Lyrick Studios

Lyrick Studios was an American video production and distribution company based in Allen, a Dallas suburb. The company was best known for its distribution of home videos, audio products, children's books and toys for the children's television series Barney & Friends and Wishbone. This company was also known for its production and distribution of home videos, audio products, children's books, toys, video games, 2D and CGI animation, visual effects, feature-length motion pictures, and television shows.

History

The company traces its origins to 1988, when The Lyons Group was formed as a division of DLM, Inc (Developmental Learning Materials), an educational company owned by Richard C. Leach.^[1] Lyons began producing and distributing a direct-to-video series titled Barney and the Backyard Gang, which was created by Sheryl Leach, the daughter-in-law of Richard. Three years after the home video series debuted, Barney caught the attention of PBS executives and the concept was subsequently revamped for television. Barney & Friends began airing on the Public Broadcasting Service on April 6, 1992, at which point the Lyons Group separated from DLM and became its own company.

Lyrick Studios was formed in 1994, and the Lyons Group became a division of the new company under the name Lyons Partnership. The company developed the Wishbone series for PBS in 1995, a show about a talking dog living in the fictional town of Oakdale, Texas. This series was produced by Big Feats! Entertainment, another Lyrick division. The series was filmed at the studio and on location in Plano.^[2]

By the late 1990s, Lyrick Studios turned its primary focus on distribution of children's TV shows and films. Lyrick acquired the distribution rights for VeggieTales, 3-2-1 Penguins!, and The Wiggles and also distributed book publishing and video gaming rights for some Humongous Entertainment video game characters like Putt-Putt, Freddi Fish and Pajama Sam. In 2000, Lyrick began distributing TV shows owned by HIT Entertainment such as Bob the Builder, and Kipper the Dog. In 2001, the company was acquired by HIT and was formally folded into the company by 2002.^[3]

Feud with Big Idea Productions

In 1997, Lyrick began negotiating a distribution deal with Big Idea Productions, creators of the direct-to-video series VeggieTales. The deal was never signed, but nonetheless, Lyrick began distributing VeggieTales videos in March 1998. Big Idea had chosen Lyrick to distribute their videos because of Lyrick's commitment to keep the Christian references and the Bible verses in their products.^[4] The relationship lasted for the next three years; until the aforementioned HIT acquisition of Lyrick in early 2001. This, combined with the death of Lyrick founder Richard C. Leach, made Big Idea wary of giving the distribution rights to a company that, to quote Big Idea founder Phil Vischer, "was no longer interested in working with properties they didn't own."^[5]

In December 2001, Big Idea announced that they would be switching their general market distribution to WEA. The following month, Lyrick sued Big Idea for breach of contract and the case went to trial in April 2003.^[6] Lyrick argued that their draft agreement with Big Idea was binding, while Big Idea argued that the terms were still under negotiation and they never formally signed a contract. The court agreed with Lyrick, awarding Lyrick Studios $11 million in punitive damages, but the verdict was overturned on appeal two years later, and the Big Idea appeal was affirmed at the Supreme Court when they declined to take the case.^[7][8]

Distribution

Programs

• Barney & Friends (1992–2001)
• VeggieTales (1998–2001)
• Wishbone (1995–2001)
• Kids for Character (1996)
• Kids for Character: Choices Count (1997)
• Groundling Marsh (1997–99)
• Joe Scruggs (1997)
• Shelley Duvall's American Tall Tales & Legends (1998)
• Shelley Duvall's Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme (1998)
• Barney's Great Adventure (1998)
• The Wiggles (US distribution; 1999–2001)
• 3-2-1 Penguins! (2001)
• Bob the Builder (US distribution; 2001)
• Kipper (US distribution; 2001)

References