<blockquote>To some extent, all the characters are kind of like me. 
&#8211; Janice Burgess</blockquote>

cartoon graphic of Janice Burgess, Nick Animation Creator

Janice&#8217;s inspiration for The Backyardigans was her own backyard in Pittsburgh. As a kid, she and her friends would play hide and seek and imagine they were sailing ships and fending off lions.
Why is Backyardigans a musical? Why not?

Janice Burgess

In a place where you belong, where you’ll probably sing a song, and maybe dance along, you’ll find The Backyardigans! Pablo, Tyrone, Uniqua, Tasha and Austin are five animal friends who imagine their backyard as a place of adventure.

<blockquote>*THAT* CERTAINLY IS CONVENIENT
&#8211; TYRONE</blockquote>

ORIGINAL RUN
10/11/04 &#8211; 05/31/11, 77 EPISODES

The Backyardigans

Rocko’s Modern Way of Easily Applying for Cool Animation Jobs.

Doug is an imaginative, thoughtful kid just trying to find his way in his hometown of Bluffington. Between enduring bad haircuts, avoiding bully Roger Klotz and desperately hoping to impress his crush, Patty Mayonnaise, Doug’s got plenty to be anxious about. No matter how it turns out, Doug can turn to his best friend Skeeter, dog Porkchop, and of course, his fantasy life and journal.

Doug

When anything is erased from a chalkboard, it’s not really gone – it just enters a realm called the Chalkzone. And fifth grader Rudy Tabootie found a way to go there! With a piece of “White Lightning” chalk, he can enter the Chalkzone any time he likes. In the Chalkzone, Rudy befriends Snap, a bold superhero Rudy drew years ago. But Rudy soon discovers not every doodle is friendly…

Chalkzone

The Fresh Beat Band of Spies features the same band members from Nick’s live action show, The Fresh Beat Band, but adds three key ingredients to the jam: animation, spying, and Bo Monkey! Because really, how are they supposed to get any spying done without a monkey? Not gonna happen.

The Backyardigans

Janice Burgess

Rocko’s Modern Way of Easily Applying for Cool Animation Jobs.

Behind the Curtain at Nick Animation

Doug

Chalkzone

Fresh Beat Band of Spies

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