The Backyardigans

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The Backyardigans
Genre	Musical
Created by	Janice Burgess
Number of seasons	4
Number of episodes	80 (list of episodes)
Production
Produced by	Sara Kamen
Runtime	25 minutes
Broadcast
Original run	October 11, 2004 – August 30, 2018
External links
IMDb page
TV.com page

The Backyardigans is a children's series created by Janice Burgess. The series was written, produced, and recorded by Nickelodeon in the United States, while its animation was provided by Nelvana Limited in Canada. It ran on Nick Jr. from October 11, 2004 to August 30, 2018.

The show is about a group of animal friends who imagine themselves going on fantastic adventures. Nickelodeon called the show "a home-grown Nick Jr. property," as "the whole creative team... [had] been part of the Nick Jr. family for years." Creator Janice Burgess had previously worked as Nick Jr.'s head of production since the mid-1990s.

Four seasons of The Backyardigans were produced. In 2009, the show was planned to continue beyond the fourth season. However, in 2010, the series' creator Janice Burgess decided to move onto a different series: Nickelodeon's revival of Winx Club. Burgess worked as a creative director and writer for Winx Club before eventually retiring from Nickelodeon altogether in 2014.

In 2024, a reboot has been confirmed via music video-focused videos on YouTube.

History

Two pilots for the show were made before it was picked up for its first season. The first pilot, titled "Me and My Friends", was produced in 1998. It starred costumed actors rather than CGI characters and was filmed at Nickelodeon Studios in Florida. At the time, there were only four characters: Uniqua, Pablo, Tyrone, and Tasha. After Nickelodeon declined to order a season of "Me and My Friends," creator Janice Burgess decided to rework the concept into a more-developed idea titled Backyardigans. In 2001, an animated pilot starring the same four characters in CGI was successfully pitched to Nickelodeon. It was made at Nick Digital in New York. For the full series, animation services were relocated to Nelvana in Canada.

The series was first previewed on the Canadian network Treehouse TV, which aired the episode "Pirate Treasure" on September 11, 2004. The series made its official debut a month later, when the show first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States. It continued to play regularly for the majority of its four seasons. The show's final premieres aired in July 2013, when four episodes of season four debuted on the Nick Jr. Channel as part of a special event. The last episode to air was "Pablor and the Acorns", on July 12, 2013. Reruns aired until August 30, 2018, when Nickelodeon pulled the show from air along with some other shows like Little Bear. In late-2019, Nickelodeon scrubbed the show from the Nick Jr. website.

Plot

The series 5 five neighbors: Uniqua, Pablo, Tyrone, Tasha, and Austin. Designed to encourage the use of imagination and play, the characters team up to imagine new locations every day. Each episode features songs from a different musical genre and original dance choreography.

Characters

Main article: List of The Backyardigans characters

There are 5 main characters. According to the series' creator, Janice Burgess, Uniqua tends to be the "ringleader" of the group. In an interview, Burgess said, "Out of the five, Uniqua is the main character, and we use her in every story."

• Uniqua is the only character who appears in every episode. She does not belong to a known species; her name, Uniqua, refers to the fact that she is a unique creature. She is pink with darker spots and wears matching overalls. Uniqua likes telling jokes and spending time with others. She is shown to be somewhat of a tomboy and loves books.

• Pablo is a frenetic blue penguin. He is absent in only one episode, "Chichen-Itza Pizza" from season three. Pablo often jumps to conclusions and has been known to overreact whenever things seem to be going wrong. His outfit consists of a blue bow-tie and a yellow and blue beanie propeller hat.

• Tyrone is a laid-back but easygoing moose. He is the tallest of the characters due to his big antlers. He normally wears a red and blue striped sweater. Tyrone and his best friend Pablo make a "great team" because of their differences: Pablo often does things without thinking, while Tyrone uses his head whenever a problem arises.

• Tasha is a somewhat bossy but sweet and well-mannered yellow hippopotamus who often tags along when Uniqua, Pablo, and Tyrone are about to head off on an imaginary adventure. She is shown to be slightly disagreeable at points, but she never continues a verbal fight for too long.

• Austin is a timid purple kangaroo who has trouble whenever it comes to taking the lead. In the first season, he is the newest resident of the backyard, and this causes him to be shy and sensitive around the others. He becomes more upbeat and confident as the show progresses.

Episodes

Main article: The Backyardigans episode list

Season	Episodes	Originally aired
		Season premiere	Season finale
1	20	October 11, 2004	March 10, 2006
2	20	October 6, 2006	January 14, 2008
3	20	February 1, 2008	July, 5, 2009
4	20	October 1, 2009	July 12, 2013

Home video releases

Main article: The Backyardigans videography

Discography

Main article: The Backyardigans discography

Broadcast history

Country	Channel
United States	Nickelodeon (October 11, 2004-April 29, 2013) Noggin (March 3, 2006-September 27, 2009) Nick Jr. Channel (September 28, 2009-August 30, 2018) CBS All Access/Paramount+ (December 8, 2020-present)
Canada	Treehouse TV (September 11, 2004-2018)

Reception

The Backyardigans was critically acclaimed, and the series was nominated for eight Daytime Emmy Awards during its run. Series creator Janice Burgess won the 2008 Emmy for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program.

Critics often noted that the series held broad appeal to older viewers, due to its high-quality music and focus on character-driven, non-educational stories. Susan Stewart of The New York Times said "it's hard to say whether The Backyardigans is a fantasy for children or for their parents," commending the show's animation and storytelling. Common Sense Media's Emily Ashby wrote, "It's not always easy to find a show you like as much as your youngsters do, but The Backyardigans definitely has the potential to fit that bill." Journalist Virginia Heffernan wrote, "with each episode devoted not just to a separate quest but also to a different musical genre...the show blows you away with its artistic exactitude."

External links

• Nickstory Archives: The Backyardigans
• Nickstory Jr. Archives: The Backyardigans
• The Backyardigans at TV Tropes
• The Backyardigans at Behind the Voice Actors
• The Backyardigans at Wikipedia

The Backyardigans
Characters	Main characters	Uniqua • Pablo • Tyrone • Tasha • Austin
	Supporting characters	Wormans • Sherman • Dragon • Robot Roscoe • Can't-See-Ums • Fish • Giant Clam • Giant Robot • Boy • Announcer
Productions		Episodes (Seasons: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4) • Video releases • Albums