toys, particularly for their flagship property Barney & Friends. In August 31, 2001, the company was acquired by and was folded into HIT Entertainment.
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1988 (as The Lyons Group) 1994 |
| Defunct | August 31, 2001 |
| Fate | Acquired by and folded into HIT Entertainment. Still active as IP holder for Barney and Friends. |
| Successor | HIT Entertainment |
| Headquarters | Allen, Texas, U.S. |
| Products | Barney & Friends Wishbone VeggieTales The Wiggles |
Number of employees | 650 (1997) |
| Subsidiaries |
|
| Website | www.lyrickstudios.com |
History
The company traces its origins to 1988, when The Lyons Group was formed as a division of DLM, Inc (Developmental Learning Materials), an educational company owned by Richard C. Leach.[1] Lyons began producing and distributing a direct-to-video series titled Barney and the Backyard Gang, which was created by Richard's daughter-in-law, Sheryl Leach. Three years after the home video series debuted, Barney caught the attention of PBS executives, and the concept was subsequently revamped for television. Barney & Friends began airing on the Public Broadcasting Service on April 6, 1992.[2]
Lyrick Studios was formed in 1994, and The Lyons Group became a division of the new company under the name Lyons Partnership. The company developed the Wishbone series for PBS in 1995. This series was produced by Big Feats! Entertainment, another Lyrick division, and was primarily filmed on a studio backlot in Allen.[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 folded on August 31.[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 year | Final year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barney and the Backyard Gang | 1988 | 1991 | Direct-to-video series |
| Barney & Friends | 1992 | 2001 | Flagship series |
| Wishbone | 1995 | ||
| Joe Scruggs | 1997 | ||
| Francesco's Friendly World | |||
| Groundling Marsh | 1998 | 2001 | US distribution |
| VeggieTales | Mass market distribution | ||
| Shelley Duvall's American Tall Tales & Legends | |||
| The Wiggles | 1999 | US distribution | |
| Bob the Builder | 2001 | US home video distributions | |
| Kipper | |||
| Angelina Ballerina | |||
Movies/TV Films
| Name | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kids for Character | 1996 | Includes scenes from The Puzzle Place, Barney & Friends, Scholastic's The Magic School Bus, Lamb Chop's Play-Along, Nick Jr.'s Gullah Gullah Island, and Babar |
| Kids for Character: Choices Count | 1997 | Includes scenes from Bananas in Pyjamas, The Big Comfy Couch, and Wishbone |
| Shelley Duvall's Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme | 1998 | |
| Wishbone's Dog Days of the West | ||
| Barney's Great Adventure: The Movie | PolyGram Filmed Entertainment & Universal Pictures | |
References
- Labov, William; Browne, Ray Broadus; Browne, Pat (2001). The Guide to United States Popular Culture. ISBN 9780879728212. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- Genzlinger, Neil. "The Blame for 'Barney'? I'm a Little Guilty". Retrieved October 17, 2020.
- Tanner, Lisa (September 5, 1999). "Lyrick Studios expanding". Dallas Business Journal.
- Billings, Claire. "HIT acquires US rival Lyrick Studios in $275 million deal". Retrieved June 24, 2017.
External links
- Lyrick Studios at the Wayback Machine (archive index)