What happens when two teachers with a passion for children’s learning, a love for music and backgrounds in television come together? They make a preschool series, of course.

That’s what Carole Demas and Paula Janis did in the early ’70s when they started working on The Magic Garden. The slow-paced, live-action show followed along as Demas and Janis sang folk songs and told stories to flowers. The series ran for 12 seasons on WPIX-TV in New  York, and spawned musical albums and stand-alone specials, which aired as recently as 2013.

Now, Demas and Janis—along with Christine Ferraro, Eric Peterson and Carol-Lynn Parente from Hot Spaghetti Productions—think it’s time to remake the classic series.

“An updated version that encourages imaginative play is desperately needed in today’s digital age,” says Ferraro.

While working on PBS KIDS’ Hero Elementary in 2020, former Sesame Workshop alums Parente and Ferraro hooked up with Demas and Janis, who had been headlining a live concert at the time. The group decided to combine their experience to bring The Magic Garden back, with a few tweaks for today’s modern audience.

Hot Spaghetti is in development on an 11 x 30-minute 3D-animated remake, and has raised more than US$100,000 in financing. The team is working on a proof-of-concept short, which they will begin shopping this year, says Parente.

In order to take advantage of nostalgia around the original show, Parente says the remake will focus on themes from the original series, such as friendship and self-created fun.

Animation should help to modernize the brand and appeal to the appetite of the current market, adds Ferraro. Original stars Demas and Janis will continue to be part of the series, voicing a pair of talking sunflowers.

The original relied on a format that many preschooler programs continue to use today, says Parente. This includes repetition and recognizable intervals like music and story time, and arts & crafts activities that help keep preschoolers engaged.

“We felt [the format] was still relevant,” says Parente. “It didn’t really matter whether you knew the [original] show or not.”