Surf's Up and the DVD is out!

Just a quick reminder that the Surf's Up! DVD is being released tomorrow, May 30. I'm waiting for it from Netflix.com, and I'll have a review up as soon as possible.

I hear that the extras on the DVD this time include two of the how-to-do-this-dance ads they play on Nick Jr. sometimes, so I'm excited to see them! I love those ads, and I'd probably be willing to buy a DVD of just those ads. They're so fun. My kids get up and start dancing all over the place every time one of those comes on.

Lyrics - Laser Limbo

From "Secret Mission." Sung to the tune of "Limbo Rock."

Uniqua, Pablo and Tyrone: (sung) Secret Agent limbo team
Is gonna beat the laser beam.
We will line up single file
And show off our limbo style.

Pablo: It's Uniqua's turn to go
She will limbo good and low.
Will she make it? Yes, she will.
She's got laser limbo skill!

Uniqua: (spoken) Limbo lower now.
Limbo lower now.
How low can you go?

Woo-hoo!

Pablo: Excellent limboing, Agent Uniqua!

Tyrone: Yeah!

Uniqua: Thanks!
C'mon, Tyrone. You know what to do!

Tyrone: Here I come.

Uniqua and Pablo: (sung) Now Tyrone is going to try.
He's a limbo kind of guy.
Keep those antlers by the floor
As you limbo through the door.

Bend down low and keep it loose,
Secret Agent limbo moose.
He will beat the laser light.
He can do the limbo right.

Tyrone: (spoken) Limbo lower now.
Limbo lower now.
How low can you go?

All right!

Uniqua: Excellent limboing, Agent Tyrone!

Tyrone: It was tricky.

Pablo: Now it's my turn. Here I come.

Uniqua and Tyrone: (sung) Agent Pablo's going now
Come on Pablo show us how.
Bend your knees, extend your arms,
And don't set off those alarms.

Limbo low and limbo fast,
Save the limbo best for last.
Now we all have passed the test.
We're the laser limbo best.

Pablo: (spoken) Limbo lower now.
Limbo lower now.
How low can you go?

Uniqua and Tyrone: All right! Yeah! (whistle)

High Tea Finally Airing

Great news! High Tea is finally going to be airing on Nick Jr.!

The episode, which is currently available only on the Polka Palace Party DVD, features Tasha taking the lead when Tyrone, Pablo and Uniqua can't decide what to play. She suggests a tea party, which they think sounds boring. Tasha, however, shows them just how exciting searching for the perfect cup of tea can be!

High Tea will premiere June 19, on both Nick Jr. and Noggin. If you miss the premiere, don't despair - it airs again June 21. Check your local listings for the exact time. (I'm hearing 11:30 a.m. for Nick Jr. and 4:30 p.m. for Noggin.)

In other Nick Jr. news, they'll be switching to their summer schedule May 30. The new schedule will be from 6-7 a.m. and 9 a.m.-noon, weekdays. They'll also be kicking off a Let's Just Play campaign, June 4, following four real children who are working to make their lives healthier.

Nick Jr. Sale

Nick Jr. is having an outdoor merchandise sale right now, 20% off until May 29. So, if you've been drooling over that Backyardigans patio set, now's the time to get it! Also, if you order $50 worth of merchandise, you get a free 1 year subscription to Nick Magazine, now through June 30.

New Voice for Tyrone

Amonymous maximus alerted me that Tyrone has a new singing voice for the upcoming new episodes. Jordan Coleman will be taking over from Reginald Davis, Jr. as Tyrone's speaking voice. (Incidentally, the Internet Movie Database lists Nathalie Haneveld as Tyrone's voice in the Dutch dub.)

Our thanks to Reginald Davis for the pleasure he's given us as one of the voices of our beloved Backyardigans! We wish him good luck in his future career.

We also welcome Jordan Coleman - and look forward to getting to know you as Tyrone!

Now in translation

Since so many of my readers are coming from other countries, I was excited to run across this: Bring translation capability to your site

If you look over to the left, under the Links section, you'll see a button from AltaVista that you can use to translate this blog with just one click. I hope my international readers will find it useful!

Lyrics - Key to the World

From Race to the Tower of Power. Sung to the tune of "Three Blind Mice".

Pablo and Tyrone: Key to the World
The Key to the World
In the Tower of Power
In the Tower of Power

Tyrone: If we get the Key we'll win,
Our evil empire will begin,
We won't let the superheroes in-

Both: -to the Tower of Power
The Tower of Power
Wa-ha-ha-ha-haaa

Pablo: The Tower of Power is very tall,
And up in the top is the Key.

Tyrone: (The Key!)
We'll find it, and grab it,
And keep it, and have it,
And rule the world you and me.

Pablo: Key to the World
The Key to the World
In the Tower of Power
In the Tower of Power

Tyrone: Let's hurry now and grab it quick,
So we can fill the world with ick.
The superheroes they make me sick!

Both: To the Tower of Power
The Tower of Power

Backyardigans Trends

I ran across Google Trends recently and have had a lot of fun playing around with it. I thought all of you might be interested to see how interest (as measured by searches) in the Backyardigans has grown over the last couple of years. Just click the links below to get a graph approximating the growth in searches Google has had on these particular search strings.

I find it very interesting to see how many Spanish speaking fans of the Backyardigans there are. I knew a lot of my readers were coming from South American countries, but I didn't realize there was this much interest!

Backyardigans

The Backyardigans

Comparisons:

Backyardigans vs. Go, Diego, Go

Backyardigans vs Nick Jr.

Mother's Day Picture Frame

I just got an email from Nick Jr. (just sign up as a member if you want to get their newsletter) saying, among other things, that there is a Backyardigans Mother's Day picture frame available for printing out. It features Uniqua and Austin, as well as some generic spring flowers. You're supposed to print it out, fold it half, cut out the area inside the frame, and tape in a picture. The only problem is that cutting out the white space in the center might be a bit fussy. They've got Austin and Uniqua overlapping the border of the frame in a very artistic way that is going to make cutting it a difficult task.

I can't explain it well. Go look at it - it'll make more sense then.

Of course, it would have been nice to have gotten an email about this a few days earlier. Umm, Nick Jr.? Mother's Day is tomorrow. Some of us like to prepare sooner than the last minute.

Backyardigans Calendar

If you're the kind of person who likes to plan ahead - really far ahead - you might be interested in the Backyardigans calendar available for preorder at Amazon. (You probably won't have to wait too long to get it, though. The release date is June 30.)

It's a wall calendar, for 2007, in English. There's no picture available, yet. Hopefully it will show up soon!

A Kids' Show Even Adults Love

In an article in the Arizona Republic, columnist Bill Goodykroontz has a list of lists. Among others, he has: late, great shows that haven't worn out their welcome in reruns, 3 people we can do without ever hearing from again, When disaster strikes, the 4 TV news people I want to be watching, and (dunt-da-daa!) 5 kids shows adults can enjoy without having to pretend.

Naturally, The Backyardigans is on that last list. "We've got the whole wide world/in our yard to explore. . . .," Goodykroontz said. "Sorry, but the songs are incredibly catchy."

Tell me about it. Every time I get the lyrics to one of the songs written down, I spend the next several days with that song going through my head constantly. Luckily, they are such great songs that it doesn't make me crazy to have one stuck in my head like that!

Lyrics - Racing Day

From Race Around the World.

Austin: Racing day, it's racing day,
Racing day, it's racing day!
It's not nervous pacing day.
Today's the day we race.

I'm ready to race a long, long race.
This race goes almost every place.
It's fast, it's long,
It's vast, it's far,
It starts out right here where we are.

But when the finish line's unfurled,
We will have raced around the world.
When we finish this long, long race
I hope, I hope I'll take first place.

Racing day, it's racing day,
Racing day, it's racing day!
It's not sausage casing day,
Today's the day we race.
Today's the day we race.
Today's the day we race.

All: Racing day, it's racing day,
Racing day, it's racing day!
It's not picture-tracing day,
Today's the day we race!

Tyrone: We'll run somewhere that's not right here,
And while we do the crowd will cheer.
Uniqua: Through the forest over the snows,
Across the ocean and then who knows?

Pablo: Whoever is the first around,
will get to make that victory sound,
Austin: Dunt-da-daa! is what they'll say
at the end of racing day.

All: Racing day, it's racing day,
Racing day, it's racing day!
It's not puppy chasing day,
Today's the day we race!

All: Racing day, it's racing day,
Racing day, it's racing day!
It's not doily lacing day,
Today's the day we race!

Uniqua: A long, long, long, long way we've come,
Tyrone: To get back where we started from.
Pablo: We raced real hard but now it's time,
Austin: To break that tape and cross that line.

All: Racing day, it's racing day,
Racing day, it's racing day!
It's not self-effacing day,
Today's the day we race.
Today's the day we race.
Today's the day we race.

New Backyardigans books = new episodes?

Interesting things showing up over at Amazon! I think we can take these new books as good bets for being part of the upcoming 20 new episodes. I can't wait!