Do we like them?

Do we like Barney the Dinosaur?

A character from Barney & Friends (1992-2010)

Our score: 8 out of 10. Relentlessly kind and endlessly patient. He's corny enough to make adults groan, but we'd happily back a dinosaur who teaches sharing and kindness.

Barney is a big, friendly purple dinosaur. He starts out as an ordinary toy belonging to a child, then comes to life when children use their imaginations. The show began in 1992 on PBS, after earlier home videos called Barney & the Backyard Gang.

In each episode he sings, plays games and shares gentle lessons with a group of kids and their friends. His themes are sharing, kindness, trying new things and being yourself. He never loses his temper and never leaves anyone out. He's a cuddly, positive influence aimed squarely at preschoolers.

He gets an 8 because his heart is always in the right place and the harm he does is close to zero. He loses points only because the relentless sweetness and repeated songs can wear on grown-ups. For his target audience he's a very good friend to have.