The Backyardigans

Nick Jr. Show Backyardigan's
New Adventure

Nick Jr.’s The Backyardigans will take a musical adventure from the frozen North to the high seas this summer with the premiere of the new special “Race to the Tower of Power” on Monday, July 18, 2005 at 11 a.m. (all times ET/PT) on Nick Jr. The episode’s action is set to a salsa beat, with four original songs and real choreographed movements recreated in animation.

Brown Johnson, Executive Creative Director, Nickelodeon Preschool Television says, “The Backyardigans’ super-imaginative expeditions are designed to inspire little kids’ own adventures in their backyards.”

In “Race to the Tower of Power,” Pablo and Tyrone are super-villains who want to rule the world, but Uniqua and Austin are superheroes out to stop them. Their salsa music-themed adventure takes them to the forest, the frozen North and the high seas – all in a race to see who is the first to get to the Tower of Power.

The special will be preceded by the July 12, 2005 release of the first-ever collection of songs from The Backyardigans from Nick Records/Sony Bmg Music Entertainment. The album features many song favorites from the series, all from different musical genres including reggae, jazz and opera.

Each of The Backyardigans animated dance steps are choreographed by Beth Bogush, a former director of the Alvin Ailey Dance School’s children’s program and performed by real dancers whose movements are then recreated in animation. The show’s rich animation style features lush, fantasy backgrounds created with CGI and 3D techniques.

In every episode of The Backyardigans, five neighbors meet in their adjoining backyards and use their imaginations to transform themselves into different locations for epic adventures. The Backyardigans are: Pablo, an energetic, enthusiastic and excitable penguin; Pablo’s best friend Tyrone, an easy-going, confident young moose; Uniqua, a one-of-a-kind character with an adventurous nature; Tasha, a deceptively sweet and girlish hippo; and Austin, a resourceful and shy kangaroo. The Backyardigans airs regularly weekdays on Nick Jr. at 11 a.m. and weekends on CBS (check local listings).