The Backyardigans (Partially Found Unaired Nick Digital CGI Pilot; 2002)

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The Backyardigans Pilot
The logo used in the pilot.
Current Status	Partially Found

Note: This page is about the animated pilot, for the live-action pilot, see Me and My Friends, the Backyardigans pilot before Nickelodeon picked it up in 2002.

After being rejected in its original live-action form, Me and My Friends was eventually re-worked into a CGI show , titled The Backyardigans starting in 2002. The pilot was created in CGI during this time and was pitched to Nick Jr.; this time, it was accepted.

According to this, The pilot was animated with Alias Wavefront Maya 3D software.

Originally the plan was to create The Backyardigans using motion capture, a procedure that records human movement and translates it onto digital, on-screen models, but it didn’t work for The Backyardigans because it looked “too floaty”. Burgess wanted snappy, crisp movement with strikes and specificity.

So far, only 3 clips and a few screenshots have surfaced. One clip is of the characters dancing to a Brazilian song (this was not the original audio, which instead contained the characters' voices being played by adults). The 2nd is also of the characters dancing, but with a different dance; this clip can be found in a Nick Jr. Australia promo from 2003. The 3rd clip has Pablo going behind Tyrone; this clip was found in a Nickelodeon reel by Bob3, Mirko & Fractius!. The first screenshot is Pablo and Tyrone in their original designs and the 2nd is Pablo and Tyrone holding sticks, planning to use it to lift Uniqua out of the mud. On an unknown German site about the series, an image containing the original logo and more screenshots was found.

In 2023, storyboard panels were found possibly from the pilot.

Gallery

Pablo with Tyrone.

Same image, but bigger.

Pablo and Tyrone trying to help Uniqua.

The characters dancing.

Another scene of the Backyardigans dancing.

Promotional image for the pilot.

Logo of the pilot.

GIF of the first dance in the Pilot.

2nd gif

3rd gif

Uniqua pointing at the river.

Tyrone sitting on a slide.

Pablo playing in a kiddie pool.

The characters making a pose (possibly another part of the end of the pilot).

Pablo and Tyrone in the jungle encountering a river.

Screenshot of the ending.

Possible storyboard panels of the 2nd pilot

Concept art of the characters

Videos

Backyardigans Pilot (2001) (Remastered)

Segundo clip del episodio piloto

The Backyardigans 10th Anniversary retrospective

The Backyardigans 10th Anniversary Retrospective

Demo Reel - Lyla Warren

Demo reel of animated pilot

THE BACKYARDIGANS PILOT HAVE A NEW CLIP!

a 3rd cilp

What Happened to The Backyardigans LOST Second Pilot?

BrayBray’s video on the subject.

The Backyardigans Lost Pilot Episode (2002)

Stay Up Late Productions' video on the subject.