Dennis DeShazer

Last updated
Dennis DeShazer
Born
Dennis Lloyd DeShazer

(1963-11-27) November 27, 1963 (age 61)
Richardson, Texas, U.S.
Alma mater Southern Methodist University
OccupationProducer

Dennis Lloyd DeShazer (born November 27, 1963) [1] is an American producer best known as being one of the co-creators of the Barney franchise, having involvement and producing the video series Barney & the Backyard Gang and its successor Barney & Friends, alongside creator Sheryl Leach and co-creator Kathy Parker.

Contents

Early life and career

DeShazer was a graduate of Southern Methodist University. [1] He became a video writer [1] and producer at DLM, Inc., [2] an educational publishing company owned by Richard C. Leach. DeShazer was producing videotapes about how to buy and sell real estate at the time. [3]

Barney the Dinosaur

DeShazer was later recruited by Richard's daughter Sheryl Leach to help her and Kathy Parker develop the video series Barney & the Backyard Gang  where he was a producer, where he came up with the name Barney for the dinosaur. [4] He served as an executive producer for The Lyons Group. [5] 1992 saw the launch of the worldwide popular show Barney & Friends where Dennis was the executive producer alongside Kathy and Sheryl (until their departures in 1993 and 1998 respectively). Dennis helped oversee the production of 128 episodes of the series and numerous other Barney productions such as home videos, stage shows and a feature film. Dennis' final year with the franchise was 2000 when he left and was succeeded by Randy Dalton in 2001 during the production of season seven.[ citation needed ]

Boz the Bear

In 2003, DeShazer, alongside Jon Green who worked at Lyrick Studios, co-founded founded Exclaim Entertainment, LLC to produce family entertainment with a Christian perspective. The project they worked on through the company was Boz the Green Bear. [6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Swartz, Mimi (April 1993). "Invasion of the giant purple dinosaur: how did three Dallas pollyannas make Barney as big as Big Bird?". Texas Monthly. Retrieved September 3, 2025.
  2. ↑ Ericksen, Gregory K. (April 26, 1999). Women Entreprenuers Only: 12 Women Entrepreneurs Tell the Stories of Their Success. Ernst & Young LLP. p. 14. Retrieved September 17, 2025– via Google Books. She enlisted Dennis DeShazer, who was already a salaried TV producer at DLM, and took on board Kathy Parker, a fellow freelancer with a background in education.
  3. ↑ Lawson, Carol (December 3, 1992). "Why Young Children Scream". The New York Times . Retrieved August 14, 2010.
  4. ↑ Hellmich, Nancl (December 4, 1992). "He's the Big Bird of the '90s - Barney". The Burlington Free Press. Retrieved September 17, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "What's not to like about that big, purple bundle known as Barney?". The Philadelphia Inquirer. January 24, 1993. Retrieved September 17, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "Exclaim Entertainment LLC". BOZTheBear.com. Archived from the original on May 21, 2012. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
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