Post by ghrocky100 on May 11, 2017 20:31:12 GMT
The Backyardigans, a beloved TV show that ran from 2004-2011, had an original pilot that aired in 1998 called Me And My Friends. 4 of the 5 main characters from the show, Tasha, Uniqua, Pablo, and Tyrone were all about the same as they were in the show (with Uniqua being a different color) except for the fact that they were live action people in costumes. Austin was completely missing from the pilot entirely. The only video that has surfaced online is a short 10 second clip that is compiled with a couple other short clips from the 2001 pilot that was pitched, which was animated and also lost, and a show of the final result. The live action looked very weird, at least compared to the show as it is seen today, and could potentially be very creepy for younger children. The pilot did introduce 3 meerkats, which were puppets help up by 3 different puppeteers. The pilot was filmed in Nickelodeon Studios Florida in September of 1998. Nickelodeon rejected the pilot, however. The only person to be known contacted about information for the pilot is Rick Lyon, one of the puppeteers for Omar Meerkat. He said that he did not have a copy of the pilot and did not remember too much about it as it was very rushed.
These 3 people are the puppeteers for the meerkats, (left to right) Jennifer Barnhart, Rick Lyon, and Jim Kroupa.
Very few other people are known to work on the show. It is unknown if the creator of The Backyardigans from 2004 had any hand in this at all, so any contact with her would be great. Considering that one of the puppeteers, who played a character in the pilot, didn't get a copy I doubt that anyone who wasn't the director or possible a writer themselves got a copy. I will however post everyone else who was known to work on the pilot.
Yvetter Helvin- costume director
Sal Denaro- sculptor
Yugi Yashimoto/Dan Quinn- hired to help (job unscpecified)
Here is one picture (the only one I could find) of what the main cast looked like.
And finally here is the video that I found. The only other video I could find on the subject is LSuperSonicQ talk about it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oktYyHE0hzU
These 3 people are the puppeteers for the meerkats, (left to right) Jennifer Barnhart, Rick Lyon, and Jim Kroupa.Very few other people are known to work on the show. It is unknown if the creator of The Backyardigans from 2004 had any hand in this at all, so any contact with her would be great. Considering that one of the puppeteers, who played a character in the pilot, didn't get a copy I doubt that anyone who wasn't the director or possible a writer themselves got a copy. I will however post everyone else who was known to work on the pilot.
Yvetter Helvin- costume director
Sal Denaro- sculptor
Yugi Yashimoto/Dan Quinn- hired to help (job unscpecified)
Here is one picture (the only one I could find) of what the main cast looked like.
And finally here is the video that I found. The only other video I could find on the subject is LSuperSonicQ talk about it.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oktYyHE0hzU
