He invested financially in initial production of the Barney concept, and also added Dennis DeShazer, an SMU alumnus who worked for him as a video writer and producer.
This original creative trio produced a series of home videos called Barney and the Backyard Gang, featuring actress Sandy Duncan, which were sold directly to the public.
In 1991, Connecticut Public Television programming executive Larry Rifkin rented a Barney tape for his then 4-year-old daughter, Leora, and promptly called Leach's company, the Lyons Group, to team up and produce 26 original episodes for PBS.
[1] Each episode had a 30-minute run time and consisted of a group of children imagining a teachable moment or scenario, which Barney would address through song, dance, and storytelling.
Kathy's husband, Phil Parker, wrote more than 100 songs for the Barney & Friends TV series, some of which achieved Gold or Platinum sales status.