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Texas gets a spotlight now with Lyrick Studios! Name History: Lyrick Studios (first era; 1991-2004) Lyrick Studios-EM. TV (2004-2008) Lyrick Studios (second era; 2008-present) Short History: Lyrick Studios was founded in 1991 in Allen, Texas as a joint-venture between DLM, Inc., The Lyons Group and Streamline Pictures to produce live-action feature films and television shows. At the time, Lyrick didn't have its own home video arm. Most of their films (which were released by other studios) were released by their distributors' home video divisions, while its TV shows and specials were licensed to partial owner The Lyons Group, as well as Time-Life Video and HBO Video. The company saw early success with Barney & Friends in 1992, which became the company's flagship asset as well as PBS' highest rated kids program at the time. Another show, the 1995 series Wishbone also proved to be popular. In 1994, Streamline would divest its stake in Lyrick. The next year in 1995, DLM, which renamed itself to The Lyrick Corporation acquired The Lyons Group. Because of that, The Lyons Group was relaunched as Lyrick Studios Home Video. The newly formed label, however, only distributed Lyrick's TV offerings and some unrelated titles. Some notable non-Lyrick Studios releases from its home video arm included Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales & Legends, Groundling Marsh, Science Court, early seasons of Home Movies, and mass market distribution of VeggieTales. From its founding until 1997, Southern Star handled international distribution of Lyrick's television work. Columbia TriStar International Television (later Sony Pictures International Television) took over shortly afterwards. Richard Leach, the company's longtime CEO would step down from the company in 2001, selling it to German media company EM.TV and Merchandising. Following EM.TV's acquisition, Lyrick Studios would cease in-house home video distribution, with it being managed by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (later Sony Pictures Home Entertainment). Also around this time, the studio began positioning itself as a Texas equivalent of then-sister company The Jim Henson Company. Emphasizing projects using puppets, animatronics, special effects, and sometimes full body suits. In 2004, the studio was renamed to Lyrick Studios-EM.TV, making it fit in line with EM.TV's other production subsidiaries. EM.TV would declare bankruptcy in 2008, selling Lyrick Studios to a consortium led by its head of development Sheryl Leach, American investment firm Bain Capital and former US Secretary of State George W. Bush. The EM.TV suffix was dropped following the sale. However, the company's pre-2008 television library and its distribution unit were also sold to The Walt Disney Company, effectively turning into solely a production company. The company's mascot since 2008 is Hopscotch the Dog. Hopscotch debuted in the Lyrick co-produced edutainment series, Hopscotch and his Amazing Pals. Prior to 2008, Barney the Dinosaur served as Lyrick's mascot.
