Each episode is set to a different musical genre and features four songs, composed by Evan Lurie with lyrics by McPaul Smith.

The Backyardigans originated as a live-action pilot episode titled "Me and My Friends", filmed at Nickelodeon Studios Florida and completed in September 1998.

The Backyardigans received generally positive reviews from audiences and critics who consider it superior to Nickelodeon's other preschool shows because its writing was sophisticated and enjoyable for older viewers.

The New York Times and Common Sense Media commended the show for including frequent nods to an older audience,[3] such as references to action-adventure franchises.

Their adventures span a variety of different genres and settings; many episodes involve visiting different parts of the world, traveling back or forward in time, and using magic or supernatural powers.

From the second season onward, many episodes are parodies of action-adventure films such as James Bond, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, and Ghostbusters.

In addition to singing songs in a new genre each episode, the show's background music changes to match, scoring all of the Backyardigans' actions.

Burgess drew inspiration from action films[13] when writing episodes of the show, as she wanted to adapt high-stakes stories for a young audience.

[2] In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Burgess was asked what inspired the show; she responded, "I know this is going to sound very strange, but the things I really draw upon are action films.

"[2] Nickelodeon believed that The Backyardigans was an ideal "evergreen" property: a series that would stay in production for a long time through multiple generations.

[2] However, in 2010, Burgess decided to end The Backyardigans to start working on Nickelodeon's newer projects: a revival series of Winx Club.

This included lyricist McPaul Smith; writers Jeff Borkin, Adam Peltzman, and Carin Greenberg; line producer Sara Kamen; and script coordinator Jonathan Foss.

[21] The crew considered it a natural progression, as Winx Club was also a musical action-adventure show, but it targeted an older audience, allowing them to branch out.

[22] In a 2016 article for The Chicago Tribune, drama critic Chris Jones called The Backyardigans "a fabulously inventive TV show.

"[23] DVD Talk's John Crichton gave the show a "hearty recommendation," citing its "enjoyable (and varied) music score, the character voices (both spoken and singing) and the impressive visual presentation.

[25] Critics noted that the series held broad appeal to older viewers, due to its high-quality music and focus on character-driven, non-educational stories.

Susan Stewart of The New York Times said "it's hard to say whether The Backyardigans is a fantasy for children or for their parents,"[3] commending the show's animation and storytelling.

Common Sense Media's Emily Ashby wrote, "It's not always easy to find a show you like as much as your youngsters do, but The Backyardigans definitely has the potential to fit that bill.

"[26] Journalist Virginia Heffernan wrote, "with each episode devoted not just to a separate quest but also to a different musical genre...the show blows you away with its artistic exactitude.

[29] Due to their success on TikTok, "Castaways" and "Into the Thick of It" reached number 5 and 13 respectively on the Spotify viral 50 chart in the US for the week beginning on June 10, 2021.

(an event featuring other Nick Jr. Channel characters from Dora the Explorer, Wonder Pets!, and Ni Hao, Kai-Lan, as well as hosts Moose and Zee).

[40] In Canada, separate live shows called "Quest for the Extra Ordinary Aliens" (2008) and "Sea Deep in Adventure" (2009) were created.