BARNEY: READ WITH ME, DANCE WITH ME

Barney is back with a new generation of kid actors, a music video, and BJ in a tutu. Gone is the old treehouse; Barney and buddies now hang out in a hip refurbished caboose. First up is a lesson about reading in which books inspire the children to act out stories and write their own. In the second story, BJ doesn't want to dance ballet with his sister Baby Bop, until the kids explain that he can put his own spin on it--and take off the tutu. The reinvigorated dinosaur even mildly displays some urban flair when one girl dances to rap. With the incessant adult Barney-bashing of the past, his new owners had the stated purpose of getting parents on their side this time. In that respect, the good news is that both the setting and the child actors seem less artificial, and one of the girls even has a lovely singing voice.