Hailey's On It!

Did You Know?

• The series was removed from Disney+ on September 27, 2024.
• A digital soundtrack with six original songs was released on June 9 by Walt Disney Records.
• The series joined the Chibi Tiny Tales series a few months after its premiere.

Synopsis

Set in Oceanside, California, the series centers on Hailey Banks, a 14-year-old girl averse to taking risks. During a New Year's celebration, a scientist from the future visits her and reveals that completing a long list of tasks she created will initiate events leading to her inventing a device that reverses global warming. Hailey must overcome her fears, complete impossible tasks, and face her feelings toward her best friend Scott Denoga, while Chaos Bots from the future try to stop her.

Characters

Hailey Banks, a 14-year-old Hawaiian-American girl voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho, starts off wary of taking risks but must push past her fears to save the world. She has a secret crush on her best friend Scott, who has no idea she feels that way. Scott Denoga, voiced by Manny Jacinto, is a clumsy but fun-loving 14-year-old of Filipino and Korean descent. Hailey is required to kiss him to stop the apocalypse, but she puts that task last on her list to avoid ruining their friendship. Beta, voiced by Gary Anthony Williams, is a future AI that tracks Hailey’s progress and often clashes with Scott. Hailey’s father, Kai Banks, is voiced by Cooper Andrews and is Hawaiian. Her mother, Patricia Banks (voiced by Julie Bowen), is Caucasian, works as a realtor, and used to be a breakdancer in music videos. A.C. Aychvak, voiced by Josh Brener, is Hailey’s rival—though the rivalry is mostly one-sided—and he’s a spoiled cheater who sometimes uses tiny robots, with a catchphrase of “What the beans?” The Professor, voiced by Sarah Chalke, is a mysterious scientist from the future. Scott’s younger sister, Rebecca “Becker” Denoga (voiced by Judy Alice Lee), is a troublemaking, tomboyish, destructive kid who briefly has a crush on Hailey but gets over it and later dates her former school rival, Kennedy. Becker’s friends include Bonesaw, Buzzsaw (voiced by Nik Shriner), Chainsaw (voiced by Kyle S. More), and Paul (voiced by Billy Kametz and Eric Bauza). Kristine Sanchez, voiced by Amanda Leighton, is a popular, cheerful, self-absorbed fashionista who specializes in hats; Hailey initially finds her annoying but warms up to her, and Kristine briefly dates Scott before breaking up with him. Sunny Denoga, voiced by Joy Osmanski, is Scott and Becker’s mother. Thad (voiced by Nik Dodani) and Jonathan (voiced by Nico Santos) are classmates in a relationship.

Production

The earliest concept for Hailey's On It! came from Devin Bunje and Nick Stanton imagining a girl failing to pay attention to a time-traveling messenger. The series was initially pitched under the title I Will NOT Kiss Scott Federman. On November 18, 2021, Disney Branded Television greenlit a 20-episode first season. On June 15, 2022, the episode order was increased to 30 episodes. Howy Parkins became co-executive producer and supervising director, with Wade Wisinski as producer, Karen Graci as story editor, and Lee Ann Dufour as art director. Jaison Wilson, who worked on The Princess and the Frog and Amphibia, also worked on the series. Cat Harman-Mitchell and Leslie Park served as series directors. Writers included Mary Gulino and Kevin Yee. Bunje and Stanton stated that animation gave them greater creative freedom than live-action, and they avoided fully defining Hailey's list to allow flexibility during story development.

Reception

The series was received well by critics. Rob Schwarz of Along Main Street called it effective for families, noting that children ages three to eleven found something enjoyable. Matthew Aguilar of ComicBook.com described it as a delightful new comedy adventure series. Tessa Smith of Mama's Geeky rated it four out of five, praising its relatable scenarios and humor appealing to both children and adults. Ashley Moulton of Common Sense Media gave it four out of five stars, complimenting positive messages about friendship and courage. The series won Outstanding Kids & Family Programming or Film - Animated at the 2024 GLAAD Media Awards.