(CNN) — Barney is back, and while Mattel hasn’t officially confirmed it yet, we suspect he still loves you.
Toy giant Mattel announced on Monday that Barney, the friendly (and, let’s be honest, an embarrassment to a large group of millennials who saw him as preschoolers) purple dinosaur, will make a triumphant return to TVs and bookshelves next year. Thanks to the switch from live action to animation, he’s now getting wide-eyed, too.
The show “Barney & Friends,” starring the eponymous purple T-Rex, aired on PBS in the United States from 1992 to 2010. Mattel said Monday that the new show will be animated, unlike the original. So there won’t be an actor in a dinosaur costume marching and singing to the little kids.
A Mattel spokesperson told CNN that there is no concrete news yet on whether the rebooted Barney will be on PBS, but added that the company has “confirmed broadcast partners, which we will announce later in the year.” PBS could not immediately be reached for comment.
Mattel said the new franchise will include TV content and Alphabet’s own YouTube content, as well as music and a wide range of merchandise including toys (of course), clothing and books. The company’s Mattel Studios unit is working with Nelvana, a studio of Canadian media company Corus Entertainment (CJREF), to co-produce the new series.
“In creating the new series, it was important to us that it appropriately reflect the world children live in today so that it can provide meaningful lessons in navigating it,” said Fred Soulie, general manager of Mattel Television, in the statement. Press.
“With our modern take on Barney, we hope to inspire the next generation to listen, care and dream big,” added Soulie.
Mattel’s television division, which also recently brought back its Monster High and Masters of the Universe franchises, hopes to reconnect with young and middle-aged adults who are longing for their childhood days.
For those of you who grew up watching the original Barney show and admit that you enjoy him and his friends like BJ the yellow protoceratops and Baby Bop the green triceratops, Mattel hopes you’ll also find Barney toys and -Want to buy gifts from the old school.
Barnie the Dinosaur
The company said in its press release that “adult fan apparel and accessories will also be developed using the classic Barney.”
“We will tap into the nostalgia of the generations who grew up with Barney, now parents, and bring the iconic purple dinosaur to a new generation of kids and families around the world through new content,” said Josh Silverman, director of global franchising and Mattels Head of Consumer Goods, in the statement.
Mattel could use its most successful toys. The company announced disappointing holiday earnings and sales and a sluggish outlook last week, and its shares plunged more than 10% on the news. Rival Hasbro is also suffering from weak demand for toys.