Sheryl Leach

{{Short description|American children's show creator}} {{BLP sources|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Sheryl Leach | image = | birth_name = Sheryl Lyna Stamps | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|12|31}} | birth_place = Athens, Texas, U.S.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://greensboro.com/the-purple-one-there-s-no-stopping-him/article_6d3d8f83-eec5-5c85-962f-31cb99c76b31.html/|title=THE PURPLE ONE/THERE'S NO STOPPING HIM|website=Dallas Morning News|date=April 6, 1994|first=Kimberly|last=Goad|access-date=September 18, 2025|via=Greensboro.com}}</ref> | death_date = | death_place = | death_cause = | employer = | occupation = Author, television producer, television writer | years_active = 1987–present | spouse = {{Unbulleted list| * {{marriage|James Edmond|1982|2001|reason=divorced}} * Howard Rosenfeld<ref name="CT Insider">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newmilfordspectrum.com/local/article/Community-spirit-and-good-eating-3772997.php|title=Community spirit and good eating|date=August 8, 2012|website=CT Insider}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.registercitizen.com/news/article/The-Farmer-s-Table-looks-to-broaden-its-support-11999211.php|title=The Farmer's Table looks to broaden its support of local agriculture|date=August 5, 2015|website=The Register Citizen}}</ref> }} | children = 1 | known_for = Creator of ''Barney & Friends''<ref>{{cite news|title= A Blue Year for the Purple-and-Green Dinosaur|work= The New York Times|date=October 20, 1994 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/20/business/a-blue-year-for-the-purple-and-green-dinosaur.html?scp=1&sq=Sheryl%20Leach&st=cse|accessdate=August 14, 2010 | first=Sallie | last=Hofmeister}}</ref> (1992–2010) }}

'''Sheryl Lyna Stamps Leach''' (born December 31, 1952) is an American author who created the children's show ''Barney & Friends'' with Kathy Parker and Dennis DeShazer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://barneyonline.com/Barney/Nav/justforparents.html|title=Just for parents|website=Barney Online|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19971224171249/https://barneyonline.com/Barney/Nav/justforparents.html |access-date=August 16, 2022 |archive-date=24 December 1997 }}</ref>

==Early life== Leach holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Southern Methodist University (SMU) and a master's degree in bilingual education from Texas A&M University - Commerce.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oakcliff.com/noteables/noteable-l-p.htm|title=OAK CLIFF, Dallas, Texas - Famous People|website=Oak Cliff|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703215719/http://www.oakcliff.com/noteables/noteable-l-p.htm|archive-date=July 3, 2008}}</ref>

==Career== In the late 1980s, Sheryl Leach, along with Kathy Parker and Dennis DeShazer, came up with the concept for a children's television show featuring a purple dinosaur named Barney.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.portablepress.com/blog/2017/07/the-barney-story/|title=The Barney Story|date=July 25, 2017|website=Uncle John's Blog|access-date=September 3, 2025|via=Portable Press}}</ref> They believed that such a character could help young children learn important life lessons and skills in a fun and engaging way. Inspired by their own experiences as parents, they created the character and developed the show's format.<ref name="Go Reads">{{cite web|last1=Jhon|first1=Amelia|title=Sheryl Leach: The Creative Genius Behind Barney & Friends|url=https://www.goreads.info/sheryl-leach-creative-genius-behind-barney-friend/|website=GoReads.info|date=June 6, 2023|publisher=Amelia Jhon|access-date=June 7, 2023|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230613230319/https://www.goreads.info/sheryl-leach-creative-genius-behind-barney-friend/|archive-date=June 13, 2023}}</ref>

Leach, a former teacher, worked with Parker and DeShazer on what would become the TV show in 1987. Originally, the star of the show was envisioned as a teddy bear, but since her toddler son sparked an interest in dinosaurs, the character was changed to a dinosaur. Leach and her team created a series of home videos called ''Barney and the Backyard Gang''. The videos were sold directly to the public.<ref name="The New York Times">{{cite news|title= Why Young Children Scream|work= The New York Times|date=December 3, 1992 |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/03/garden/why-young-children-scream.html?scp=10&sq=Barney%20&%20Friends&st=cse|accessdate=August 14, 2010 | first=Carol | last=Lawson}}</ref> In 1991, after Connecticut Public Television employee Larry Rifkin rented a Barney video for his daughter, he spoke with the creators about putting Barney on television.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Loria |first1=Keith |title=Meet the CT man who brought Barney and UConn women's basketball to TV |url=https://www.ctinsider.com/entertainment/article/Meet-the-CT-man-who-brought-Barney-and-UConn-16541956.php |website=CT Insider |date=October 18, 2021}}</ref> In October of that year, production began on the new TV show, titled ''Barney & Friends'', and in April 1992, it premiered on PBS. Barney went onto receive a number of awards and honors.

The character of BJ was named after Leach's father,<ref name="CT Insider" /> Billy Joe "B.J." Stamps.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/?clipping_id=21264065&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjEzMDYwOTEwOCwiaWF0IjoxNjM1NTA5MTIzLCJleHAiOjE2MzU1OTU1MjN9.ilS1ma5C35xzzzgeSla5FCH-z9hOo29a_2mfwH0Wmew|title=Barney's big success breeds some equally big problems|date=April 24, 1994|website=The Des Moines Register|access-date=September 18, 2025|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Her former brother-in-law, Tom Leach,<ref name="Aspire">{{Cite web|title=Sheryl Leach|url=http://www.aspirelab.info/sheryl-leach|access-date=January 18, 2023|website=ASPIRE|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009011342/http://www.aspirelab.info/sheryl-leach/|archive-date=October 9, 2014}}</ref> was a director of special projects like 1998's ''My Party with Barney''.

Leach served as an executive producer of the series until 1998, leaving co-creator Dennis DeShazer as executive producer until the HIT Entertainment acquisition. Leach made a brief return to the series in 2001 where she was tapped to consult with the crew about the changes for Season 7,<ref>{{Cite podcast|url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=RjxMFlCYfDg?t=2122|title=Talking Sets with Production Designer Bob Lavallee - Purple Tales Podcast Episode 12|website=Purple Tales Podcast|date=May 21, 2019|first1=Nancy|last1=Jay|first2=Carey|last2=Stinson|access-date=September 18, 2025|via=YouTube}}</ref> further aiding the production for that season alongside season Season 8 of the show.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hitentertainment.com/html/news/article.asp?a=23|title=HIT Entertainment Buys Lyrick Studios™. Barney joins Bob the Builder, Kipper, Angelina and friends - a step toward establishing HIT as one of the world's leading independent preschool children's entertainment studios|date=March 19, 2001|access-date=October 20, 2023|website=HIT Entertainment |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020415224920/http://www.hitentertainment.com/html/news/article.asp?a=23 |archive-date=15 April 2002 }}</ref> Leach became a shareholder at HIT Entertainment in which she held 35.5% of HIT shares alongside others.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/news/new-offers-threaten-to-scupper-hit-takeover/|title=New offers threaten to scupper Hit takeover|website=C21Media|date=April 4, 2005|first=Jules|last=Grant|access-date=September 18, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/news/hits-potential-bidders-get-more-time/|title=Hit's potential bidders get more time|website=C21Media|date=April 19, 2005|first=Jules|last=Grant|access-date=September 18, 2025}}</ref> Following her time on ''Barney & Friends'', Leach's name continued to be in the credits of videos as the "Founder/Creator".

==Personal life== While working as a writer at DLM Inc, Leach met James "Jim" Leach. Within a year, they dated and got married when she was 30 years old. Together, the two of them had a son named Patrick Leach. In the fall of 1987, Leach was stuck in a traffic jam thinking about the lack of videos that held the attention of her then two-year-old son, Patrick.<ref name="The New York Times" /> This thought would lead to the creation of ''Barney & Friends'' and the preceding ''Barney & the Backyard Gang'' videos.

A bit of Leach's personal life during her time with the series was detailed in the documentary ''I Love You, You Hate Me'', which she declined to be in.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/barney-documentary-peacock-i-love-you-you-hate-me-1235398585/|title=Why Peacock Leaned Into the Nostalgia Play of Barney Doc 'I Love You, You Hate Me'|date=October 13, 2022|access-date=October 13, 2022|website=Variety|first=Addie|last=Morfoot}}</ref>

On January 9, 2013, Leach's son Patrick was arrested for assault with a firearm. He was released on US$1 million bond.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Crimesider|date=January 18, 2013|title=Patrick Leach, son of 'Barney' co-creator, arrested in shooting of neighbor|website=CBS News|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/patrick-leach-son-of-barney-co-creator-arrested-in-shooting-of-neighbor/|access-date=June 7, 2025|language=en-US}}</ref> The incident stemmed from Patrick viewing security footage that led him to believe his 49-year-old neighbor was trespassing on his property. Patrick shot his neighbor in the chest following a "screaming match" in the latter's driveway. Patrick attempted to escape by vehicle, but was intercepted by authorities on the Pacific Coast Highway, several miles from the site of the incident. He was found in possession of a loaded handgun and rifle. His neighbor survived the encounter after being hospitalized in critical condition. In 2015, Patrick was sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempted murder, but was released after serving five years.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

According to ''Variety'', Sheryl likened the character of Barney to a "brother" of sorts for her son.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|author=|agency=Associated Press|title=Son of 'Barney' co-creator gets 15 years for shooting|work=CBS News|date=July 2, 2015|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/son-of-barney-co-creator-sentenced-in-shooting-of-neighbor/|access-date=May 24, 2025}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Reul|first=Katie|date=October 12, 2022|title=5 Shocking Things We Learned From the Barney Docuseries 'I Love You, You Hate Me'|url=https://variety.com/2022/streaming/news/i-love-you-you-hate-me-barney-docuseries-peacock-spoilers-1235397274/|access-date=June 7, 2025|website=Variety|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Philanthropy=== Leach and her life partner Howard Rosenfeld have sponsored projects through their philanthropy organization the Shei'rah Foundation, including a number of documentaries<ref>{{Cite web|author=|title=Chat the Planet|date=July 16, 2003|url=https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/features/research-briefs/chat-the-planet|access-date=October 29, 2022|website=Philanthropy News Digest}}</ref> and several youth-based media projects.<ref name="Aspire"/>

In 2007, Leach and Rosenfeld designed and built The Smithy, a specialty retail outlet in the village of New Preston in Litchfield County, Connecticut, that sells local artisanal foods and handicrafts.<ref>{{cite news|first=Daniela|last=Forte|title=In New Preston, a Local Focus|newspaper=CT Insider|date=December 9, 2009|url=https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/In-New-Preston-a-Local-Focus-16878418.php|access-date=May 24, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220902002725/https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/In-New-Preston-a-Local-Focus-16878418.php|archive-date=September 2, 2022}}</ref>

Leach and Rosenfeld are also involved with community development, land conservation projects, and farming organizations in Litchfield County. They own and support two organic farms and were credited by ''Litchfield Magazine'' as one of the initiators of the "farm to table" movement in the area.<ref>{{Cite web|author=|title=Farmer's Table|website=Litchfield Magazine|date=August 4, 2021|url=https://litchfieldmagazine.com/onourradar/farmers-table-2/|access-date=January 18, 2023}}</ref> They also co-founded the Farmer's Table Dinner program in 2011 together with Partners for Sustainable Healthy Communities.<ref>{{cite press release|first1=Julie|last1=Bailey|first2=Katy|last2=Francis|title=Praises help with 'glorious' Farmers Table|date=August 8, 2012|publisher=Farmers Table|via=CT Insider Letters to the Editor|url=https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/praises-help-with-glorious-farmers-table-3770772.php|access-date=May 25, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003215402/https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/praises-help-with-glorious-farmers-table-3770772.php|archive-date=October 3, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Accolades== Leach was nominated twice for Daytime Emmy Awards.<ref name="Go Reads"/> She holds an honorary doctorate from Texas A&M University–Commerce.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/thepride/july2000/ |title=Barney Creator Sheryl Leach Awarded Honorary Doctorate |magazine=The Pride |date=July 2000 |volume=4 |number=3 |accessdate=December 17, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090701033226/http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/thepride/july2000/ |archivedate=July 1, 2009 }})</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb name}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leach, Sheryl}} Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:Barney (franchise) Category:Mass media people from Dallas Category:Television producers from Texas Category:American women television producers Category:American television writers Category:American women television writers Category:Screenwriters from Texas