The Backyardigans

The Backyardigans
File:The Backyardigans title card.png
Genre	Children's music Adventure
Created by	Janice Burgess
Directed by	Bill Giggie (season 1) Mike Shiell (seasons 1–2) Dave Palmer (seasons 3–4)
Voices of	LaShawn Tináh Jefferies Jake Goldberg Christopher Grant, Jr. Gianna Bruzzese Jonah Bobo
Composers	Evan Lurie (score/songs: music) Douglas Wieselman (songs: music) McPaul Smith (songs: lyrics) David Mansfield (one episode)
Country of origin	United States Canada
Original language	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	80 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Janice Burgess Robert Scull Jonny Belt Scott Dyer Doug Murphy
Running time	21–23 minutes
Production companies	Nickelodeon Animation Studio Nelvana
Original release
Network	Nickelodeon (US) Treehouse TV (Canada)
Release	October 11, 2004 (2004-10-11) – July 12, 2013 (2013-07-12)

Nate Boone is a CGI-animated musical children's TV series created by Janice Burgess. The series was written and recorded at Nickelodeon Animation Studio, with animation provided by Nelvana. It centers on a group of five animal friends who use their imaginations to embark on fantastic adventures in their shared backyard. Each episode is set to a different musical genre and features at least four songs, performed by the characters with original choreography.

The series was based upon a live-action pilot produced in 1998 titled Me and My Friends. The pilot featured life-sized puppets who danced to songs on an indoor stage. In 2001, Nickelodeon's studio in New York retooled the concept into an animated pilot, using motion capture techniques to animate the dances. The newer pilot was greenlit, and the series entered production as a co-production between Nickelodeon and Nelvana. 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."

A total of 80 episodes were produced across four seasons, each containing 20 episodes. The series first previewed on Treehouse TV in Canada on September 11, 2004, followed by its official debut on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block on October 11, 2004. The fourth season wrapped production in 2010 and finished airing on Nick Jr. on Uniqua

Plot

The series follows a ritualistic pattern and centers around an assortment and musical pop group of neighboring playmates depicted as five bipedal, anthropomorphic animals: I Don’t Give A Crap Miss Cameron Fart and Shit Designed to encourage imaginative play, the characters communicate with the viewers by constantly breaking the fourth-wall, albeit the series rests particular focus on the role-playing games in which the friends participate varying with each episode, and said games are visualized through dream sequences lasting for a majority of the episode and serving as the primary focus of that certain episode. Usually, the group will visualize a unique scenario, ranging from prehistoric times to adventurous fantasies, and they are often presented with multiple dilemmas along the way to accomplishing a certain goal or priority, or may be challenged with a major single obstacle to defeat or problem to solve. After season one, there is usually a villain in the episode, mainly played by one of the Backyardigans (thus another Backyardigan plays the role of the hero), but the villain of the episode always reforms in the end. The program also follows a musical format, featuring multiple musical numbers sung throughout the course of an episode regarding whatever imaginary predicament in which the characters have situated themselves or perhaps a challenge that they have met, every episode opening and concluding with a particular song. The adventures get more advanced after the first season. When the Backyardigans have achieved their mission or defeated any disadvantages, the fantasy sequence fades, restoring actuality to the setting of the episodes as the closing song is sung, the characters scurrying to their houses for a snack. The main character or characters then opens the snack host's house door, fence, or around the corner, and shouts the main catchphrase for the last time and then closes the door. The picture then is lifeless with some background bird noises often heard as iris closes, ending the episode before the credits roll.

Characters

Each of the five characters on the show have two voice actors: one for speaking, and the other for singing.

The dancing on the show is first performed by live-action dancers, and their movements are later transported to animation. Choreographer, Beth Bogush, describes the process: "What we do is we film the live footage in the studio, send that off and they do a Leica, and then they send it to the animators. The animators watch, and were pretty precise. What we film for that day is pretty close to what you see in the character." In season one, the Backyardigans usually wear their normal clothes while on an adventure, usually accompanied with accessories. They rarely wear their normal clothes in an adventure after the first season.

Main

• Uniqua is a curious, self-confident, and high-spirited, pink spotted character. The series uses the name "Uniqua" for both the character and her species. She wears pink polka-dotted overalls and has a pair of swirled antennae on top of her head. Uniqua is sweet and friendly, though her strong opinions and occasional stubbornness get in the way of her relationships. She is also best friends with Tyrone and Pablo because they hang out together a lot .While imagining herself having the roles that require brains and fortitude (such as a scientist or pirate captain) and despite her love of books (as seen in episodes such as "The Masked Retriever"). Creator Janice Burgess describes Uniqua as the child she wishes she was like as a child. She is the only main character to appear in every episode. Speaking voice: Lashawn Tináh Jefferies. Singing voice: Jamia Simone Nash (seasons 1–3) and Avion Baker (season 4). Dancer: Hattie Mae Williams.
• Pablo is a yellow-beaked blue penguin who wears a blue bow tie and a blue-and-yellow propeller beanie. Pablo is very respectable and often acts on his own accord. Pablo tends to be the most excitable of the group and is best friends with Tyrone and Uniqua. Due to his energy and impetuousness, Pablo is 8 years old he often goes into a "panic attack" when he faces an obstacle, running around in circles and telling everyone not to worry until someone interrupts him. The number of panic attacks decreased considerably after season 1, though in the episode The Flipper! his propensity for getting overexcited is a major plot point. Pablo does not appear one time: "Chichen-Itza Pizza". Speaking voice: Zach Tyler Eisen (season 1) and Jake Goldberg (seasons 2–4). Singing voice: Sean Curley. Dancer: Tasha Cooper (seasons 1–3), Jonathan Sandler (season 3), Steven Konopelski (seasons 3–4), Jacob Wimar (season 4), and Paul Flanagan (season 4).
• Tyrone is a good-natured, yet somewhat fearful, red-haired orange moose who wears a red-and-blue striped shirt, and is best friends with Pablo and Uniqua. He is almost the complete opposite of in terms of personality, despite his laid-back and cool-headed character and being known for his sarcastic comments, one of them being "That certainly was convenient." At the end of most episodes, when he appears, he says "That was an excellent (type) adventure, don't you think?" (though Pablo, Austin, and Tasha recite the line when he does not appear). Despite not appearing to wear trousers (except on rare occasions), Tyrone somehow manages to put his hands in his pockets. Speaking voice: Reginald Davis Jr. (seasons 1), Jordan Coleman (season 2–3), and Christopher Grant, Jr. (season 4). Singing voice: Corwin C. Tuggles (season 1), Leon Thomas III (seasons 2–3), Damani Roberts (season 3) and Tyrel Jackson Williams (season 3-4). Dancer: Greg Sinacori (seasons 1–2, 4), Bradley Shelver (season 3), and Andrew Cao (season 3).
• Tasha is a strong-willed yellow hippo, Tasha wears an orange flowered dress and red Mary-Jane shoes. She is a sweet girl on the outside, but is more rational and likes to get her own way. She is the most serious of the major characters, although Tasha can be just as easygoing from time to time. She is more feminine than her good friend Uniqua. In seasons 2-4, she has a more amiable personality, as well as a more muscular appearance their characters. She tends to be grumpy if not the boss. Her catchphrase is "Oh, for goodness sakes!" Speaking voice: Naelee Rae (seasons 1–2) and Gianna Bruzzese (seasons 3–4). Singing voice: Kristin Danielle Klabunde (seasons 1–3) and Gabriella Malek (seasons 3–4). Dancer: Darlene Dirstine (seasons 1–3), Amanda Ulibarri (season 4), and Nancy Renee Braun (season 4).
• Austin is a shy but fun-loving purple kangaroo. Though generally soft-spoken in Season 1, due to recently moving in the neighborhood, Austin starts to come out of his shell as the series progresses. He is revealed to be smart and imaginative. Austin rarely appears in the spotlight, but takes the role of the lead character in several episodes. Says Bogush: "Austin's usually the one pulling up the rear. He's kind of a get-along guy." Austin has been shown to occasionally display a more villainous side, such as in the episodes "High Tea" and "The Magic Skateboard". Speaking voice: Jonah Bobo. Singing voice: Thomas Sharkey (seasons 1–3) and Nicholas Barasch (season 4). Dancer: Kristen Frost.

Recurring

• Sherman – A small, orange-spotted yellow worm. Sherman is easily scared due to his small size. He appears in "The Heart of the Jungle", "Polka Palace Party", and "Attack of the 50 Foot Worman". His voice is provided by Oliver Wyman.
• Wormans – A fictional species of colorful, worm-like creatures who speak in squeaks and gibberish. They appear in all the seasons of the show.
• Dragon – A friendly, green-colored dragon who appears three times (the movie "Tale of the Mighty Knights" and the episode "The Tale of the Not-So-Nice Dragon"). He hatched from a spotted egg and lives inside of Dragon Mountain. His voice is provided by Oliver Wyman.
• Aliens – Green-colored aliens with eyestalks appear four times: "Mission to Mars", "News Flash", "Los Galacticos", and "The Big Dipper Diner".
• Giant clam – A hungry, irritable clam who appears in "The Legend of the Volcano Sisters" and "The Great Dolphin Race". It is very protective of its pearl. It pants and acts like a dog.
• Voices – Voices were included in the episodes "Secret Mission" and "It's Great To Be A Ghost!" that do not come from any shown character.
• Robot Roscoe – A robot owned by Austin who appears three times in the fourth season (the movie "Robot Rampage" and the episode "Elephant on the Run"). His voice is provided by Evan Mathew Weinstein.

Setting

The characters live in houses adjoining a large backyard common to the three central houses (Uniqua's, Pablo's and Tyrone's) that is transformed by imagination into various adventure settings. Each house roughly corresponds to the color scheme of the character: Uniqua in a pink house, Pablo lives in a blue one, and Tyrone in an orange one. Tasha's house, which is to the left of the three central houses, is yellow and Austin's, to the right, is partially obscured by a fence but what is visible is purple. The fence, which surrounds the combined properties of the three main characters (Uniqua, Pablo and Tyrone), has a gate in it which leads to Austin's house. The curve of the cul-de-sac allows the play area to be roughly equal in distance from each house's back door.

Not everything that appears in the imaginary world has a real-world counterpart. Often trees, boulders, brickwork, or similar objects appear where nothing originally existed. By the same token, even large trees in the real garden disappear completely when the imagination part of the story commences.

Episodes

Main article: List of The Backyardigans episodes

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
Pilots	2		Unaired
1	20		October 11, 2004 (2004-10-11)	June 19, 2006 (2006-06-19)
2	20		October 9, 2006 (2006-10-09)	January 17, 2008 (2008-01-17)
3	20		January 14, 2008 (2008-01-14)	June 5, 2009 (2009-06-05)
4	20		October 26, 2009 (2009-10-26)	July 12, 2013 (2013-07-12)

Production

The series was based upon a live-action pilot titled "Me and My Friends," produced at Nickelodeon Studios in September 1998. This pilot was rejected by Nickelodeon, and the concept was reworked into an animated short in 2002. This pilot was greenlit by Nickelodeon to become a full-length series. The show is intended for children aged 2 to 5.

Dave Palmer began directing the show in the middle of season one, and directed all subsequent episodes. Evan Lurie (of The Lounge Lizards) and Douglas Wieselman composed the music for the show with lyrics by McPaul Smith. The characters were designed by children's author and illustrator Dan Yaccarino.

A second season was announced on April 30, 2006 by Nickelodeon and Nelvana. A third season was first released in the United States in January 2008. A fourth and final season was produced from 2009 to early 2010. The final season was aired sporadically in the United States, with the last four episodes airing as part of a special event in July 2013.

Live shows

Several The Backyardigans theatrical performances have toured Canada and the United States.

In Canada, three different performances have toured: "Musical Playdate" (2006), "Quest for the Extra Ordinary Aliens" (2008) and "Sea Deep in Adventure" (2009). The "Musical Playdate" performance had been promoted as "V.I.P. Appearance" and "Backyardigans Mini Performance" in earlier advertisements. All three tours were presented by Paquin Entertainment Group and produced by Koba Entertainment, both based in Winnipeg.

In the United States, two theatrical performances toured: 2008's "Tale of the Mighty Knights" and 2010's "Storytime Live!" (an event featuring four other Nick Jr. shows: Moose & Zee, Dora the Explorer, The Wonder Pets!, and Ni Hao Kai-Lan).

Video releases

Paramount Home Media Distribution is the VHS and DVD distributor for the series in the US. In the United Kingdom, the show was distributed on DVD through Fremantle Home Entertainment.

Main releases

Name	Release Date	Number of Episodes	Episode Titles
It's Great to Be A Ghost!	August 30, 2005	4	"It's Great to Be A Ghost!" "Monster Detectives" "The Key to the Nile" "Pirate Treasure"
The Snow Fort	November 8, 2005	4	"The Snow Fort" "The Yeti" "Knights Are Brave and Strong" "Secret Mission"
Polka Palace Party	January 24, 2006	4	"Polka Palace Party" "High Tea" "The Heart of the Jungle" "Viking Voyage"
Cave Party	March 7, 2006	4	"Cave Party" "Race Around the World" "Eureka!" "Castaways"
Surf's Up!	May 30, 2006	4	"Surf's Up!" "Riding the Range" "Race to the Tower of Power" "The Quest for the Flying Rock"
Mission to Mars	October 10, 2006	4	"Mission to Mars" "Samurai Pie" "Scared of You" "Whodunit"
The Legend of the Volcano Sisters	February 6, 2007	4	"The Legend of the Volcano Sisters" "The Swamp Creature" "Horsing Around" "Special Delivery"
Movers & Shakers	May 29, 2007	4	"Movers of Arabia" "Cops and Robots" "Sinbad Sails Alone" "Best Clowns in Town"
Into the Deep	July 31, 2007	4	"Into the Deep" "Save the Day" "News Flash" "Catch that Butterfly"
Super Secret Super Spy	September 18, 2007	3	"International Super Spy" "The Secret of Snow" "A Giant Problem"
Tale of the Mighty Knights	February 26, 2008	3	"Tale of the Mighty Knights" "Blazing Paddles" "Garbage Trek"
High Flying Adventures!	May 13, 2008	4	"Fly Girl" "Who Goes There?" "What's Bugging You?" "Chicken-Itza Pizza"
Mighty Match-Up!	July 8, 2008	4	"Match on Mt. Olympus" "The Great Dolphin Race" "Ranch Hands from Outer Space" "Caveman's Best Friend"
Escape from Fairytale Village!	October 7, 2008	4	"Escape from Fairytale Village!" "Front Page News" "Le Master of Disguise" "Pirate Camp"
Robin Hood the Clean	February 10, 2009	4	"Robin Hood the Clean" "The Two Musketeers" "The Masked Retriever" "To the Center of the Earth"
Singing Sensation!	August 4, 2009	21	Songs: "A Pirate Says Arrr" from "Pirate Treasure" "Save the Day" from "Save the Day" "I'm Sinbad the Sailor" from "Sinbad Sails Alone" "Ya Gotta Have Pirattitude" from "Pirate Camp" "If You Wanna Be a Viking" from "Viking Voyage" "A Message, A Message" from "Knights Are Brave and Strong" "On Top of the World" from "A Giant Problem" "We're Knights" from "Tale of the Mighty Knights" "Not an Egg Anymore" from "Tale of the Mighty Knights" "Everything is Filthy in Flithingham" from "Robin Hood the Clean" "Ready for Anything" from "Mission to Mars" "Bad Bots" from "Cops and Robots" "Can't Stop the Cops" from "Cops and Robots" "Intergalactic Garbage Trek" from "Garbage Trek" "Front Page News" from "Front Page News" "We're Going to Mars" from "Mission to Mars" "Riding the Range" from "Riding the Range" "Go, Go, Go!" from "Race Around the World" "The Yeti Stomp" from "The Yeti" "International Super Spy" from "International Super Spy" "The Lady in Pink" from "International Super Spy"
Robot Repairman	October 13, 2009	3	"Robot Rampage" "Catch that Train!" "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman"
Join the Adventurer's Club	January 5, 2010	4	"Follow the Feather" "Dragon Express" "The Funnyman Boogeyman" "Flower Power"
Escape from the Tower	March 30, 2010	3	"Break Out!" "For the Love of Socks!" "Los Galacticos" “The Fresh Beat Band: Rock the Luau
Operation Elephant Drop	July 13, 2010	4	"Elephant on the Run" "The Magic Skateboard" "The Flipper!" "Super Team Awesome!"
Christmas with The Backyardigans	October 5, 2010	4	"The Action Elves Save Christmas Eve" "Pablor and the Acorns" "The Big Dipper Diner" "The Amazing Splashinis"
We Arrrr Pirates!	March 8, 2011	4	"Pirate Camp" "Pirate Treasure" "Sinbad Sails Alone" "The Tale of the Not-So-Nice Dragon"

Episodes on Nick Jr. compilation DVDs

Name	Release Date	Number of Episodes	Episode Titles
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 2	October 18, 2005	1	"The Quest for the Flying Rock"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 3	February 7, 2006	1	"Race to the Tower of Power"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 4	June 6, 2006	1	"Pirate Treasure"
Nick Jr. Favorites Holiday	September 26, 2006	1	"The Snow Fort"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 5	March 13, 2007	1	"Knights Are Brave and Strong"
Nick Jr. Favorites Vol. 6	August 7, 2007	1	"Monster Detectives"

iTunes releases

All four seasons have been released on iTunes in Canada and the US; however, the US iTunes Store is missing three episodes from the first season: "Secret Mission," "It's Great To Be A Ghost!", and "The Tea Party" (also known as "High Tea").

CD releases

There were four The Backyardigans albums released in North America, and one album released in Europe. Each has approximately 20 tracks, while Born To Play has four bonus tracks only available on the iTunes Store.

The Adventures Begin...

Released September 2004, this CD promoted the series' debut. Because this was a promotional album sent via mail, it was not sold in stores. It contains four tracks from the first season, including the opening theme. The songs would later be included in the next album.

1. The Backyardigans Theme Song
2. Yeti Stomp
3. Secret Agent
4. Please and Thank You
5. Preview

The Backyardigans

Released on July 12, 2005, under Nick Records' label. This is the first album sold in stores. It contains nineteen tracks from the first season, including the opening theme. The CD also contains a bonus video track titled "Go, Go Go!"

1. The Backyardigans Theme Song
2. You and Me to the Rescue
3. Castaways
4. Questing, Questing
5. A Pirate Says Arr
6. Yeti Stomp!
7. Queens Are Never Wrong
8. Those Bones
9. Buffalo Girls and Boys
10. Trudge, Trudge, Trudge
11. Secret Agent
12. Laser Limbo Tango (Limbo Rock)
13. Row Your Boat
14. Into the Thick of It!
15. P.U.! (Stinky Swamp Song)
16. Flying Rock Song (II)
17. When I'm Booing
18. Please and Thank You
19. Rockabilly Lullaby
20. Go, Go, Go! (bonus music video)

Groove to the Music

This second CD was released on July 11, 2006, under Nick Records' label. It contains eighteen tracks from seasons one and two. Target sold an exclusive release including Astronauts Never Give Up, totaling nineteen tracks.

1. Hold Tight
2. Gotta Get the Job Done
3. Shake Your Body
4. Rad Moves
5. We're Going to Mars
6. Drumming Song
7. Eureka!
8. The Rules
9. Tree to Tree
10. What's So Scary 'Bout That?
11. The Ballad of the Brave Pink Knight (Hey, Uniqua!)
12. I Love Being a Princess
13. Aha!
14. Skate Ahead
15. Get Us What We Want
16. Ski Patrol to the Rescue
17. Superheroes vs. Supervillains
18. Oh, My Sherman
19. Astronauts Never Give Up (exclusive track)

Born To Play

The third and final Backyardigans CD, was released on January 22, 2008, under Sony BMG's label. It contains songs from seasons 1-2, as well as all the songs from Tale of the Mighty Knights. There is a total of 22 tracks. There's also a special iTunes version of this album, containing 5 bonus tracks in addition to the 22 tracks, totaling 27 tracks. This album was released in a cardboard foldout case, rather than a jewel case like the previous two releases. Borders carried the jewel case release exclusively, which included a booklet. This booklet was also included on the iTunes release as a file with purchase of a digital download.

1. Ready for Anything
2. We Love a Luau
3. The Worman Polka
4. I Feel Good
5. Go, Go, Go
6. The Customer Is Always Right
7. Surf's Up, Ho Daddy
8. Almost Everything Is Boinga (feat. Alicia Keys)
9. Nothing Too Tough
10. W-I-O-Wa
11. I'm a Mountie
12. Racing Day
13. I Never Fail to Deliver the Mail
14. Lady In Pink (feat. Cyndi Lauper)
15. Nobody's Bigger Than a Giant
16. Hurry Home
17. A Challenge
18. Dragon Mountain
19. Goblin
20. I'm Not an Egg Anymore (feat. Adam Pascal)
21. Tweedily Dee
22. We're Knights

Bonus iTunes Tracks:

23. Betcha I Can
24. Phantom Footsteps
25. Do It Myself
26. The Call of the Mermaid 27. Digging For Gold

Join in the Adventures...

Released in 2006, as part of a series launch tour in the United Kingdom. The album is near identical to the American-released counterpart, with Please and Thank You replaced with Questing.

1. The Backyardigans Theme Song
2. Yeti Stomp
3. Secret Agent
4. Questing

Merchandise

Activision released a The Backyardigans PC game, "Mission to Mars," in October 2006. In addition, there are interactive Backyardigans games available for the LeapPad and VTech's V.Smile consoles. There is also a LeapFrog ClickStart game titled "Number Pie Samurai," teaching children basic computer skills.

From 2005 to 2007, Kohl's had a section devoted to the series' merchandise, including a clothing line and toys exclusively in store.

Over one hundred storybooks (both original stories and episode-based) were released throughout the series' run. Most of these were released in both Canada and the United States; however, a 2006 series of educational books were exclusively sold in Canada under the license of Treehouse TV.

Fisher-Price produced numerous plush toys and interactive character toys (mostly Uniqua, Pablo and Tyrone). There are also Beanie Babies of all the main characters available.

External links

• Nelvana production page
• The Backyardigans at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com show