Hachaverim Shel Barney

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Title card

Hachaverim Shel Barney (Hebrew: החברים של ברני, lit: Barney's Friends) is the Israeli co-production of Barney & Friends. The show premiered in November 1997 on Israel's Channel 2. The following year, reruns were broadcast on Arutz haYeledim (The Children's Channel) and later reran on Channel 33 and Hop!. 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 inspired by Barney. His daughter Gabriella, like several children in the early 90's, became entranced with the purple dinosaur, which inspired him 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), 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.

The show premiered in November 1997 and was immediately a smash hit. 25% of all television viewers were watching Barney on Sunday afternoons and the show's ratings outpaced those of the long-running children's series "Parpar Nechmad" (Nice Butterfly). A second season was produced in 1998.

Videos and Merchandise

Clasikaletet released nine of the Season 1 episodes on VHS in 1997 and 1998. In 2005, these were rereleased on DVD. Sisu Entertainment distributed both the video and DVD releases in North America. Season 2 episodes were 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 (voice) - Avi Taramin (אבי טרמין) and Yehoyachin Friedlander (יהויכין פרידלנדר)
• Barney (costume) - Josh Sagie (ג'וש שגיא)
• Buba Bon (voice) - Tzipi Mor (ציפי מור)
• Buba Bon (costume) - Penny Abraham
• Yana- Yana Kotlyar
• Aviv - Yahala Lachmish
• Dana  - Noy Ben-Ami
• Amir - Amir Lakner
• Nir - Nir Vaknin
• Miki  - Ira Biram
• Hillel - Peli Greitzer
• Noa  - Etti Lijishal
• Tal - Tal Balahusky
• Gal - Gal
• Karen - Linoy Kapach (Season 1)
• Ran - Ran Bechor
• Yael - Yahab Schuster
• Mai - Mai Jacobson
• Jodey - Nehemia Hadar
• Tom - Tom Baromer
• Karen - Nofar Brailovsky (Season 2)
• Ido - Ido Ben Yosef

Episode List

Season 1

1. The Queen of Make-Believe (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

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 Hebrew title to be confirmed and translated)
11. Safari Visitors (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)

Season 1 Gallery

Season 2 Gallery

Trivia

• Josh Sagie, who plays the Barney costume, is slightly shorter than standard Barney performers.
• 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 and Music is Fun).
• In 2004, 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.
• In Eating Right with Barney, Four Seasons, Shapes and Colors, Traveling with Barney, Hafla and Everyone Is Special, all of the songs got a semitone lower, with the exception of the Barney Theme Song.
• Some Hebrew episodes had different versions of I Love You. Sounds of the Forest uses the Season 1 version and How Do You Count to Ten? uses the Season 3 version.
• Based on this original co-production, three Hebrew albums were released. These include:
  • Hashirim Shel Barney
  • Yom Huledet Sameach
  • Yadayim Lemala Al Harosh
• Besides of being the Hebrew voice of Baby Bop, Tzipi Mor also appeared as Mother Goose.

See also

• Baniwa Chingudeul
• Barney y Sus Amigos

External Links

• Hachaverim Shel Barney on Ishim.