Hachaverim Shel Barney

Primary Logo

Secondary Logo

Hachaverim Shel Barney (Hebrew: החברים של ברני, lit: Barney's Friends) is the Israeli co-production of Barney & Friends. The show premiered on November 2, 1997 on Israel's Channel 2. The following year, reruns were broadcast on Arutz Hayeladim (ערוץ הילדים, The Children's Channel) and later reran on Channel 33 and Hop! (!הופ). It has since been released on VHS and DVD. In 2015, the original Barney & Friends was dubbed to Hebrew and aired on JimJam. The dub featured a different voice cast than the Israeli co-production.

History

Itzik Kol, television producer and general manager of Roll Communications, was living in Los Angeles when his daughter Gabriella fell in love with Barney. Her love for the character inspired Kol to pursue the rights to produce an Israeli adaptation of the show. He approached Sheryl Leach and Richard Leach in March 1996 to propose this, but was initially denied, told that he was only allowed to air the show dubbed. Kol countered this, as he felt it wouldn't work to "put Hebrew words into American songs and American kids' mouths". Realizing that the Leach family were devout Christians, he asked "Why not have Barney speak in the language of the Bible?" This ultimately sealed the deal and, under strict guidelines, the show could be produced. One of these guidelines was that the episodes could only be adapted from their US counterparts, with very few script changes. The show cost Roll Communications $41,000 per episode to produce (Only $500 per episode went to Lyrick Studios), making it the most expensive Israeli children's show at the time. Israeli songwriter and translator Ehud Manor was brought on board to translate the songs, while his daughter Libby translated the show's scripts.

Hachaverim Shel Barney premiered on November 2, 1997 and was immediately a smash hit. By December 1997, 25% of all Israeli television viewers were watching Barney on Sunday afternoons and the show's ratings were higher than many other children's shows, including the long running series "Parpar Nechmad" (Nice Butterfly). A second season was produced in 1998 and began airing in early 1999.

Videos and Merchandise

Clasikaletet (קלסיקלטת) released nine of the Season 1 episodes on VHS in 1997 and 1998. In 2005, these were rereleased on DVD. Sisu Home Entertainment distributed both the video and DVD releases in North America. Season 2 episodes were also released on video in Israel, distributed by Five Star Entertainment.

Clasikaletet also handled the distribution of Barney albums and books.

Series Cast

• Barney (Voices: Avi Termin (אבי טרמין) and Yehoyachin Friedlander/Chini Friedlander (יהויכין פרידלנדר), Costume: Josh Sagie (ג'וש שגיא)
• Buba Bon (Voice: Tzipi Mor (ציפי מו), Costume: Penny Abraham (פני אברהם))
• Yana (Yana Kotlyar-Gal) (יאנה קוטלר)
• Dana (Noy Ben-Ami) (נוי בן עמי)
• Aviv (Yahala Lachmish) (יהלה לחמיש)
• Amir (Amir Lekner) (אמיר לקנר)
• Nir (Nir Vaknin) (ניר ועקנין)
• Miki (Ira Biram) (אירה בירם)
• Hillel (Peli Grietzer) (פלי גריצר)
• Noa (Etti Lijishal) (אתי ליגישאל)
• Karen (Season 1: Linoy Kapach (לינוי קאפח), Season 2: Nofar Brailovsky (נופר בריילובסקי))
• Tal (Tal Belahusky) (טל בלהוסקי)
• Gal (Gal Moja) (גל מוג'ה)
• Achmad (Achmad Kondos) (אחמד קונדוס)
• Ido (Ido Ben Yosef) (עידו בן יוסף)
• Ran (Ran Bechor) (רן בכור)
• Kai (Yogev Ohayon) (יוגב אוחיון)
• Natan (Shashi Shabtai) (ששי שבתאי)
• Yael (Yahav Shuster) (יהב שוסטר)
• Tom (Tom Baromer) (טום ברומר)
• Jodey (Hadar Nehemia) (הדר נחמיה)
• May (May Jacobson) (מיה יעקובסון)

Guest Roles

• Sharon (Sharon Tzur) (שרון צור)
• Rainbow Beard the Pirate ("שודד הים בעל זקן קשת") (Josh Sagie) (ג'וש שגיא)
• Ptashka (Leonid Ptashka) (ליאוניד פטשקה)
• Mother Goose (אמא אווזה) (Tzipi Mor) (ציפי מו)
• Yifat (Shirah Senesh) (שירה סנש)
• Mr. Deliveryman (שָׁלִיחַ) (Avi Termin) (אבי טרמין)
• Tal's Grandfather (Ehud Manor) (אהוד מנור)
• Yana's Grandmother (Ofra Fuchs) (עפרה פוקס)
• Adon Eserli (Eli Gorenstein) (אלי גורנשטיין)
• Dafna (Dafna Armoni) (דפנה ארמוני)

Episode List

Season 1 (1997-98)

1. The Queen of Imagination (מלכת הדמיון)*
2. A Family is Love (משפחה זאת אהבה)*
3. Hands Up on Your Head (ידיים למעלה על הראש)*
4. Eating Right with Barney (לאכול נכון עם ברני)*
5. Four Seasons (עונות השנה)*
6. Shapes and Colors (צורות וצבעים)*
7. Music is Fun (מוסיקה זה כיף)*
8. Traveling with Barney (לטייל עם ברני)*
9. It's Fun to Share (לשתף בכיף)*
10. I'm Not Afraid Anymore (אני כבר לא פוחד)*
11. Happy Birthday (יום הולדת שמח)*
12. Aleph Bet (אלף בית)*
13. A Gardener Grows Grain in the Garden (גנן גידל דגן בגן)**
14. Be a Friend (להיות חבר)*
15. I Love Bugs (אני אוהבת חרקים)*
16. When I Grow Up (כשאהיה גדול)*
17. Five Senses (חמשת החושים)*
18. Hi, Neighbor! (שלום שכן)**
19. We Went on a Hike (לטיול יצאנו)*
20. Please and Thank You (בבקשה ותודה רבה)*
21. Carnival of Numbers (קרנבל המספרים)*
22. Doctor Barney Is Here! (כאן דוקטור ברני)**
23. Oh, What A Day! (אוי איזה יום)**
24. It's Good at Home (טוב בבית)**
25. Hafla (חאפלה)**
26. Everyone Is Special (כל אחד הוא מיוחד)*

Season 2 (1999)

1. Play Safely (לשחק בטוח)*
2. On Barney's Farm (בחווה של ברני)**
3. A Goose on the Run (אווז במנוסה)**
4. Keep the Earth Clean (לשמור על העולם נקי)*
5. World Music (מוסיקה עולמית)**
6. Fall Festival (פסטיבל השלכת)**
7. Our Grandparents (סבא וסבתא שלנו)**
8. Classroom Helper (תורן הכיתה)**
9. Our Pets (חיות המחמד שלנו)**
10. Animals[?] ([?]חיות) (Official title to be confirmed and translated)**
11. Visitors to the Safari (מבקרים בספארי)**
12. I Can Draw Too (גם אני יודע לצייר)**
13. Colors of the Rainbow (צבעי הקשת)**
14. Sounds of the Forest (קולות היער)*
15. I Can Too! (גם אני יכול)**
16. Grown-Up for a Day! (גדולים ליום אחד)**
17. Healthy Teeth (שיניים בריאות)**
18. Animals From A to Z (חיות מאל"ף ועד ת"ו)**
19. Surprise Party (מסיבת הפתעה)**
20. There's Room for Everyone (יש מקום לכולם)**
21. International Carnival (קרנבל בינלאומי)**
22. A Warm Home (בית חם)**
23. Musical Cleaner (מנקה מוזיקלי)**
24. How Do You Count to Ten? (?איך סופרים עד עשר)*
25. Let's Go for a Ride in the Car (יוצאים לסיבוב במכונית)*
26. Pleasant Voyage (הפלגה נעימה)*

*-Found

**-Lost

Season 1 Gallery

Season 2 Gallery

Trivia

• Josh Sagie, who plays the Barney costume, is slightly shorter than standard Barney performers.
• Producers of the series wanted to do a reboot before the pandemic, but after the pandemic nothing came through fruition.
• Despite the fact script tinkering was rarely done, some episodes had segments or even whole storylines changed to fit Israeli traditions ("Hola, Mexico!" was now about an Arabian hafla (a feast) rather than a Mexican fiesta, and "London Bridge" was sung as "Yarkon Bridge" in "It's Fun to Share ", "Music is Fun", and "A Goose on the Run").
• In some of the episodes, all of the songs were a semitone lower, except for the Barney Theme Song.
• In 1999, Barney's Great Adventure was dubbed into Hebrew as ההרפתקה הגדולה של ברני (Ha'harpatka Hagdola Shel Barney). Barney was voiced by Yehoyachin Friedlander (Avi Taramin's understudy), Baby Bop was still voiced by Tzipi Mor and she also did BJ's voice. BJ's name is also kept intact unlike in the Barney books, where his name was changed to "Bobby Ben". Due to the involvement of a different team, songs like "If All the Raindrops" and "I Love You" got new translations. In addition, "You Can Do Anything", "Rainbows Follow the Rain", and the reprise of "Barney - The Song" were all replaced by "Imagine" in the credits.
• Some Hebrew episodes had different versions of "I Love You":
  • The Hebrew version of the Seasons 2-3 episodes uses Season 1's extended I Love You.
  • The Hebrew version of most of the Season 2 episodes uses Season 3's I Love You.
• Based on this original co-production, three Hebrew albums were released. These include:
  • Hashirim Shel Barney (השירים של ברני)
  • Yom Huledet Sameach (יום הולדת שמח)
  • Yadayim Lemala Al Harosh (ידיים למעלה על הראש)
• Besides of being the Hebrew voice of Baby Bop, Tzipi Mor also appeared as Mother Goose.
• BJ is the only dino who never appeared in the Hebrew version of the show, as any episodes that he appeared in the original were not produced.
• The first version of the Theme Song's vocals were changed after "Hands Up Your Head". although they did return only "Music is Fun".
• When the series was announced, the initial plan was to produce 104 episodes (four seasons of 26 episodes), as well as a stage show.

See also

• Baniwa Chingudeul
• Barney y Sus Amigos
• Barney und Seine Freunde

External Links

• Hachaverim Shel Barney on Ishim.