Leach, a former teacher, worked with Parker on the idea that would become the eventual TV show in 1987. Originally, the star was going to be a teddy bear,[citation needed] but since her toddler son had an interest in dinosaurs, the character changed to a dinosaur. Leach then brought together a team who created a series of home videos called Barney and the Backyard Gang. The videos were sold directly to the public.[2] Later, in 1991, Connecticut Public Television employee Larry Rifkin rented a Barney video for his daughter. He liked the concept, so he spoke with Leach and other creators about putting Barney on television. In October of that year, production began on the new TV show, titled Barney & Friends, and in April 1992, it first aired on PBS. In November 1993, Sheryl talked about the