Two recent productions that involve Hudson Valley filmmakers, recently brought a lot of memories to the forefront. Both projects feature shows that many grew up watching during childhood, or with their children – THE MAGIC GARDEN and BLUES CLUES.

BLUES CLUES & YOU
In July, Rhinebeck based producer Jonathan Burkhart (Great Point Films) got a cold call from a a producer in LA who said someone at Paramount studios had recommended him for the feature film BLUES CLUES & YOU. The project is a revival of the 1996–2006 BLUES CLUES TV series with a new host, Josh Dela Cruz. It was co-developed by original series creators Angela C. Santomeroand Traci Paige Johnson and produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and 9 Story Media Group's Brown Bag Films.

The Hudson Valley Film Commission asked Jonathan several questions about the upcoming movie.

QUESTION: How did you get involved with “Blues Clues.”.

JONATHAN: They wanted a producer who knows film and broadway. In 1996, when the series was initially on, I was producing RENT in New York City. In addition to producing musicals on Broadway, I’ve produced a lot of movies. We talked, and this particular movie for BLUES CLUES, was all about singing and dancing. It’s the first time the characters leave their animated world., so I figured, why not.

Steve Burns, was the original host for the popular children's show "Blue's Clues from 1996 to 2002

QUESTION: Did you watch the show? Was it something you shared with your kids?

JONATHAN: My kids watched BLUES CLUES all the time. I loved the show because it was gentle, slow, and easy going.

QUESTION: How did the recent production work out. Were there any special special mini mysteries that needed solving?

JONATHAN: Producing a singing, dancing feature film on the streets in New York City during covid was difficult. Because the vast majority of filming was outside, rain was an issue once in a while, but once the actors and dancers were in place, the music playing, the cameras rolling, it was great fun.

QUESTION: How was the Hudson Valley involved in the making of BLUES CLUES & YOU?

JONATHAN: Because I live in Rhinebeck and have produced movies in the Hudson Valley for many years, I have local crews here that I favor, like Company 1 Productions. Whenever I produce a movie elsewhere, I tend to bring my people with me. Mind you, it's incredibly busy all of the country and most crews are booked way in advance, so it's catch as catch can. But as the years tick on, I tend to hire the same people. I know who they are, I know how they work, and it helps me sleep at night.

QUESTION: When can we expect to see BLUES CLUES & YOU on the screen,?

JONATHAN: -The release date for Blues Clues & You; Broadway Dreams is set for October 2022 streaming on Paramount+.

QUESTION: What’s next for Jonathan Burkhart?

JONATHAN: I have a live awards show I'm producing in December for SOVAS and I have 8 different feature films that all want to go late winter through to the Summer of 2022. Which one actually solidifies and goes is always a question based on financing and cast availability. The day the phone rings and the person on the other end says "Hey Jonathan, we got the money, open the office, we're going!" then that's my next gig.

THE MAGIC GARDEN
On September 20, production for "Magic Women, Magic Garden," took place in Woodstock, NY with Carole Demas and Paula Janis, the main characters and hosts of a show that aired on WPIX-TV from 1972 through 1984. A ‘magic garden’ was recreated for the documentary by Heidi Sjursen and Jeffrey Abell of Out of the Wood Productions.

The show was popular with millions of children. As characterized by The New York Times, The Magic Garden "was a cheerful, low-budget, inadvertently psychedelic half-hour show in which Ms. Janis and Ms. Demas sat on giant toadstools, spoke to flowers, sang songs and told stories."

The Hudson Valley Film Commission asked Heidi several questions about the documentary.

QUESTION: How did you get involved with THE MAGIC GARDEN.

HEIDI: It was all very kismet really, as much of the production has been. My husband/partner Jeffrey, our friend Rosie, and I went as The Magic Garden for Halloween, a couple of years ago. People freaked over our group costume. A picture of us was snapped and posted on Facebook. Someone tagged Carole, one of the stars of The Magic Garden. I happened to be costumed as her. She messaged me saying many people had dressed up as them over the years, but she was blown away by what we created. That eventually led to the Doc.

QUESTION: How did you develop the idea for the doc?

HEIDI: Carole and I clicked right away. We went from FB, to emailing, to chatting on the phone. We formed a real bond. One day, I got off the phone with her and told Jeffrey about all of the fabulous behind the scenes stories she had told me about The Magic Garden. He responded with one word – “Documentary?” I said, “Hell yes!"
We pitched it to the ladies. They jumped right on board, and we were off and running. Incidentally, when we first met Paula, her response to our costume catalyst was “I knew you were either completely brilliant, or completely insane.” Now that we’ve become close through the process, she says we're both.

QUESTION: Did you watch the show?

HEIDI: I absolutely watched the show, it was my very favorite!! I would get super close to the TV, as if I were diving right into Carole and Paula's dream world with them. Even though we have been close with them for some time now, to have them here in our house, in the very spot where I watched them TV, was pretty surreal.

It was a really fun, funny, interactive show, which was ahead of its time, but also innocent and gentle.. The ladies were being totally themselves, which is very young at heart. They love kids, and you could definitely feel that. It’s still so special to the people who grew up with it.. The set design and the ladies costumes (their own clothes) were amazing as well. I never realized how much they subconsciously inspired my own aesthetic until we started the film–it’s kind of nuts. Ok, I’ll digress now–yes, I watched the show.

QUESTION: How did the recent production work out. Were there any special highlights?

HEIDI: It’s been a really smooth, low stress production, which I feel is a reflection of who we are working with. Diving deeply into these women's lives, who were such a big part of my childhood has just been amazing.
The highlight was definitely designing, and building a recreation of/homage to the original Magic Garden set. We did a double interview with Carole & Paula back on their swings, surrounded by the original mushrooms, the magic tree, etc… It was like stepping into a time machine, being transported back to your childhood. Parts of the interview on that set drove the crew to tears, which was SO beautiful.

QUESTION: Other than yourselves, are there any Hudson Valley ties to “THE MAGIC GARDEN?

HEIDI: Definitely. It made perfect sense to us to bring them to Woodstock. It was very fitting, ‘The Magic Garden’ goes ‘Back to the Garden’ and all, plus we really wanted to feature the ol' hometown in the film.
The first time we shot them in Woodstock, we produced a double matinee of The Magic Garden Live at The Colony. I knew they had tons of fans here, so capturing the live show, and interactions was a no brainer.
And WOW did it exceed expectations, the packed audience were mostly adults, and they were all out of their seats singing, and jumping like they were 5 years old again. They came from all over the Hudson Valley. So yes, I have seen the ties they had, and still have to the Hudson Valley, and the whole tri-state area.
Also, many of our local crew members were absolutely thrilled to be on set, with Carole and Paula. The crew on the recreation set were in hog heaven, us included.

QUESTION: When do you think the doc will be ready?

HEIDI: We’re projecting mid 2022 for completion. We can’t wait to bring it to the fans, and I can totally see people who didn’t necessarily grow up with the show really digging it, which makes us extra excited to bring it to an even broader audience.

Click below to watch the trailer.

QUESTION: What’s next for Heidi and Jeff, and Out of the Woods?

HEIDI: We've bounced around a few options, and have landed on George David Weiss as our next doc subject. He's one of America’s premiere song writers, having written many of the anthems of our lives, including “What a Wonderful World,” “I Can’t Help Falling in Love,” & beyond. He’s also in the song writers hall of fame, and was the president of the songwriters guild America for 20 years. He lived a juicy life of twists and turns both personally, and in the music biz.

As we reminisce about these past favorites, we can look forward to seeing new developments soon.
STAY TUNED.

The Hudson Valley Film Commission is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization that helps productions secure local crew, cast, locations, vendors, post production facilities, and more! Since 2000, the film commission has supported and worked on over 500 productions, helping to create thousands of jobs and over $275 million in regional economic development.

Support our efforts with a tax-deductible contribution at www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org/support

SELECT Mid-Hudson Valley productions:
To view full list or to stream regional films, visit www.hudsonvalleyfilmcommission.org/streamfest
The First Lady (Showtime) • Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (HBO) • Untitled Nick Wootton/Jake Coburn Project (NBC Universal) • Pretty Little Liars (HBO) • Stay Awake • Redemption in Cherry Springs (Hallmark) • Crumb Catcher • Life & Beth (Hulu) • The Sex Lives of College Girls (HBO) • The White House Plumbers (HBO) • Remote • The Gilded Age (HBO) • Severance (Apple TV+) • The Whale (A24) • Old Man • Master (Amazon Studios) • Porcupine • The Hating Game (BCDF) • The Green Veil • Linoleum • The Sixth Reel • The Secret Diaries of an Exchange Student • Werewolves Within (Ubisoft/IFC Films) • Things Heard and Seen (Netflix) • Billions (Showtime) • Monsterland (Hulu) • The Plot Against America (HBO) • Silent Retreat (Miramax) • Black Bear • Lapsis • Foxhole • The Undoing (HBO) • I Know This Much Is True (HBO)• Save Yourselves • I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Netflix) • Scare Me • A Quiet Place 2 (Paramount) • Can You Keep a Secret? (BCDF) • Depraved (IFC Films) • Panic (Amazon Prime) • High Maintenance (HBO) • Shirley (Killer Films) • Driveways • The Dead Don't Die (Focus Features) • Avengers: Endgame (Marvel Studios) • The Irishman (Netflix) • The Climb • Swallow (IFC Films) • Skin • The Mountain • A Quiet Place (Paramount) • Fabled • Then Came You (BCDF) • Furlough (IFC Films) • A Vigilante • Nancy • Diane (IFC Films) • The Miseducation of Cameron Post • La Devotee by Panic at the Disco! • It Comes at Night • Super Dark Times • The Seagull • HAPPYish (Showtime) • The Ticket • King Cobra (IFC Films) • Growing Up Smith • Cold in July (IFC Films) • Katie Fforde Films • True Story • The Sisterhood of Night • The Better Angels • We Are What We Are • The Bourne Legacy • Frances Ha • Our Idiot Brother • First Winter • The Last Keepers (BCDF) • Francine • Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding (IFC Films) • Martha Marcy May Marlene • Higher Ground • Rocksteady • Bitter Feast • Stake Land • Man on Wire • Taking Woodstock (Focus Features) • American Gangster (Imagine Entertainment) • Michael Clayton • The Human Footprint (National Geographic) • The Night Listener • Stephanie Daley • War of the Worlds (Dreamworks) • Down to the Bone • Personal Velocity