Lyrick Studios
Lyrick Studios (formerly The Lyons Group from 1988-1993) was an American video production and distribution company based in Allen, a Dallas suburb. The company was known for producing and distributing television shows, home videos, audio products and children's books and toys, particularly for their flagship property "Barney & Friends". In August 31, 2001, the company was acquired by and was folded into HIT Entertainment. 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. Lyons began  producing and distributing a direct-to-video series titled "Barney and the Backyard Gang", which was created by Richard's daughter-in-law, Sheryl Leach. 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. 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. This series was produced by Big Feats ! Entertainment, another Lyrick division, and was primarily filmed on a studio backlot in Allen. In the late 1990s, Lyrick acquired the distribution rights for "VeggieTales" 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". On February 9, 2001, the company was acquired by HIT Entertainment for $275 million and folded on August 31. The home video division of the company was rebranded under the HIT Entertainment name and remained trading until 2006, when HIT shuttered the division and began to release  products in the United States through outside third-parties instead.