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{{quote|''"We've got the whole wide world in our yard to explore..."''|'''''Opening theme'''''}}
A Canadian 3D CGI-animated series broadcast all over the world, mostly at [[Nickelodeon|Nick Jr.]] The series debuted in 2004 and
The cast are all young [[Funny Animal]] friends: enthusiastic yet sometimes [[Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!|frenetic]] Pablo the penguin, [[Deadpan Snarker]] Tyrone the moose, [[Genki Girl]] Uniqua the... [[Cartoon Creature|something]], [[Shorttank]] Tasha the hippo, and initial [[Shrinking Violet]], later [[The Smart Guy|Smart Guy]] Austin the kangaroo. All five live in what appears to be a suburban cul-de-sac with a large common backyard area.
We open on one or more of the characters in the backyard playing "pretend", setting up the scenario for the viewer in a song and dance which also reveals the episode's musical genre. Then things segue into a sort of [[Star Trek: The Next Generation|holodeck-style]] fantasy -- whether in the kids' imaginations or literally isn't quite clear -- in which the backyard is transformed into the setting of the story and the characters dressed in appropriate costumes. From here the quest is treated entirely as if it were real...albeit clearly based off a child's logic...and frequently interrupted by musical asides.
Many episodes feature typical kiddie fantasy scenarios -- cowboys, superheroes, pirates, explorers -- but some are more sophisticated, and in later seasons especially several are full-on parodies of adult action-adventure: [[James Bond|Bond]], [[Star Trek]], [[Indiana Jones]] etc. Further [[Mr. Imagination|blurring the line between reality and imagination]], the setting they create doesn't always stay within their control. Characters who weren't seen initiating the fantasy frequently show up within it, occasionally operating completely unbeknownst to the others, and the different plotlines collide in unexpected ways. The only absolute requirement is that a story contain no more than five characters, since no other speaking parts appear (excepting a couple one-offs in specials).
There seem to be no space or time limits while the fantasy is in progress, but in reality it never lasts longer than an afternoon, since it's always dispelled by somebody's tummy conveniently rumbling just after the adventure ends. They race home for snacks, giggling, the story setting disappearing behind them as they go. The only indication that anything out of the ordinary just happened is Tyrone's comment: "That was an excellent _________ adventure, don't you think?"
Notable for its heavy use of original music (overseen by Lounge Lizards founder Evan Lurie), in a different genre -- and usually not the one you're expecting -- in each episode. The photorealistic dance moves that have likewise become a series trademark are originated by live-action dancers performing as each character to that show's music; according to the creators, this process also gives the characters much of their individual personality.
For some, [[Muppet Babies|this general idea]] [[Rugrats|sounds familiar]]. However, the [[Crowning Music of Awesome|excellent music alone]], an expertly affectionate tribute to the genres in question, makes this show a standalone winner. It has also managed to pick up a sizeable [[Periphery Demographic]] as one of the few current children's programs to work on child and adult levels simultaneously by actively using the characters' innocence to spoof genre cliches. Refusing to use [[Non
This is either impressive, as it refuses to follow 'standard' children show trends, or heartbreaking, as it is one of the ''only'' shows to do so.
=== Thanks to its genre-hopping nature, this show tends to run through a ''lot'' of standard '''Examples''', often in a single episode: ===▼
{{tropelist}}
▲
* [[A Boy and His X]]: Austin and Boy (a dinosaur) in "Caveman's Best Friend", Tyrone and Molasses (a burro) in "Horsing Around", Pablo and Mitty (a bath mit) in "Robin Hood the Clean", and Uniqua with Sea Squirt (a dolphin) in "The Great Dolphin Race".
* [[Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal]]: Pablo only wears a cap and bowtie.
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* [[All Bikers Are Hells Angels]]: Subverted to hell and back with "Special Delivery" and its "Do-Gooders".
* [[All CGI Cartoon]]
* [[Amazing Technicolor Wildlife]]: OK, Tyrone and Pablo get a pass, but what's up with Austin and Tasha?
* [[American Gothic Couple]]: In "News Flash", the first shot of Pablo and Tyrone at their farm resembles the American Gothic painting, intentional or not.
* [[Anachronism Stew]]: Tons.
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* [[Apologetic Attacker]]: Austin (on a kid's level) in "The Two Musketeers".
* [[Arabian Nights Days]]: In "Movers of Arabia".
* [[Art Evolution]]: The character designs were retooled a bit for the second season to up the cuddliness level, especially for Tasha and Austin. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090318234703/http://backyardiganfans.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=530 Here's a proof].
* [[Aside Glance]]: A lot. Especially for Uniqua and Tyrone. The most noticeable one is in "Castaways" when Uniqua -- realizing that Tyrone and Pablo seriously ''don't'' realise that it was Austin who helped them -- turns to look straight at the camera and then shrugs her shoulders. Earlier in the same ep, after the coconuts roll in, Uniqua side-glances at the audience for a split second and then says "Maybe we're not alone here after all".
** Pablo shoots the camera an "I don't believe this" look after Tasha takes credit for finding the Yellow Lotus Flower in "The Key to the Nile."
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* [[Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny]]: Pablo in "Pirate Camp" keeps getting distracted by the very shiny red boot.
* [[Bag of Holding]]: ''Ohhh boy.'' The ultimate example would probably be Uniqua and Pablo's trunk in "To the Center of the Earth", which could hold several inventions, a telescope, a hammer, a thermos, a lasso, a ladder, a bucket, a net, an umbrella, a sponge mop, a hat stand, a lamp, a rake, poles, skiis, a feather duster, a bike horn, wooden spoons, a large tuba, string, marshmallows, a spring, helium-filled balloons... do I need to go on?
* [[Barefoot Cartoon
** Tyrone and Pablo would also have costumes that apply to this trope 1/3 of the time.
* [[Beach Episode]]: The whole point of episodes such as "Surf's Up" or "Legend of the Volcano Sisters".
* [[Bedsheet Ghost]]: {{spoiler|Tyrone}} becomes one in "It's Great to be a Ghost".
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** Also, in "Race to the Tower of Power", the tower looks remarkably like the CN Tower, a famous landmark in Toronto.
** In "The Masked Retriever", Uniqua mentions Lake Erie.
* [[Can You Hear Me Now?]]: In "Mission to Mars", a martian from Mars is able to phone Tyrone and Tasha using a cellphone.
* [[Captain's Log]]: Tasha has one in "Garbage Trek".
* [[Cartoon Creature]]: Ah, Uniqua. [[Word of God]] says that she is "her own unique species".
* [[Catch Phrase]]: Various, particularly Tyrone's "''That'' certainly is convenient" when a [[Deus Ex Machina]] appears, and Tasha's "Oh, for goodness' ''sakes''" when...well, pretty much constantly, actually. Also, "Pablo... Pablo?... PABLO!". In addition, each episode has a setting-specific phrase, featured in the opening song, which also doubles as the show's closing...
** [[Couch Gag]]
* [[The Cavalry]]: {{spoiler|Austin}} in "International Super Spy".
* [[Ceiling Cling]]: Austin can walk on the ceiling in "The Tale of the Mighty Knights". Also Tasha and Pablo in "Cops and Robots".
* [[Chekhov's Gun]]: Parodied. "Spy ''maple syrup?''"
** Also, the thermos box in "Chichen-Itza Pizza".
* [[Christmas Special]]: "The Secret of Snow" and "The Action Elves Save Christmas Eve" episodes.
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* [[Cuffs Off, Rub Wrists]]: Tyrone and Pablo in "The Two Musketeers".
* [[Cultural Translation]]: The UK dub has a lot of this, especially when the snack is offered at the end of the episode.
* [[Curiosity Is a Crapshoot]]: Uniqua opening the box in "Movers of Arabia".
* [[Cute'Em Up]]
* [[Cute Monster Girl]]: Uniqua in "Monster Detectives" and "Scared of You", although the latter counts more since she actually looks like a monster rather than looking like herself in a torn soccer shirt.
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* [[Embarrassing Middle Name|Embarrassing Last Name]]: Austin, or at least his character, in "Whodunnit?". Seriously, Austin ''Frothingslosh''?
** He also does time as 'Austin Stinkypants' in "Robin Hood the Clean". [[Justified Trope|Justified]] since it's supposed to be a [[Meaningful Name]].
* [[Enthralling Siren]]: In "Sinbad Sails Alone", Tyrone and Pablo encounter Siren Uniqua, who makes them play "Siren Says" in order to get water from her island.
* [[Everything Is Big in Texas]]: Cowboy Tyrone is on his way to Texas for a hoedown in "Riding the Range".
* [[Everything Trying to Kill You]]: Tyrone thinks that everyone's trying to eat him during "Escape from Fairytale Village". (They actually want him to eat ''with'' them.)
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* [[Green Rocks]]: The flying rock in "The Quest for the Flying Rock" and the Crystal of Power in "Pablor and the Acorns".
* [[Green Thumb]] / [[Petal Power]]: Uniqua as Flower Girl in "Flower Power".
** [[Recycled Soundtrack]]: In all but two instances of this, the sound byte is consistent. "Scared Of You" deliberately uses a different version, because it's more intimidating.▼
* [[Grumpy Bear]]: Queen Uniqua in "A Giant Problem", as well as Pablo, Tasha, and Tyrone in "Fly Girl".
* [[The Guards Must Be Crazy]]: When Uniqua and Austin (as palace guards) are tricked by Musketeer Tasha in "The Two Musketeers", and guards Tyrone and Pablo in "The Masked Retriever".
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* [["I Want" Song]]: Uniqua and Pablo have one in "The Great Dolphin Race".
* [[The Jeeves]]: Tyrone in "Whodunit?", he even has his hair specially combed like Jeeves' for that episode. Also Pablo in "Catch That Train" -- so utterly ''utterly'' devoted to having everything Czar Tyrone needs three seconds before he wants it.
* [[The Juggernaut]]: In "Chichen-Itza Pizza", the boulder chasing Tasha and Uniqua.
* [[Jump, I'll Catch You!]]: In "Pirate Treasure", the other characters say this to Pablo as he hobbles across a log with his peg leg.
* [[Jump Physics]]: In "Pirate Camp", Uniqua and Pablo are launched into the air using only two planks and some crates.
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* [[Odd Couple]]: Best friends Pablo the tightly-wound and Tyrone the laid-back.
* [[Odd Job Gods]]: In "Match on Mt.Olympus", Austin is the god of laughter, and Uniqua is the goddess of naps.
** [[Laugh with Me]]:
{{quote|'''Austin''': Why did the chicken cross the playground? To get to the other ''slide''. Do ''you'' not think it's funny?}}
* [[Ominous Fog]]: The fog in "Knights are Brave and Strong" and "Whodunit?".
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* [[Our Giants Are Bigger]]: In "A Giant Problem", and "Escape from Fairy Tale Village".
* [[Our Ghosts Are Different]]: In "It's Great to be a Ghost" and "Pirate Camp".
* [[Our Goblins Are
* [[Our Mermaids Are Different]]: Tasha in "Viking Voyage", and then Tasha and Uniqua during "Into the Deep".
* [[Our Vampires Are Different]]: Pablo in "Scared Of You".
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* [[Outlaw]]: In "Blazing Paddles", we see a wanted poster of Pablo, the "Ping Pong Bandit", with a reward of $500.
* [[Out of Order]]: No two networks seem able to agree to an episode sequence. In the US, Nick Jr. used "Knights are Brave and Strong" as the pilot. Sometimes, episodes will be pushed back and worked into a theme. For instance, "Match on Mt. Olympus" was held back in America, and aired during the 2008 Olympics. This does not mess up any of the aforementioned [[Call Back|Call Backs]], though.
* [[Paper-Thin Disguise]]: Pablo, in ''The Master of Disguise''. All he does is change his clothing, but to the other characters his disguise is ''perfect''.
* [[Pantsless Males, Fully-Dressed Females]]: Tyrone and Pablo don't always wear pants, although Austin always does. Uniqua and Tasha are also fully dressed.
* [[Parental Bonus]]: Deliberate, and clever.
** "I don't make the weather. I just report it."
* [[Pilot Episode]]: "Fly Girl", if you mean ''literally''. The actual pilot is "Pirate Treasure".
* [[Pirate]]: "Pirate Treasure" and "Pirate Camp". Pablo also played a rather grumpy pirate in "Fly Girl", and a not-so-grumpy superhero pirate in "Super Team Awesome".
* [[Pirate Booty]]: The diamond in "Pirate Treasure", and Captain Red Boots' boot (plus a pile of gold) in "Pirate Camp".
* [[Pizza Boy Special Delivery]]: Not really, but Austin ''did'' deliver a pizza in "International Super Spy", and so did Uniqua and Tasha during "Chichen-Itza Pizza".
* [[Planet of Steves]]: During "Mission to Mars", the [[Couch Gag]] phrase is "Boinga", which can mean nearly anything. As does "Ugh" during "Cave Party".
* [[Played for Laughs]]
* [[Plot Hole]]
* [[Poke the Poodle]]: Justified. The [[Moral Guardians]] aren't about to let preschool characters do anything genuinely evil.
* [[Police Are Useless]]: Officer Pablo justifies this in "Caveman's Best Friend".
* [[Power Glows]]: In "The Magic Skateboard," Tyrone finds the magic skateboard because it glows. The Crystal of Power in "Pablor and the Acorns" also glows.
* [[The Power of Rock|The Power of]] <s>Rock</s> a ''lot'' of musical genres.
* [[The Quiet One]]: Once again, Austin.
* [[Recurring Character]]: The small martian from "Mission to Mars". One appears at the end of "News Flash", three appear at the end of "Los Galacticos" and two of them are major characters in "The Big Dipper Diner."▼
* [[Record Needle Scratch]]: In "Blazing Paddles". The exciting background music suddenly screeches to a halt when Pablo asks "Uh...when is high noon?".
▲* [[Recurring Character]]: The small martian from "Mission to Mars". One appears at the end of "News Flash", three appear at the end of "Los Galacticos" and two of them are major characters in "The Big Dipper Diner."
▲
* [[Red Herring]]: In "Whodunit?", {{spoiler|Austin leaves the manor saying that he has to go "feed his cat", looking very guilty indeed.}}
* [[Red Oni, Blue Oni]]: Inverted with Pablo and Tyrone. Pablo is blue and panicked frequently in the first season. Tyrone is orange, but more level-headed and laidback.
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* [[Robinsonade]]: The episode "Castaways".
* [[Robot Buddy]]: Rover in "Mission to Mars", as well as all of the robots in "Robot Rampage" before they went haywire.
* [[Rule of Cute]]: Not at all overplayed, but there nonetheless (they do have plushies to sell, after all).
* [[Rule of Three]]: Nearly every episode.
* [[Running Gag]]: Pablo's panic attacks.
* [[Scout Out]]: The Acorn Scouts in "Pablor and the Acorns".
* [[Screw This, I'm Outta Here]]: While on a pizza delivery in "Chichen-Itza Pizza," Tasha decides to quit the job after several [[Temple of Doom]] disasters, though she does so in true Backyardigans style - with a flashy college fight song.
* [[Sea Monster]]: A playful one appears in "The Amazing Splashinis".
* [[Sequel Episode]]: "Tale of the Not-So-Nice Dragon" is one for the season three special "Tale of the Mighty Knights".
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* [[Shoe Phone]]: Pablo's hat-phone in "International Super Spy".
* [[Shown Their Work]]: You can tell that the "Caveman's Best Friend" episode takes place in the Triassic period because of the tar puddles and the fern plants.
* [[Shout-Out]]: Ohhhh boy, where do we start?
** Honorable mentions go to some [[
* [[Shrinking Violet]]: Austin at first. He opens up later.
* [[Shrug Take]]: Mr. Spiffy's (Pablo) reaction to the wormans in "What's Bugging You?".
* [[Skyward Scream]]: '''''CLOOOOOWNS!''''' (Complete with echo)
* [[The Smart Guy]]: Austin, especially during "Race Around the World" and "Mission to Mars". Uniqua sometimes also fills this role, while Pablo is usually used to parody/subvert it.
* [[
* [[Sneeze of Doom]]: Uniqua (caused by dust while hiding from the Soccer Monster) in "Monster Detectives", and Austin (caused by flowers whlie hiding from Tyrone in a painting) in "Who Goes There?".
* [[Space Police]]: Officer Uniqua and Sergeant Tyrone in "Cops and Robots", as well as Officers Tyrone and Tasha in "The Big Dipper Diner".
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* [[Super Speed]]: Tasha as Super Snap in "Front Page News", Uniqua as The Pink Fury in "Blazing Paddles", and Pablo in "Legend of the Volcano Sisters".
* [[Super Strength]]: Tyrone in "The Legend of the Volcano Sisters"; Uniqua as Bug Girl in "Front Page News" ''and'' as Strong Blossom in "Super Team Awesome"; Pablo as Tarzan the Very Strong in "Heart of the Jungle".
* [[Swiper, No Swiping]]: While you can't stop the Grabbin' Goblin from taking your stuff just by asking, he will generally give it back if you ask nicely... most of the time.
* [[Sword Fight]]: The first episode "Pirate Treasure", had Austin and Tyrone having a sword fight using their ''telescopes''. In "The Two Musketeers", it gets better with Uniqua and Austin against Pablo, Tyrone, and Tasha with cool parring moves like a [[Blade Lock]], and [[Sword Over Head]]... though their swords ''are'' made of balloons.
* [[Take Over the World]]: Several episodes have characters wanting this, in particular "Race to the Tower of Power".
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* [[Unlimited Wardrobe]]: Although it could be argued that their fantasy wardrobes are purely imaginary...
* [[The Unmasking]]: {{spoiler|Tasha}} in "Front Page News" does this.
* [[
* [[The Un-Reveal]]: In "The Masked Retriever", none of the other characters find out about Uniqua's alter ego, with Austin's question of "Have you ever heard of the Masked Retriever?" left unanswered by the end-of-story stomach rumble.
* [[The Untwist]]: Frequent, in the course of finding ways around their inability to actually hurt or arrest anyone. During "Whodunit?", for instance, it turns out that {{spoiler|Tyrone was the thief, but he didn't really steal the jewels; Tasha gave them to him. It was all a plot by Tasha to liven up a rainy day}}.
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* [[Wasteful Wishing]]: In "Movers of Arabia", {{spoiler|Pablo wastes a wish by saying "I wish I knew where we were." Cue Genie Austin, yelling "You're in Arabia! Boy, that was easy!"}}
* [[What Could Have Been]]: One episode was supposed to use [[wikipedia:Sun ra|Sun Ra's]] avant-garde jazz as a music genre, but the show's producers thought it would scare [[Moral Guardians|parents]] and decided not to go through with it.
** Also, the show was going to be called "Me + My Friends", Uniqua was supposed to be a pig, and there was no Austin. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110801231620/http://www.backyardiganfans.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=407 Click here for more info.]
* [[Whip Pan]]: Used in "The Tale of the Mighty Knights", "Le Master of Disguise", "Robin Hood the Clean", and several other episodes.
* [[Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?]]: Tasha during "Chichen-Itza Pizza" -- logically enough, the Indiana Jones parody episode.
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----
▲Pablo: "Egregious!"
{{reflist}}
[[Category:
[[Category:The Millennium Age of Animation]]
[[Category:Edutainment Show]]
[[Category:All CGI Cartoon]]
[[Category:Western Animation]]
[[Category:Western Animation of the 2000s]]
[[Category:Nelvana]]
[[Category:Nick Jr.]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Backyardigans, The}}
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