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Janice Burgess, who as an executive, producer or creator had a hand in some of the most seminal Nickelodeon animated series of the past 20 years, died Saturday in Manhattan, according to the New York Times. She was 72.

In 1998, Burgess created the first iteration of what would eventually become The Backyardigans, a fanciful show where five animal neighbors in a communal backyard imagine new settings and adventures. The first season of 20 episodes aired in 2004, with critics praising its appeal for both kids and parents as well as its “artistic exactitude” when portraying different genres and setting.

The series ran for four seasons on Nick Jr. (through 2013) with Burgess taking home the Emmy for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program in 2008. During that time, she also worked as the story editor for Nickelodeon’s revival of Winx Club and is credited as a writer on Bubble Guppies.

After working for Children’s Television Workshop in the early ’90s,...

Janice Burgess, the two-time Daytime Emmy winner who created the beloved animated musical series The Backyardigans for Nickelodeon, has died. She was 72.

Burgess died Saturday in hospice care in Manhattan of breast cancer, her former Nickelodeon colleague Brown Johnson told The New York Times.

The Backyardigans ran for four seasons on Nick Jr. from 2004-13 and was a big hit with preschoolers. It centered on five animal neighbors — Uniqua, Pablo, Tyrone, Tasha and Austin — who meet in their shared backyard and embark on imaginary and magical adventures, often visiting different parts of the world or traveling back or forward in time.

Burgess was a production executive at Nick Jr. when she came up with the idea for a live-action show called Me and My Friends, with the characters wearing full-body puppet costumes. When execs didn’t go for that, she suggested computer animation to get The Backyardigans greenlighted.

“Making The...

Janice Burgess, creator of Nickelodeon’s “The Backyardigans,” died on Saturday in hospice care in Manhattan, according to The New York Times. She was 72.

“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,'” Nickelodeon said in a statement. “Janice was one of the greats–inherently creative and kind, and dedicated to the preschool audience everywhere.”

Animation writer Fracaswell Hyman, who met Burgess while both were working on “Gullah Gullah Island,” wrote on Instagram, “Janice swept in with her acid-tongued wit, flowing Hermes scarves and omnipresent cigarettes. Instead of an overseer, she became a friend. She recognized my magic before I did and made sure I was in the room and under consideration for many of the shows that came my way including ‘Little Bill’ and ‘Taina.'”

The statement continued, “Janice, Maria Perez-Brown...

Netflix is looking to celebrate Black voices and authors with a new live-action preschool series.

The streamer has ordered twelve five-minute episodes of “Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices,” which will feature Black celebrities and artists reading children’s books written by Black authors, which highlight the Black experience.

Hosted by author Marley Dias, the collection of books and conversations center around themes of identity, respect, justice, and action. The show’s aim is to provide families with a toolset to start meaningful conversations with kids about difficult topics through short-form book-based content.

Among the celebrities involved are Tiffany Haddish, Lupita Nyong’o and Common. Nyong’o will be reading her own story “Sulwe,” while Haddish will read “I Love My Hair” by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, and Common “Let’s Talk About Race” by Julius Lester.

“I am so excited to be the host of Bookmarks! The work I do with #1000BlackGirlBooks exists in the literary space,...