Back to Backspace and Pillywags' Mansion

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Back to Backspace and Pillywags' Mansion are two animated pilots from Cartoon Network Studios, released on Cartoon Network’s website in November 2014. Back to Backspace was created by Dominic Bisignano and Amalia Levari, and Pillywags’ Mansion was created by Sam Marin. The pilots were well received by critics.

Back to Backspace follows Patti and her brothers Herschel and Sweatpants, who work in Backspace—a virtual reality where rejected ideas, called deletions, are sent. Their boss Yaga asks Patti to look for incoming rejections. When a design for a cartoon man named Mustacki is rejected and sent to Backspace, Patti and the team explain three types of deletions: good-bad (sent back), lousy-bad (counseled and repaired), and evil-bad (tortured and shredded). Patti becomes distracted by soundcubes, and Ranklin, leader of a group called the Krampses (evil-bad deletions), ends up causing trouble. After a twist involving Mustacki, Patti leaves Backspace and ponders her life there, recording a song at home and storing her soundcubes in a rectangular container.

Pillywags’ Mansion uses puppetry and centers on a fictional variety show inside the series, The Pillywags Show. Master Pillywags hosts from his basement with his helpers, Screen (a talking projection screen) and Greg (a goblin-like creature). In the pilot, he interviews two dolls, then invites Professor Steve, who has been swallowed by Pillywags’ monster. Steve explains why size matters, leading to a segment on whether it’s better to be big or small; the show ultimately says big is better. The credits roll with Screen and Greg taking a break before the next show.

Production details and reception: Back to Backspace was created and written by Bisignano and Levari; Pillywags’ Mansion was created, written, and storyboarded by Sam Marin. Both pilots were produced by Nate Funaro, with Pillywags’ Mansion directed by Patrick Johnson and Rob Getzschman. Casts include Amber Benson as Patti, Zosia Mamet as Yaga, Craig Anton as Mustacki, and David and Chris Walsh as Herschel and Sweatpants in Back to Backspace; Marin as Pillywags, Tim Blaney as Greg, Screen by Allan Trautman, and Professor Steve by Artie Esposito in Pillywags’ Mansion. Critics from CalArts’ 24700 blog and Cartoon Brew gave positive notes, highlighting the pilots’ potential, concept, and mix of styles. Amidi also noted that while he had mixed feelings about connecting with the characters, the puppetry and concept were on trend. Back to Backspace was nominated for Best General Audience Animated Television Production at the 42nd Annie Awards but did not win.