Sheryl Leach
 | This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. (March 2021) |
Sheryl Leach | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sheryl Lyna Stamps December 31, 1952 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Author, television producer, television writer |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Known for | Creator of Barney & Friends[1] (1992–2010) |
Sheryl Lyna Stamps Leach (born December 31, 1952) is an American children's TV show creator and author much known for being the creator of the popular children's show Barney & Friends. Kathy Parker and Dennis DeShazer joined her in creating the show. Leach left the show in 1998.
Career[]
Leach, a former teacher, worked with Parker on the idea that would become the eventual TV show in 1987. Originally, the star of the show was envisioned as a teddy bear,[citation needed] but since her toddler son sparked an interest in dinosaurs and they went to the museum in fall of that year, the character changed to a dinosaur. Leach then brought together a team who created a series of home videos called Barney and the Backyard Gang. The videos were sold directly to the public.[2] Later, in 1991, Connecticut Public Television employee Larry Rifkin rented a Barney video for his daughter. He liked the concept, so he spoke with Leach and other creators about putting Barney on television. In October of that year, production began on the new TV show, titled Barney & Friends, and in April 1992, it premiered on PBS.
Leach, the daughter of Texas educators Billy and Mary (Whitesides) Stamps, was born in Henderson County, Texas, and raised in Dallas. A graduate of Kimball High School in Dallas, she holds a bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University and a master's and honorary doctorate from Texas A&M University–Commerce.[3][4]
References[]
- ^ Hofmeister, Sallie (1994-10-20). "A Blue Year for the Purple-and-Green Dinosaur". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
- ^ Lawson, Carol (1992-12-03). "Why Young Children Scream". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
- ^ OAK CLIFF, Dallas, Texas - Famous People
- ^ "Barney Creator Sheryl Leach Awarded Honorary Doctorate." The Pride Online, July 2000 (Vol. 4, No. 3). (link "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-07-01. Retrieved 2008-12-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link))
External links[]
| show Authority control  |
|---|
 | This biographical article related to television in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
- 1952 births
- Living people
- Barney & Friends
- People from Dallas
- Television producers from Texas
- American women television producers
- American television writers
- American women television writers
- Screenwriters from Texas
- American television biography stubs