Deborah Baudin Ries (born December 16, 1954) is best known as a kids entertainment industry veteran, with over thirty years of experience in Home Entertainment, publishing, licensing and live events. Ries first got her start within the industry in 1987, as a director of sales for The Lyons Group. She later held executive positions for Lyrick Studios and HIT Entertainment, who were the owners of the Barney & Friends, the successor to Barney & The Backyard Gang.
Career[]
Barney[]
Barney & The Backyard Gang[]
Ries, a schoolteacher from Canada, came to Texas in 1986. Given that she couldn’t work, because she didn’t have her green card, she got very involved in her local neighborhood such as volunteering at the school and running toddler activities during ladies groups. While becoming involved with her community, Ries met Sheryl Leach. One day, Leach asked Ries if she'd be interested in participating in a focus group at Richard Leach's house in Plano, Texas given that they had someone from a video and toy store attending in regard to the then upcoming video series Barney & The Backyard Gang.
Once the first few videos of the series went into post-production, Leach mentioned that they needed to start selling the video, which is when the idea of the 'Mom Blitzers' occurred, where neighborhood mothers would sell Barney & The Backyard Gang videos. Ries was on vacation in Canada while training was occurring for the initiative. When she came back, she began selling. Ries was selling the most within the 'Mom Blitzers', given that she was explaining to those she was selling to about what she saw when her child watched the videos. Ries eventually became the director of sales (later re-named to sales vice president) during her time with The Lyons Group, owners of Barney & The Backyard Gang, and its eventually successor Barney & Friends. Ries was also a production assistant for Barney in Concert.
Barney & Friends[]
Debbie Ries and her three kids with the cast and crew of Barney & Friends on the set of season two.
Ries was eventually promoted to being the sales vice president and senior vice president of sales for Lyrick Studios[1] (from 1995 until February 2001) and senior vice president, sales for HIT Entertainment[2][3] when Barney & Friends became owned by both companies respectively. She later became senior vice president for home entertainment & live events for HIT Entertainment,[4] staying with the company until 2006.
Trivia[]
- Ries came up with the name "Min" for the respective character on Barney & Friends.
- Ries is responsible for Barney plushies having three spots rather than the correct amount as seen on video, due to additional spots being expensive to manufacture at the time. The three spots on Barney’s back have been kept overtime on plushies afterwards.
- Ries' three kids were in Barney's 1st Live Sing-Along Concert that occurred in Allen, Texas in 1990. Her daughter Alexandra Ries was in the show that took place at the Majestic Theater in Dallas, Texas in 1991.
Video[]
Interview[]
References[]
- ↑ HIT reorganizes after Lyrick acquisition June 7, 2001 Retrieved November 19, 2023
- ↑ BRINGING ON THE HITS August 30, 2004 Retrieved November 19, 2023
- ↑ ENTERTAINMENT LICENSES SPARK SALES June 20, 2005 Retrieved November 19, 2023
- ↑ Disc Drive Retrieved November 19, 2023