Janice Burgess, the creator of Nickelodeon’s ‘The Backyardigans’, died at the age of 72.
Burgess’ longtime friend, Fracaswell Hyman, reported her death on Instagram on Monday.
Hyman reminisced about their time together, which included creating shows and making each other laugh.
He also mentioned that she created other shows other than ‘The Backyardigans’ and praised her inventiveness.
“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,” he wrote.
“Janice created THE BACKYARDIGANS and guided countless other shows for Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, Disney and Apple TV,
“Her script/story critiques were astute, clear and constructive – and I really thank her for that.
“Janice, Maria Perez-Brown and I developed shows together, gossiped together and oh, how we laughed! I will miss my dear friend. RIP. Oh, how we laughed…”
The cause of death, however, was not revealed.
Burgess worked as an American television executive, scriptwriter, and producer for Nickelodeon.
She joined Nickelodeon in 1995 as executive-in-charge of production and worked on various shows, including ‘Gullah, Gullah Island,’ ‘Allegra’s Window,’ ‘Blue’s Clues,’ and ‘Bubble Guppies’.
Her show, ‘The Backyardigans,’ launched in 2004 and ended production in 2010.
Burgess has garnered numerous honors and recognitions, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program.