‘Gabby’s Dollhouse’: Meet Benny Box, Mermaid-Lantis and More New Faces and Places in Season 8 (Exclusive)

A new season of Gabby's Dollhouse arrives on Netflix today, and you can expect to see some brand new characters joining the whiskered ensemble.

According to the creators of the DreamWorks Animation show, Season 8 is all about growing the Gabby Cat family and expanding Gabby's adventures beyond the dollhouse, including to Mermaid-lantis, a magical underwater locale that will no doubt delight the show's preschool demographic.

"We'll alway have the dollhouse, and that's our home," series co-creator Jennifer Twomey told The Messenger. "But it's fun to take trips to fantasy portals and get to see more different worlds."

The show — a live-action, cartoon combo — stars Laila Lockhart Kraner as the titular Gabby, a vivacious and confident girl who speaks directly to her young viewers, inviting them to join her as she opens a cat-themed box to reveal an item that sets her off on the adventure of the day. She shrinks down, becomes animated, and joins her feline friends in her magical (or, in the show's parlance, "a-meow-zing") dollhouse.

The DreamWorks series has become something of a kids' culture juggernaut since it launched a mere two and a half years ago. Gabby's Dollhouse frequently ranks in Netflix's list of top 10 most-watched shows, the show's YouTube channel has racked up over a billion views, and its merchandise is ubiquitous, with Gabby Cat toys, plushies, clothing, Lego, a board game, an app and plenty more product tie-ins.

Perhaps the show's success is not surprising given the creative minds behind it: Twomey and co-creator Traci Paige Johnson, who between them are responsible for such children's entertainment megahits as Blue's Clues, Team Umizoomi, Super Why and Creative Galaxy.

For Gabby's Dollhouse, Twomey and Johnson told The Messenger that they were inspired by the popularity of unboxing videos on YouTube — "That's where we got opening up and unboxing a story, and kind of using that as the catalyst," Johnson said — as well as by all the things they loved when they were little girls themselves, like Silly Putty, Slinkies, glitter, miniatures, dollhouses and collecting things. "You start with those elements that feel so great," Twomey said, "and then you add in that whole fantasy layer."

For the fantasy, Twomey and Johnson leaned into the same winning formula that worked for Super Why and Team Umizoomi. "The wish fulfillment of shrinking down and being in an environment. That's such a magical thing," Johnson said. "Every kid kind of fixates on that, that idea that there's these other worlds that you could shrink down and play in."

In Gabby's case, of course, that world is the dollhouse. "Each room is like a fantasy area of a preschool," said Johnson, populated by one of Gabby's cat friends. There's Carlita (part cat, part car), Kitty Fairy (part cat, part fairy), Pillow Cat (part cat, part pillow)... you get the idea.

"We really wanted to match the spirit and materials of each character to the room," Johnson said. So in the kitchen, "Cakey's a cupcake," she said. "Mercat's in the bathroom. And with Baby Box, we knew we wanted it to be craft items. We love to create characters and looks and stories that are very breakthrough in kind of quirkiness and cleverness, and definitely in cuteness, that you just want to have playdates with."

Those playdates whisk Gabby to some exciting new places in Season 8 — in the season premiere, she gets a magical mermaid tail to explore Mermaid-lantis — and introduces several fresh faces.

In what is perhaps the creators' favorite story in the new season, Baby Box gets a little brother, the itty bitty Benny Box. Benny has the same cardboard box-style head as his sister, along with a pipe-cleaner curly cue hair, toilet paper roll arms and legs, washi tape diaper strips and some adorable baby giggles.

"Every episode, we think first of the preschooler and what's important to them," Twomey said. "Having a new baby brother or sister is a big preschool experience."

In the episode, Baby Box loves her new baby brother but feels sad when the other Gabby Cats gush over him.

"Everyone thinks Benny box is the cutest little baby in the whole world," she confides in Gabby. "But I'm Baby Box. I'm supposed to be the baby of the dollhouse."

Gabby responds with understanding and encouragement. "Becoming a big sister is a big change," she says. "But you'll always be the one and only Baby Box, the craftiest cutie in the dollhouse. And it might take a little time, but I think you're gonna love being a big sister. Benny's such a tiny baby, he's really gonna need your help with so many things."

At one point, Gabby encourages Baby Box to try making Benny laugh. Baby Box responds, "Me? I've never been around babies before. I don't know how to make Benny laugh."

Gabby replies, "You don't know how… yet! Give it a try!"

It's a typical response for Gabby; after all, that growth mindset ethos is built into the show's DNA. Unlike the specific curriculums of some of their previous projects (like math in Umizoomi or reading in Super Why), Johnson and Twomey wanted Gabby's Dollhouse to support general kindergarten readiness, with an emphasis on growth mindset, inspired by psychologist Carol Dweck's book of the same name. With Gabby, they aimed to create a character who embodied resilience and tenacity. In fact, one of her frequent refrains is "We failed fantastically!"

"We wanted to make sure that we had these mantras like, 'I don't know how to do it… yet,' or 'Let's give it a go,' or 'Whoopsie, I made a mistake, and it's okay.' Things that we know that are repeatable, that kids will take into their adult lives," Johnson said.

It's a trait that Gabby actress Laila Lockhart Kraner embodies herself, Johnson said, and part of what made her stand out among over a thousand audition tapes.

"She had that positive attitude when we were filming, you know, making mistakes and just laughing and having fun with it. It was like, 'That's Gabby,'" said Johnson. "Especially with the host, you want someone who is a good role model; you want to have somebody that you feel comfortable leaving your kid in front of the TV with for half an hour."

Lockhart Kraner has grown up a bit since the show debuted in January 2021, and the showrunners say they're willing to let Gabby grow up right along with her.

"It's so natural," Twomey said. "Gabby is such an aspirational character. I feel like kids love her. And, you know, growing with her from like, your big, older sister, to your babysitter, I still think she brings such a perfect energy and naturalness. It's her spirit — you can feel it through the camera."

For their part, Johnson and Twomey still have plenty of Gabby's Dollhouse stories left to tell.

"Because it is all fantasy play, you can do anything, and the stories keep coming and coming and coming," Johnson said. "It seems infectious how much fun we have playing in the house, and it translates through the TV. We're so thrilled that the world loves Gabby's as much as we do. It's just been such a joy."

Gabby's Dollhouse Season 8 is now available to stream on Netflix.