Janice Burgess
Janice Burgess | |
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Born | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | March 1, 1952
Died | March 2, 2024 Manhattan, New York City, U.S. | (aged 72)
Education | The Ellis School |
Alma mater | Brandeis University |
Occupations |
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Known for |
Janice Burgess (March 1, 1952 – March 2, 2024)[1] was an American television executive, screenwriter and producer for Nickelodeon.[2] She created the Nick Jr. series The Backyardigans and worked as a writer and story editor for Nickelodeon's revival of Winx Club. Due to both shows being produced at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio, Burgess joined Nickelodeon in 1995 as executive-in-charge of production.[3]
Early life and education
Burgess was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she grew up in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood and attended the Ellis School.[4] She frequently played in her backyard, and she later used those memories as inspiration for The Backyardigans. "I really remember it as a wonderful, happy, safe place... you could have these great adventures just romping around. From there, you could go anywhere or do anything."[5] She loved musicals, and her mother frequently played a wide array of music.[1] Planning to become an art historian, she graduated from Brandeis University in 1974[6] with a bachelor's degree in art history.[7]
Career
According to an interview with
In the early 1990s, Burgess held positions at the
The Backyardigans
While working as an executive, Burgess attended scripting and concept development meetings, where she enjoyed helping the creative teams with characters and storylines.[4] Burgess was eventually given the opportunity to transition to a creative role by the senior vice president of Nick Jr, Brown Johnson. She asked Burgess to develop an idea for a new Nick Jr. show, and Burgess produced a pilot episode called "Me and My Friends" at Nickelodeon Studios Florida in 1998.[7] The pilot was a live-action, full-body puppet show that featured music and dance;[10] it was not picked up for a full series. Several months after the rejection, Brown Johnson asked Burgess to retool the concept, as she liked the characters and music from Burgess's pilot and felt the show would work better in animation.[7]
Using the characters from "Me and My Friends," Burgess wrote a second pilot, which was produced at Nickelodeon's New York studio in 2001. The show, now fully animated and renamed The Backyardigans, was greenlit for a full season of 20 episodes.[11] Reflecting on the shift to animation, Burgess said, "Sometimes your first attempt is just not all that great. In this case, my second attempt was much better."[7] The Backyardigans premiered on Nickelodeon on October 11, 2004.
I really enjoy a big adventure. I think Die Hard is one of the greatest films ever, not to mention Terminator 2. I love those big films... I wanted to bring some of that fantastical nature to young children, but to do it in a way that is safe, hopefully not scary, and not 'imitatable' except in your head.
— Janice Burgess on the inspirations for The Backyardigans[10]
Burgess served as executive producer for The Backyardigans throughout its run of four seasons. In 2006, she described her work on the show positively: "making The Backyardigans has become sort of like an adventure that I go on with my friends. Of course, we get paid, but we do get to be carefree in our work, enjoy each other, hang around a lot, travel a little bit, and make up stuff."[12]
Burgess drew inspiration from
Death
Burgess died in hospice care in Manhattan on March 2, 2024, one day after her 72nd birthday.[17][18] She was diagnosed with breast cancer prior to her death.[1][19]
References
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331.
- ^ "Meridian Stories bios: Janice Burgess". Archived from the original on November 14, 2017.
Janice Burgess is a veteran Nick Jr creative and production executive... She was Creative Consultant for The Winx Club on Nickelodeon from 2010 to 2013... She created and served as executive producer of the Emmy Award winning preschool series The Backyardigans also for Nickelodeon.
- ^ Lang, Jamie (March 6, 2024). "Janice Burgess, Nickelodeon Executive And 'The Backyardigans' Creator, Dies At 72". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ a b Owen, Rob. "Q&A with Janice Burgess", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 8, 2006. Accessed January 18, 2008. "Landing Keys was a treat for series creator Janice Burgess, a Squirrel Hill native and a 1974 graduate of The Ellis School."
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ Notable Alumni: Arts and Entertainment, Brandeis University.
- ^ a b c d e f g Seitz, Patrick. "The Children's TV Hit Master", Investor's Business Daily, December 11, 2009.
- ^ Information taken from show credits. Show credits: Vice President of production, 2000.
- ^ Rosenbloom, Stephanie. "FOR YOUNG VIEWERS; Met Him on a Fun Day and His Name Is Bill", The New York Times, May 6, 2001.
- ^ a b c Seitz, Patrick. "Animated kids' show 'The Backyardigans' began as a full-body puppet show", Tech-media-tainment, December 10, 2009.
- ^ Baisley, Sarah. "Nickelodeon Gets Nine New Series for 2004–05 Season", Animation World Network, March 18, 2004.
- ^ "Diversity in Children's Television Programming | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org.
- ^ "Transcript of National Press Club Newsmaker Luncheon with ... Nickelodeon representatives", National Press Club, June 28, 2006.
- Daytime Emmy Awards, June 13, 2008.
- ^ "Dave Palmer – Biography". Retrieved August 10, 2015.
- ^ Information taken from show credits. Show credits: Story editor, Show credits: screenwriters, 2011.
- ^ "'The Backyardigans' Creator Janice Burgess Passes at 72". Animation World Network. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ "Janice Burgess, Nickelodeon Exec and Creator of 'The Backyardigans,' Dies Age 72". www.animationmagazine.net. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ "Janice Burgess, creator of 'The Backyardigans,' dies". BNO News. March 5, 2024.
External links
- Janice Burgess at IMDb
- The Backyardigans at IMDb