Layered on top of the show’s old-school inspirations are references to internet phenomena, such as cute cat videos. (At one point Johnson and Twomey decided to “catify everything”, says Twomey. Almost everything on set has little ears – “the toaster’s catified, the refrigerator’s catified” – which has proved useful for merchandising). Another inspiration was something many parents dislike: YouTube unboxing videos. Yes, says Twomey, the endless clips of children opening toys can feel “a little creepy” – but the videos resonate with kids. “Then it was like, well, who doesn’t love to open presents? What’s better than that? So how do we make this … not creepy?” The idea was to “make that more story based, more narrative”. The Bedroom: Cuddle up with Pillow Cat, hear your favorite bedtime story, play dress up with your cat friends! Open the box to find a Pillow Cat collectible figure, three furniture pieces, a stuffed kitty accessory, plus two Dollhouse Delivery boxes with two more surprise accessories. Just like Gabby does at the beginning of each episode, unbox your special Dollhouse Deliveries and discover the set’s mystery accessories: a book that opens and a sleep mask that Pillow Cat can really wear. Slide the mask onto his head, pretend to turn off the kitty lamp on the bedside table and place Pillow Cat and his stuffed kitty on the bed for a cat nap.

The kids are 100% with her. She’s that aspirational, cool role model, the ultimate babysitter.’ Photograph: DreamWorksCasting Kraner was quite the process. DreamWorks, which commissioned the show in 2017, auditioned 1,500 actors on screen, then sent Johnson and Twomey 500 to whittle down. When they saw Kraner, they just knew. She had “natural spontaneity”, says Twomey. “Even when she would make mistakes, she would improv, like, ‘Oops!’ – and that’s so growth mindset,” says Johnson. Still, Johnson says she and Twomey aren’t too involved in the toys. They do have “world Gabbification” in mind, but they are not talking about the bottom line. “It’s very powerful, our position of creating children’s media – we take it seriously,” says Johnson, pointing out that as adults, we tend to remember the shows we loved as kids. One day Gabby’s fans will grow up, she says, and when they err they may find themselves saying “whoopsie, I made a mistake”, she says, slipping into song. “OK. Like: that’s cool. Our plan is working!”

Use it with the Bakey with Cakey Kitchen and MerCat’s Primp and Pamper Bathroom (each sold separately) to build up your own Gabby’s Dollhouse world. Plus, you can even slide the room right into Gabby’s Purrfect Dollhouse (sold separately) for more ways to play out your dollhouse adventures. The Playroom: Let’s go for a ride with Carlita and her outgoing personality. Race around the playroom, build castles, play basketball or even tennis! Games galore in the playroom! You hope that the idiosyncrasy – and the sense, among parents, that this is a show first and not a vehicle for the sales of toys – will survive the turbo Franchise treatment long term.Meet the cutest kitties ever: Pandy, Cakey, MerCat, DJ Catnip, Baby Box, Carlita, Kitty Fairy and Pillow Cat. Gabby wears cat ears, sings cheerful songs about science and says things like ‘miaow-mazing’. Photograph: DreamWorks