Synopsis

Meet five lively animal friends who love to sing, dance and use their imaginations to embark on outrageous adventures to magical places.

In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Burgess was asked what inspired the show; she responded, "I know this is going to sound very strange, but the things I really draw upon are action films.

I thought it would be fun to take kids on that big adventure." The character of Uniqua was based on how Burgess viewed herself as a child; as a result, Uniqua was written as the leader of the Backyardigans, and was the only character who appeared in every episode.

The main characters were based on designs by children's book author and illustrator Dan Yaccarino.

Before Nickelodeon ordered the first season, two pilot episodes of The Backyardigans were made.

The first was a live-action pilot titled "Me and My Friends," filmed at Nickelodeon Studios in September 1998.

The pilot was rejected by Nickelodeon, and Burgess decided to rework the concept into an animated show.