MCA Aims to Take a Bite Out of Barney : Video: New children’s series will feature a tiny but tenacious rival to the purple dinosaur.

MCA’s home video division is planning to give Barney a toothache. The company on Monday announced a series featuring Timmy the Tooth, an original character the entertainment giant hopes will topple the purple dinosaur as king of the $300-million children’s video market.

Louis Feola, president of MCA Home Video, said the series will be the first launched by a major studio to star a character created for video. Many best-selling children’s videos feature familiar characters from books or television shows such as “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” or “Barney.”

Parents and kids will be introduced to Timmy in January, when the videos will air on television for two weeks before they are to go on sale in supermarkets, video and discount stores. The marketing blitz also includes giveaways to day-care centers and a promotional tie-in with Kellogg Co. The videos contain a commercial for Rice Krispies, Kellogg’s first advertisement on video.

The suggested retail price for the videos is $12.98.

Industry executives said MCA has a tough task ahead promoting Timmy without continuous help from a TV series, but Feola said he believes the video will gain momentum over time.

Neither MCA nor Kellogg would say how much they are spending on Timmy promotions.

Feola said the series contains no personal hygiene message, even though Timmy’s best friend is a toothbrush and his enemy is a cavity. His friends also include an octopus and a goldfish, he said.

Two books featuring Timmy are being published by Price-Stern-Sloan, and MCA is talking with two other consumer products companies about tie-ins, Feola said.

“Move over, Barney!” Feola said, making clear his intent to unseat Barney.

Presumably, Barney is still welcome at Universal Studios in Florida, where MCA is planning a Barney exhibit.