She was 72 years old. Janice Burgess was a legend in the world of animation.
A lot of people have said nice things about the screenwriter, who was best known for making the Nickelodeon show The Backyardigans.
An author and producer named Fracaswell Hyman praised Burgess’s biting wit.
“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 on Instagram.
They send this person to the set to make sure the money doesn’t go to waste.
“Janice walked in with her sharp tongue, flowing Hermes scarves, and lots of cigarettes.”
“She stopped being a boss and 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.”
Hyman thought Burgess’s comments on the stories were smart, clear, and helpful.
He told her he would miss her very much.
The exact cause of Burgess’ death has not been found yet.
She died just a few days after turning 72 years old.
Burgess, who is from Pennsylvania, became corporate head of production at Nickelodeon in 1995. She also worked as a story editor on the adventure show Winx Club in 2004.
Nick Jr. reported that she said the idea for the Backyardigans came from her backyard when she was a child.
She made a joke about how she and her friends would play hide-and-seek and pretend they were chasing wild animals.
Fans rushed to honor Burgess in their own ways.
“She came up with the Backyardigans?” It was when I was a kid. One person said, “I loved her so much.”
“The Backyardigans was – and still is – one of my most remarkable memories from my childhood… this is a huge loss,” a mourner wrote.
“She had a huge impact in [sic] my life.”
“There are no words to describe how grateful we are to Janice for making The Backyardigans and Gullah Gullah Island and being a part of our childhood. We will all miss you so much!” “Fly high!” said a third fan.