Butch Hartman — the creator of some of the most successful animated children’s series in Nickelodeon history, including The Fairly OddParents (which ranks as Nickelodeon’s third longest running animated series), Danny Phantom, T.U.F.F. Puppy and Bunsen Is a Beast —and his wife Julieann have set out to produce a brand new animated show: The Garden.
The 2D series presents biblical lessons for children ages 3-8, told through the adventures of Lenny the Lion and Lucy the Lamb, who live in a magical garden.
“We all know how much VeggieTales impacted the lives of millions of children. We’d like to follow in their footsteps and do the same thing with The Garden,” Hartman explained. “Our goal is to make the truth of the Bible easier to understand. The Garden will provide a fun way for kids to comprehend the Gospel and who Jesus is through stories and songs.”
As in previous Hartman projects, The Garden will include original songs. The Fairly OddParents was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music & Lyrics in 2002 for “I Wish Every Day Could Be Christmas,” co-written by Hartman. That series snagged two more nominations in the category the next year, for the original songs also co-written by Hartman “What Girls Love” and “It’s Great to Be A Guy,” and again in 2004 for “Wish Come True!”
“Songs make memorization so much easier,” Hartman noted. “As a kid, I could remember Beatles songs but couldn’t remember my times tables! We want kids to memorize scripture more than pop tunes. Providing kids with amazing songs to sing is one of our goals to help them learn the Bible.”
The Hartmans have already planned at least two seasons of episodes and are in negotiations to secure the right strategic partner and platform to launch by the third quarter, 2022. “These episodes will be seeds we plant in the hearts of kids,” said Julieann Hartman. “Ultimately, we want to partner with parents to help teach their kids about the love of Jesus.”
Butch Hartman’s further plans for the property include creating a VBS curriculum for churches and illustrating a children’s bible for Harper/Collins, entitled The Garden Children’s Bible, which stars the characters from The Garden and is due out in 2023.
