Check out the Lost Media Wiki’s article on Me and My Friends!!!!!!!!!!
Me and My Friends is a first pilot for what would later become the hit animated series The Backyardigans. It was taped at Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, Florida in September 1998. It was declined by Nickelodeon, but the characters were later reworked into a CGI-animated pilot in 2001 (or 2002). This second pilot was picked up as "The Backyardigans", but shifted into a full TV series two (or three) years later and produced by the Canadian production company Nelvana.
Characters[]
At the time of the pilot's creation, there were only four main characters: Uniqua (sort of species), Pablo (an anthro penguin), Tyrone (an anthro moose), and Tasha (an anthro hippo). These four characters were created by Janice Burgess. She based the character of Uniqua on a view of herself as a child. The characters' finalized designs were drawn by illustrator Dan Yaccarino (author of "Oswald"), who collaborated with Janice Burgess on the pilot. Yaccarino supervised the creation of costumes modeled after the characters. There are also other characters known as the Meerkats, who were puppeteered by Jim Kroupa and Avenue Q stars Rick Lyon and Jennifer Barnhart. Nothing else about these characters is known.
Austin, the purple kangaroo and the fifth main character of the animated series, was absent in Me and My Friends. It is unknown if the character of Austin had been created when the pilot was made. Some say that this may be the reason why Austin was referred to as "the new kangaroo on the block" in his character biographies from Nickelodeon.
Plot[]
Tyrone loses his stuffed rabbit Nim-Nim. His friends try to imagine a new friend for him but nothing works, until Uniqua imagines being an explorer, searching for new lands and marking her discoveries with flags.
Differences[]
The characters' appearances aren't vastly different from that of the CGI series, besides a few minor differences:
- The pilot was originally produced in live-action, compared to the rest of the series created in computer animation.
- Uniqua has nostrils, eyelashes, and purple polka dots, as opposed to magenta polka dots. She also has a tail, which can only be seen in some shots.
- Pablo's propeller is yellow, as opposed to red.
- Tyrone's fur is is red, as opposed to orange.
- Tyrone and Tasha's nostrils are black instead of dark yellow and dark orange. These were utilized as vision areas for the performers in the costumes.
- Tyrone's shirt has yellow/teal stripes rather than red/blue stripes.
- Tasha has a bow on her head that was removed in the final-cut version.
- Austin has never included in this pilot.
The backyard setting also has some differences. A shed and a gate are visible, which never appeared in the final-cut series.
Availability[]
The only known footage of Me and My Friends online is a 5-minute compilation video created by former crew members of Nickelodeon Studios for its 10th anniversary in 2000. There is around 3 seconds of video without the original audio, as well as footage from other lost pilots. There is very little information about this pilot available, and whether or not Nickelodeon still has this remains unconfirmed. A gold-colored plaque bearing the pilot's logo is visible in various Nickelodeon Studios videos. At least 2 tapes as well as rehearsal footage are known to exist.
Gallery[]
Footage[]
Videos[]
NEW PHOTOS from Me and My Friends - The First New Discovery in Years!!
LSuperSonicQ’s video on the subject.
An Update to the Me and My Friends Mystery - Lost Media
SewerReviewer ‘s follow up video on the subject.
