Let’s start at the beginning with Brian “Michael” Eppes - Purple Tales Podcast Episode #23 

“My name is Michael and we’re so glad you’re here, it makes me feel like smiling from ear to ear”

When I was a kid, I named my baby blanket after “the cute boy on Barney”. I still have my Michael. 😅

Brian Eppes as Michael doing the "I'm a little robot" song and dance and being in the cardboard 🤖 was iconic in my childhood 🥰

Micheal was so cute and still is I had a huge crush on him

Brian Eppes was on as Michael since the very beginning of the Backyard Gang in the very first video The Backyard Show in 1988. He was in all 8 videos of the Backyard Gang from 1988-1991 and then Seasons 1 and 2 of Barney & Friends from 1992-1993 on PBS. His last episode was on Having Tens Of Fun. And then he appear in the 10th Anniversary video Sing And Dance With Barney at the treehouse in 1999 which was his final appearance in the show.

Oh my goodness! This is so wonderful seeing Brian Eppes aka Michael. I loved Barney and the backyard gang! I'm 33 now and I still love it it's my childhood!

Michael was my first love. I knew he was an actor playing a kid on the show, but I don't think I've ever gotten over the fact that Michael's not actually his real name 😂

If you can bring Jessica Zucha (Tina), Leah Gloria (Luci), Alexander Jhin (Adam) and Becky Swonke (Michael’s sister Amy) would love to see the original backyard gang

I'm so glad y'all got Brian Eppes, aka Michael on your show. Speaking of Michael, hopefully next time y'all can get Becky Swonke, who played Michael's sister Amy.

Wow it's so amazing to hear Brian speak, I haven't seen him in many years. I share in his sentiment, memories and fun times. I thought it was neat to hear how Penny was helping us with our Texas accents, my word was "get". Not many people share the same memories as the original cast. Best interview yet.

Aw my first crush. Great to see him here and to hear these great stories from him

I remember Brian Epps going through puberty on the show. I loved him back then and he can still get it now. Your wife and kids are lucky :)

I’m glad to hear his voice. You guys should put Leah Gloria Montes in the show. She played Luci

Honestly, Brian “Michael” Eppes was my first crush😱😍. I adored him!!! And when I watched this podcast, my main thought was that he is still handsome (although he is 40)😍😍😍😍

He was my first crush 🥰. I wanted to be Kathy because she always danced with him. I imagined ice skating together, dancing, playing board games and lots of hugs. I can play his song, "Waiting for Santa" on my viola and the organ I inherited from my grandmother. I still know the lyrics and sing it to myself the night before Christmas. I typically watch it as I'm wrapping gifts.

EY! The OG michael's here! 😀

"When I was little,I had the hugest crush on michael!!!! Brian epps!!!!

i work at a daycare with 1 1/2 and two year olds mostly. They love to sway back and forth and dance to the Barney CD. It is the sweetest and cutest thing ever. Michael was one of my favorite characters. I am going to confess, i did have a crush on him.

Has anyone watching barney as a kid dreamed of being on the set singing and dancing with barney? And the picture of michael and barney at the end of michaels run of the show says alot.

I can’t believe I’m seeing this. I used to have the biggest crush on this kid & owned & watched every Barney episode he was on.

It was so great to hear about Brian’s experience on Barney and Friends! Especially since he was one of the original kids from the beginning that I watched as a youngster! I love hearing these stories about what working on Barney was really like! Watching this podcast has made me appreciate the show even more as I enter adulthood! I’d love to show Barney to my future kids someday! I hope you guys keep going with this, especially for the old and new fans alike!

Brian turned out well, I'm happy for him! I grew up with the Lyrick era of Barney and onwards, but when I went back and watched the earlier years with 'Barney and the Backyard Gang' and seasons 1 - 3 of 'Barney & Friends,' Michael was one of my favorites because there was something special about him and he was very likable. Now I know that "Michael" is just as nice off screen as he is on screen!

Michael, I Loved Him!!!! Always thought he was so smart and like a big brother to all the other kids. I bet he is just stellar as both a husband and father now. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Michael was always my favorite guy character from the first generation of Barney thanks for getting Brian eppes on the show

As a 21 year old i grew up loving barney when ever a episode was on my mom would record it on a video tape so we had a whole box of episodes of barney and then i come across this podcast today the childhood me is screaming

*faints* 😍...I LOVED Michael...I was like 3. I had ALL the Barney tapes!

This is so cool seeing Michael again.

Brian was also on the reunion show Sing & Dance With Barney

I used to have such a big crush on Michael lol

You need get Becky Swonke Smith (Amy), Leah Montes (Luci), Jessica Zucha (Tina), Alexander Jhin (Adam), Lauren King (Kathy), John David Bennett II (Shawn), Hope Cervantes (Tosha), and Susannah Wetzel Williams (Julie) on this podcast! It’s great to see a grown up Brian Eppes (Michael) onto this show!

He’s looking good at 40, just how Carey looks good at 51.

I Love How No Matter How Successful Brian Is Now, He Never Forgets Barney & His Friends & The People Who Helped Him Along The Way. He’s Man Enough To OWN He Was Apart Of Barney!

Wow. Good to see Michael now. One of my favorite characters on the show growing up. Now I hope y'all can get Luci now as well. That would be amazing to hear her stories.

I miss Barney and Friends! We use to escape reality with Barney. So much fun and so many different adventures and the songs were classics. I’m 36 and I probably still remember all the lyrics and music.

Guys you would seriously would warm my heart if I could see both Tina and Luci A.K.A Jessica and Leah on the show please!

Thank you Nancy, Carrey and Brian please bring all the other kids from the backyard gang and even ones from the show cause honestly this means so much to me from a little girl to now so maybe yes I got rid of all my Barney things. But still I want to know more about everything. In the Barney world.

Loving this podcast, been a massive fan of barney since I was a baby. 28 years later and it still never gets old. Grew up watching Michael, greatest podcast. Big love from South Africa!!!

I saw this interview a few months back let's just say having to stay inside makes people get bored and look up random things. He was my favorite character on the show growing up and now he's turned into a grown very handsome man. He seems really down-to-earth and just a very nice. Definitely a nice look back on late 80s 1990s nostalgia.

This was an absolutely amazing podcast! I always loved the character of Michael from the moment I saw Barney's Backyard Show and to now see how far he has come with his career, his wife and his wonderful children. It made me feel amazing because growing up with the character of Michael was a wonderful experience and he was always one of my favorites. In a way as a child, all the kids felt like they were your friends because we all had one thing in common, our love for Barney. So in a way, seeing and hearing from Brian today was like reuniting with an old friend from childhood. Definitely bring back more of the kids because they have all been wonderful!

Michael was the best.... Always so funny and his silly moments. Hopefully Tina and Luci is coming up soon.

I have been waiting for this episode he brought the plush from Barney goes to school And that is also the Barney in the backyard gang fan club doll they sold two different dolls the one that you see in Barney goes to school and then the second one is the one they used and rock with Barney I am a huge Barney fan and getting to see my favorite character on purple tales podcast brings a lot of joy to my heart it is really good to see you Michael

I hope you get Trevor Morgan on this someday. He was in Barney’s Great Adventure

MORE INTERVIEWS WITH THE KIDS PLEASE!! already done (purple tales and/or purple roads) Hannah (marisa kuers) Derek (rickey carter) Min (pia hamilton) Michael (brian eppes) Kim (erica rhodes/danielle vega) Julie (susannah wetzel) Emily (hannah owens) still to come (hopefully) Luci (leah gloria) Tina (jessica zucha) Shawn (john david bennett 2) Carlos (corey lopez) Jason (kurt dykhuizen) Kathy (lauren king) Tosha (hope cerventes) Robert (angel velasco) Chip (lucien douglas) Danny (jeffrey hood) Kristen (sara hickman) Stephen (chase gallatin) Ashley (maurie chandler) Keesha (mera baker) Jeff (austin ball) Curtis (monte black) season 1-6 i would appreciate it and please no pairings like tina & luci or ashley and alissa... none of that all individual interviews please and thank you for those who wants to know why single interview and no doubles is because if they interview them all one at a time, you will hear more stories and longer answers to every questions. but if they have more than one guest in the same interviews, the stories will have to be cut short and their won't be as many questions because you have two or more people answering. so that's why i think for double interviews like tina and luci, ashley and alyssa.... would be best after everyone had a single interview

Next up... Luci, Tina, Kathy, Shawn, Tosha, Julie, Jason (not the one from Backyard Gang) and Carlos

Wow. The Michael himself. He's all grown up now like the rest of us! This is really special. Every guest on this podcast is special, eveyone in his or her own way, but Michael's special because...He was the first! When I was little, because of the "Barney lives with Michael" verse in the Backyard Gang theme, I always associated Michael with Barney the way you associate Christopher Robin with Winnie the Pooh. He and his sister were Barney's first friends who shared him with the rest of the gang and then passed Barney down to the coming generations, well, to us at home. Even as a kid watching the show it felt like Barney was the coolest toy ever, that happened to belong to Michael and Amy, and they shared him with us and let us play with him even after they graduated and left him behind at the school.

This is Awesome!! Brian looks great, I'm so glad he is doing well. Much Success for him. Great interview Carey and Nancy. 😊👍👍

YAY MICHAEL IM SOOO HAPPY THANK YOU

Barney's 1st and 2nd Batch are Tina,Derek,Luci,Amy,Adam,Kathy,Min,Shawn,Tosha,Julie,Jason,Carlos,Robert,Hannah and Linda

can we get some likes for the OG BYG?

I wish you could do this podcast again and get the girl who played Luci. She was my favorite

I know this Podcast was done last year in August, but I'm 48, and I have watched Barney since the day he came out. And I still love the show. The signature song I love, is Barney's I Love You Song, I even used to sing it to my little dog, Bambie, :).

You should get fans of Barney to be on the show. I volunteer as tribute! To talk about what it meant to them, how it felt growing up with Barney. Setting your Barney plush doll on the step and waiting for him to come alive.

Loved seeing "Michael" on this podcast!!!! My heart was beating I was over joyed!!!! Who's coming next week??? Possibly Erica Rhodes who played Kim or I'm hoping Lucien Douglas who played Chip? Please continue with this wonderful podcast!!!!

I remember watching barney, the first season and the first kid that i noticed and caught my attention was Michael. That boy had something that make want to watch barney besides being cute and later being my first crush at 7 years old. And indeed i was curious to know what he has become as a grown up.

I had a crush on Michael as a kid. ☺️

One of the happiest childhood memories I had was watching Barney.

Michael, Kathy, Jason, Derek, and Carlos are my favorite characters. The character Michael reminds me of myself when I was a kid

I loved Barney when I was little.... now my 1.5 year old LOVES it. I looked high and low on taking him to meet Barney but you can’t anymore 😭

Suzannah Wetzel who played Julie should come to the podcast

Michael was definitely several people’s first crush 😋

I remember one episode where he was in a robot costume and then yelled out, "Surprise!" I think 1992.

So Awesome To See Brian Eppes Again Really Awesome and Great to see "Barney Lives With Michael and With Amy Then You'll Soon See Really Wonderful To See Mr Eppes On Purple Pod Cast

When i was three years old. I had a Barney birthday celebration. But im still a huge Barney fans. But im an adult now. But i still do have an enormous crush on Brian. He and brian came to play with me and the kids in my playschool.

He was 8 when he did the first three videos (The Backyard Show, Three Wishes, and A Day at the Beach), 10 when he did Waiting for Santa, Campfire Sing Along and Barney Goes to School, 11 when he did Barney in Concert and Rock with Barney, 12 when he did Season 1 of Barney and Friends and Barney's Magical Musical Adventure, 13 when he did Season 2 of Barney and Friends, and 19 when he did Sing and Dance With Barney

I really want to see the whole backyard gang and the first few casts of the new Barney. Criminal defense attorney! Woah 😧

I was one of Barney's biggest fans and I've turned my 2 year old daughter into one too. I still have several Barney items from when I was very little, including a talking Barney doll, Baby Bop plush, Barney shoes, original Barney cassette with the best songs from the show, and figurines all of which I've given to my daughter (to borrow, lol they will always be mine) I'm about to be 28 and I still think this is the best show for kids. I've gotten sick of watching the newer seasons on Amazon, so I've had to go to RU-vid to get the good episodes. The kids from the first couple seasons of Barney and Friends will always be the best - they seemed so genuinely into what they were doing and you can tell they had a lot of fun! I threw a Barney birthday party for my daughter last week (I too, had a Barney 2nd birthday party) and I had to get everything online. It's hard to find Barney stuff... especially without dumbass Riff!

So happy seeing Brian again! Loved all the stories from when I used to watch. Great episode!

I didn't know that Brian Eppes played Michael on that show until years later. I thought that the kids on the show were playing themselves until I got older.

Great episode loved listening to the podcast watching Barney & The Backyard Gang, Barney & Friends and Michael was one of my favorite character growing up .

I think the hallmark of the greatness of Barney and Friends is that the actors may have had some trials and tribulations, but all of them grew up to be awesome people.

He came out to be good looking guy. He aged well and plus michael was my favorite charcter on the show lol

I didn’t expect to get emotional watching Brian Eppes but I did.... I grew up with his era of Barney and had all of the videos so I shed a few tears

I think 13 to 14 was the maximum age before the kids were retired from the show, some of the first and second generation kids, were quite long lived, ie Min,Chip,Keesha, Kim and Kristen for example did episodes right into their early teenage years. Young Talent Time here in Australia had a strict policy of retiring cast members as soon as they hit 13 or 14.

I loved Barney so much! I think it’ll be a great idea for someone to make a documentary on how Barney started and the old cast interviewed!

Brian Eppes (Michael) Leah Montes (Luci) and Jessica Zucha (Tina) all have their own kids now, I think if they brought the show back on they should cast their kids and for one episode have the original kids come back (Michael, Luci, and Tina) and their kids discover that they were one of barneys original friends. show flashback clips and see if they can do what they did. One change I would make is lose the clubhouse setting and bring back the school setting.

Here is a fun fact that i never knew when i heard of a day at the beach that video was the very first barney video that has ever been recorded because most of the backyard gang meet barney for the very first time but the backyard show was the very first video that has ever been released

Hope to see Leah Luci Gloria Montes Soon That would be super awesome

I kinda wish Michael was in the New York Special it would have fit perfectly for him

I would love to see everyone, especially Barney And The Backyard Gang.

That night light Brian mentioned I have one still in the packaging. I’m almost 29 years old and still love Barney. I want an autograph picture of Brian as long as he writes Hook ‘Em Horns on it lol

He should've talked about appearing in some of the episodes of Gerbert as well. So, he could've explained about Andy Holmes working with some of the cast members he worked with during the filming of the season three episodes of Gerbert, and then he could've explained about his favorite parts of the episodes he appeared in, and even explained about his special role from the episode of Gerbert; "A Lesson Long Overdue" too, portraying Bradley Smith who shows Gerbert his baseball collection. In some other episodes, he played Ricky in the episodes; "Being Franklin", "Pranksters", "Medicine Isn't Candy", and "Bubble Trouble."

I remember Michael from when he was on the first and second season of Barney and Friends............

If only he knew the kind of hatred his show got in the elementary school playground. Telling another kid that they watched Barney was considered the worst insult.

Barney in concert was what I loved! And waiting for Santa and the camping one and the knight in the castle one where they sang a song like "castle so high, up in the sky"

Bring David voss please i want to know how he got the job as barney

Omg Brian has changed so much since 1992

I love this podcast!! But we now need to get Leah Gloria and Jessica Zucha on there now. Then we have to get Becky who played Amy on the show!! Incidentally, I really loved that Brian remembers a lot of what happened on Barney and Friends and his time with Barney and how he got his kids into it!

Let's get Leah Gloria Montes (Luci), Jessica Zucha (Tina), Becky Swonke (Amy) and Alexander Jihn (Adam) on the show!

Dude I remember this dude on barney magical musical adventure so well! This dude was awesome

It’s amazing that he’s talking like a real adult instead of like he’s cursed with happiness 😂😂😂😂

Omg. This takes me way back.

It’s amazing that they finally got Brian to speak on the show about his experiences on the Barney tapes through the first 2 seasons of the TV Adaptation of Barney. And I think…. That he would’ve made a great young actor as a teen and adult if he stayed in the industry but Unfortunately, he decided to go back home and live a normal life for awhile Until…. he became a Lawyer which I heard is what he’s currently doing nowadays. And that’s a cool role for him to get some people out of Criminal charges which to me is kinda dramatic in a way. But seeing how he’s matured himself over the past 2 decades, he reached puberty the moment he turned 30! I wish he would return to acting for now in Movies like high profile live action stuff. But It doesn’t seem like that’s ever gonna happen anytime soon. But Atleast his past Career was my Childhood Barney series.

Sheryl Leach basically criticized Sesame Street for being too complicated, although that was back when Barney first came out.

I was happy seeing Michael

I had no idea that Brian was ill when he was in the sleigh scene in Waiting For Santa IMDB should’ve featured some trivia on it

It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Brian it was a lot of fun and I will hopefully soon be on the podcast

5:03 he's totally grows up! He's the best character and first owner of barney from the backyard gang!

i love barney ive been a big fan for a long time

Michael you were so cute in the song I can laugh then when I saw John David Bennett who played Shawn sing that song in the episode called at home with animals I thought you would have been so proud of him doing a great job on the song that made you famous

They gotta have angel/Robert on here I loved him sooooo much more as a child!! I’m begging please get him on the show!!