Janice Burgess, an award-winning children’s television writer, producer, executive and creator of the Nick Jr. animated series The Backyardigans, died Saturday, March 2 in Manhattan. She had been under hospice care following a breast cancer diagnosis, and had just marked her 72nd birthday the day prior.
In a statement, Nickelodeon shared, “We are saddened to learn of the passing of one of the great architects of Nick Jr. and creator of the globally beloved series, The Backyardigans. Janice was one of the greats — inherently creative and kind, and dedicated to the preschool audience everywhere.”
Burgess was born in Pittsburgh and graduated from Brandeis with a degree in art history in 1973. Opting for a career in television, she got her start in craft services for WQED in her hometown, working her way up the ladder to production positions at the Children’s Television Workshop, where she helped bring 3-2-1 Contact and Ghostwriter to screens in the 1990s.
Around this time, Burgess got word of an opening at Nickelodeon, where, she joked to Investor’s Business Daily in 2009 she had applied “about 11,000 times.” The rising talent was hired as the executive in charge of production for Nick Jr., overseeing the development of Little Bill, Blue’s Clues and Gullah Gullah Island. Burgess was later appointed VP of the entire Nick Jr. division.
When then-SVP of Nick Jr. Brown Johnson asked Burgess to take the creative reins of her own show, Burgess produced a full-body puppet show pilot at Nickelodeon Studios Florida, called Me and My Friends. While this version was not picked up, a retooled version of the concept was developed for CG animation, and The Backyardigans bowed on Nickelodeon in 2004. The series ran for four seasons through 2013. Burgess drew inspiration from action-adventure blockbusters, aiming to create safe high-stakes stories for young audiences.
The Backyardigans received eight Daytime Emmy Award nominations over its 80-episode run, and Burgess picked up the award for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program in 2008 (adding to her 2004 win for Little Bill).
After The Backyardigans wrapped, Burgess and much of the show’s team worked on Winx Club; she served as a writer, story editor and creative consultant on the global hit. She also co-developed and co-executive produced Nick Jr.’s Bubble Guppies during her tenure.
Longtime colleague and friend Fracaswell Hymen (co-EP/showrunner on the new PBS KIDS animated series Lyla in the Loop) fondly remembered being introduced to Burgess in an Instagram post, writing:
“I met Janice Burgess early in my career when I was head writer on Gullah Gullah Island and she was assigned to be our Executive in Charge of Production. This is the person the network sends to the set to make sure the money is not going to waste.
Janice swept in with her acid-tongued wit, flowing Hermes scarves and omnipresent cigarettes. Instead of an overseer, she became a friend.”
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[Source: New York Times via Variety]
