Gisèle's Big Backyard facts for kids
Gisèle's Big Backyard was a fun Canadian TV show for young children. It aired on TVOntario from 1998 to 2019. The show was hosted by Gisèle Corinthios, who was also an educator and entertainer. It was a follow-up to her earlier show, The Nook.
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What Was Gisèle's Big Backyard?
Gisèle's show helped kids learn and have fun. She worked with puppet friends and special guests. They taught children using a special way of learning called the HighScope curriculum. This method helps young kids learn by doing and exploring.
The show was not a full-length program on its own. Instead, it aired as short parts between other shows. These short segments were part of the TVOKids programming block. The show also made online games and educational videos for the TVOntario website.
Who Was in the Backyard?
The show featured many fun puppet characters. Here are some of them:
- Sticks the Squirrel (voiced by Jason Hopley)
- Jay the Blue Jay (voiced by Ali Eisner)
- Melvin the Skunk (voiced by Marty Stelnick)
- This (voiced by Ryan Field)
- That (voiced by Frank Meschkuleit)
- Polkaroo
Polkaroo also brought along his friends from Polka Dot Door. These were Dumpty, Humpty, and Marigold. In Gisèle's Big Backyard, they appeared as smaller doll-sized characters. This was their first time back on TV since Polka Dot Shorts ended in 2001.
Awards and Recognition
Gisèle's Big Backyard won an important award. It received the Gemini Award for Best Pre-School Program or Series in 2006. This happened at the 21st Gemini Awards.
The show was also nominated for the same award two more times. These nominations were at the 24th Gemini Awards in 2009 and the 26th Gemini Awards in 2011. Gisèle Corinthios herself was nominated for an award. She was recognized for being the Best Host in a Children's or Youth Program or Series. This nomination happened at both the 26th Gemini Awards and the 1st Canadian Screen Awards.
When Did the Show End?
New episodes of Gisèle's Big Backyard stopped being made in 2016. However, the show's older segments continued to air on TVOntario for a few more years. The show finally stopped airing in 2019.
