The following article contains an overview of Baby Bop through the years on video and television. Depicted as a live-action costumed character for Barney & The Backyard Gang and its successor Barney & Friends, the look for both series has followed a look that's remained the same design wise, with minor touches in addition to the previous iteration it follows. While these appearances have mainly been used in live-action, they've also been used in illustrative and licensing depictions at times, still conveying the original depiction and design that was captured on video during its respective time. The look of Baby Bop during Barney & Friends and Barney & The Backyard Gang would eventually be dubbed as the classic iteration of the character. Following the classic iteration of Baby bop, Mattel would redesign the look for the CGI series Barney's World, giving the character additional fingers, and pupils, following the new era, etc.
Variants
Classic
The following design appearances are based on the live-action appearances of Baby Bop (as shown in Barney & The Backyard Gang and Barney & Friends).
| Image | As seen in | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
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Barney in Concert | 1991-1993 | This is the very first Baby Bop costume from 1991. She is taller than the kids at about 5'7'. Her mouth is not moveable, and the illusion of three-dimensional eyes was achieved by using flat materials for the whites and pupils and placing them behind clear plastic in the shape of hollow half-spheres. Her head and arms are separate from the body, and her arms are split further by a prominent seam in the middle. Her frill is also quite large. She was performed by Dao Knight and later by Jenny Dempsey in season one of Barney & Friends. This costume was eventually carried over into season one of Barney & Friends and was also used for live appearances and Barney Books until 1993. |
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Barney & Friends Season 2 | 1993 | A prototype version of the season two costume was used in the season premiere episode "Falling For Autumn". The only notable differences are the more prominent yet slightly smaller eye pupils and a wider mouth. |
| 1993-1995 |
A smaller and shorter concept of the first costume: Baby Bop becomes shorter, fitting her age of two (later three) years old. Some light changes were made. Her eyes and pupils become bigger and more rounded. Her stomach also becomes rounder. In 1994, she gained darker magenta spots. Her nostrils also became bigger. The performer must lean her head down for the whole face to be visible, like the previous costume. This was also the first time Jeff Ayers performed Baby Bop and would continue to do so until 2008. Like BJ's 1994 costume, this suit was also used on live appearances and Barney Books until 1995. | ||
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Barney & Friends Season 3 | 1995 | This is a prototype version for the season three costume that was used in the episode "If The Shoe Fits..." with the hair tuft being slightly higher and the eyelashes being smaller and raised. |
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1995-1996 | Baby Bop grew ever smaller, and her eyelashes got curved up. In addition, her bottom lip became movable by the bobbing of the performer's head. Her eyes were made to be fully half-dome shaped, pushed into her head more, and moved closer to her forehead. Her nose was made shorter, but more portrudent than previous costumes. | |
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Barney's Fun & Games-Season 4 | 1996-1998 | This costume is not much different from the previous version, except for her eyelashes, which are now smaller and much more flared and raised slightly higher than the previous suit. This suit was also used on live appearances and Barney Books until 1998. |
| Barney & Friends Season 4-6, Season 9-12 | 1997-2008 | Baby Bop's eyelashes are raised higher, and her eyelids aren't as visible as in the previous seasons of Barney & Friends. Her bottom lip also becames quite loose.
Since 1997, there have been two more costume changes over the years:
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Barney and Friends early Season 6 | 1999 | This costume is similar to the 1996 costume. It only appeared in the episode "Stick with Imagination!", but with an upper nuzzle. The performer is Jennifer Romano. It also shares a resemblance to the costumes used in Big Surprise and Musical Castle. |
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Barney & Friends Season 7-Season 8 | 2002-2004 | This costume is similar to the 1996 costume. But the eyelashes are slightly even more flared and curled than before, and the ears appear smaller and thinner. It includes a bottom jaw that moves without the assistance of the bobbing of the performer's head. This mechanism was short-lived due to the difficulty the mechanism added to the performance. |
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Barney & Friends Season 13-14 | 2009–2012 | This was the final Barney costume used for the TV series, which was used only in Season 13, 14, and a few home videos. Baby Bop's eye lashes are shorter and are closer to the top of her eye. The springs in her mouth are slightly loosened, making her mouth much more movable. Her upper muzzle is also much smaller. Her tuft of hair not only appears behind her bow, but slightly in front of it as well, very much like the cartoon illustrations. Her ears also become a brighter color and become smaller. Her nose also becomes squarer. Her stomach, spots, bow, and slippers are given a lighter shade of magenta. This costume adheres to the shape of the new female actress, Lauren Mayeux in the side and back areas making Baby Bop smaller. |
Barney's World
The following iteration of Baby Bop is seen in Barney's World.
| Image | As seen in | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barney's World | 2024 | First seen in September 2024, this iteration of Baby Bop has a lot of similarities to Barney including four fingers on each hand (along with having fingernails), a lined stomach, chipped teeth, and a tongue the very first time. Some of her own unique differences include a new hairstyle, new rounder ears, pink irises, green spots (on her knees, cheeks, and back), the removal of her hairbow (replacing it with a scrunchy with a pink hairtie), as well as the removal of her Ballet Slippers. This render was used for the series first 7 episodes and 2 shorts when Saturday Animation provided the animation and the render was first seen when they released the "Meet Baby Bop" short to promote the series. She is voiced by Bryn McAuley. | |
| Barney's World | 2024-present | Then later in 2024 a brand new version of the render made her first debut when Kickstart Entertainment was brought in to replace Saturday Animation for animating the series starting in "Team Mateys" which came with a few changes - including different looking feet, a lighter shade of green, and different looking eyes that have bigger eye color and pupils. | |
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Barney's World | 2025-present | This version of the render is the same as before only she goes through the same thing Barney went through during the time, which involves giving her a stretchy face The render was first shown in the "Birds Of A Feather". |
See also
- Alternate Baby Bop Costumes - officially produced costumes that weren't explicitly used on camera for Baby Bop's appearances on Barney & The Backyard Gang and Barney & Friends.
Character Evolutions
- Barney Through the Years - officially produced costumes used on camera for Barney's appearances on Barney & The Backyard Gang, Barney & Friends and Barney's World.
- BJ Through the Years - officially produced costumes used on camera for BJ's appearances on Barney & Friends.