Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey are the creators of the new DreamWorks Animation series Gabby’s Dollhouse. It debuts this Tuesday January 5th on Netflix. Johnson and Twomey (of Blue’s Clues fame) usher in 2021 with a fun, positive show about learning, adventure and… cats. What’s not to love? (This interview was conducted as an Email Q&A.)

Jackson Murphy: Since the first “sneak preview” episode of Gabby’s Dollhouse was posted on YouTube in August, it’s been viewed more than 8 million times. What has the reaction been?

Traci Paige Johnson: Cat-Tastic!!! We couldn’t be more thrilled with the response! Our audience is loving the combination of live-action and animation. They are truly connecting with the real-life Gabby and delighting in her transformation into the animated world of the Dollhouse. We are honored and excited to be DreamWorks’ first hybrid show with live-action and animation. From the reaction we are getting, it seems kids are really gravitating to Gabby and all the adorable animated cat characters inside her Dollhouse – and parents are loving it as well which is very important to us!

JM: Many members of my family have been into miniatures, tiny figurines, dollhouses… and cats… for their entire lives. How did your love of these elements originate?

Jennifer Twomey: When creating new shows, we like to pull from what we loved and what sparked us as kids….miniatures, dollhouses, and kittens being a guiding force! We were also intrigued by a kid’s fascination with unboxing videos and wanted to offer something deeper than just unboxing a toy. We loved the idea of unboxing a story…where the miniature we unbox becomes the catalyst to that day’s adventure inside the Dollhouse. Gabby’s Dollhouse melds together miniatures, unboxing, and cats for the ultimate wish fulfillment of shrinking down and playing inside a magical dollhouse world. We like to say it’s the preschool series with a surprise inside that we hope kids will want to open again and again.

JM: With this show combining animation and live-action, what is the production timeline like, and how did 2020 impact the timeline?

TPJ: Unlike Blue’s Clues, where the live-action is intertwined with the animation for the entirety of the show, the live-action in Gabby’s Dollhouse, for the most part, bookends the animation. This allowed us to continue storyboarding and animating the series even when our live-action shoot had to be delayed due to the pandemic. Gabby’s Dollhouse is the first DreamWorks show where we, as the creators, are based in NYC while the rest of the team are LA-based. Our production had already worked out a lot of the kinks associated with detailed creative collaboration over a video screen so when Covid hit, we were already well-positioned to shift to the new paradigm of working entirely remote. We are so grateful and proud of how the production team rallied around the show during such a challenging time. Instead of feeling like we needed to cut corners or make sacrifices in the finished product, the added challenges inspired out of the box solutions and we feel like the creative bar is raised on every episode we deliver. We could not be more thrilled with the finished product and believe the show has a unique look and style that is all Gabby’s which is a true testament to how much love and hard work everyone involved put into it.

JM: When did you know that Laila Lockhart Kraner would be purr-fect for Gabby?

JT: The first time we saw Laila look into the camera and invite us in for this ultimate playdate, we knew she was the one! DreamWorks was absolutely amazing in helping us find our Gabby. They cast the net wide all over the country, leaving no rock unturned, and ultimately we saw over 1000 girls. Laila was one of the last girls we saw and we just knew right away that she was our Gabby. She has a genuine connection to the kids at home while also embodying Gabby’s personality of grit, resilience, and humor. Laila organically embodies the show’s goal of modeling a growth mindset approach; inspiring kids to celebrate their mistakes, think creatively, and find humor in challenging situations. An additional bonus is that Laila translates so well to an animated character with her expressive eyebrows, signature smile, and bountiful hair.

JM: Donovan Patton voices CatRat. It’s a Blue’s Clues reunion! Did you know right away that you wanted him involved in this companion series?

TPJ: Our Blue’s Clues family is strong and we always jump at the chance to work with one another whenever we can. Donovan also voiced Bot, the main character on another one of our shows, Team Umizoomi. Donovan is one of the most talented actors/voice talent around and we knew right away he’d be perfect to play the role of CatRat. Even though CatRat can be a bit mischievous and has a sometimes grumpy exterior, he ultimately has a huge heart and Donovan brings him to life with humor and empathy.

JM: How did you come up with the designs and some of the specific details of the rooms in the dollhouse?

JT: We designed each room in the Dollhouse to represent different play areas in a preschool to ignite creativity and exploration. We love the DIY aspect of making things in the craft room with Baby Box, cooking in the kitchen with Cakey, singing in the music room with DJ Catnip, and exploring science with MerCat in the bathroom. Since the show is CAT-themed we have such a fun time “Catifying” everything like adding cat ears from the toaster, to the bed, to the Catavator. The more you look, the more you see, and our audience LOVES finding all the cat-themed goodies.

JM: How important is it for the supporting characters to have their own songs at the end of each episode?

TPJ: Since we’re the show with a “surprise inside” we created the Gabby “Cat of the Day” segment, where, at the end of each episode, one of our Gabby Cats is selected and the viewer has an opportunity to spend one-on-one time with them cooking, crafting, gaming, or singing. We have so many fabulous cats in the Dollhouse, we wanted to be sure our audience got to meet them all early on… so we worked with our talented composer, PT Walkley, to create a song for each character that captures their essence and vibe. These music videos create a soundtrack for each character and introduce the viewer to what makes them special. Each Gabby Cat has their own philosophy of life… from Cakey’s “Everyday Is A Sprinkle Party” and PillowCat’s “Roll with it!” to CatRat’s “You Can’t Spell Meow Without ME!” our audience gets a bopping good time getting to know all the cat’s personalities. Having worked with PT on Team Umizoomi and Blue’s Clues & You, we knew he could imbue the show with the unique and original sound we were looking for. So get ready to bop out to his talented compositions and dance to Gabby’s Dollhouse’s signature “QUIRKY CAT BOP” sound.

JM: I know the show was originally supposed to debut towards the end of 2020 but it now kicks off 2021 with a huge burst of positivity! How do you feel about families watching Gabby’s Dollhouse during this time?

JT: Gabby’s Dollhouse couldn’t be premiering at a better moment. Kids and families have been through a lot in 2020 and Gabby’s growth mindset message of resilience and self-love feel like something we could all benefit from right now. We can’t wait to share the show with preschoolers everywhere.