NICKELODEON'S FIRST DIGITAL SERIES WELCOME TO THE WAYNE GREENLIT FOR TELEVISION
20-Episode Animated Adventure with Companion App to Debut in 2016
Burbank, Calif., (April, 23, 2015)–Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids, announced today it has ordered 20 episodes of the comedy-adventure series, Welcome to the Wayne, marking its first digital short-form series to be greenlit for television. Along with the pick-up, Nickelodeon will create a companion app, "The Wayne," allowing users to gain a deeper, hands-on experience into the series. Welcome to the Wayne, which originally launched as a series for the Emmy Award-winning Nick App and Nick.com last year, follows the adventures of two ten-year-old boys exploring the crazy, unpredictable world of their New York City apartment building, The Wayne. The series, created and written by Emmy Award-winning writer and composer Billy Lopez (The Wonder Pets, Phineas and Ferb), is scheduled to debut in 2016.
"The Wayne" app will be developed alongside the show, taking users further into the world of The Wayne. This companion app will give users a completely interactive experience, allowing them to explore the building where they will discover new characters and locations, solve puzzles and unlock clues to unravel a greater hidden mystery. New messages and clues will be communicated through videos, online games, photos and more.
"We're reinventing genres and formats for kids, and greenlighting this series for television signals how content on all screens is coming together as one for our audience, and how we continue to cultivate creative talent like Billy Lopez," said Russell Hicks, President, Content Development and Production, Nickelodeon. "Welcome to the Wayne is a terrific example of how great stories and characters can move from one medium to another and bring the audience with them."
Launched August 4, 2014, Welcome to the Wayne was the first web-exclusive series produced by Nickelodeon. Created by Lopez, the mini-series was comprised of six 4-to-5-minute episodes available each on Nick.com and the Nick App and follows the adventures of Olly Timbers and Ansi Molina, two ten-year-old boys exploring the crazy, unpredictable world of their New York City apartment building The Wayne.
Billy Lopez is an Emmy-nominated writer and Emmy-winning composer from New York City. He has written for shows including Phineas and Ferb and South Park and been head writer on several preschool shows, including The Wonder Pets!, 3rd & Bird! and PBS's Peg + Cat. Lopez also co-created an adult sitcom for ABC Studios.
Nickelodeon, now in its 36th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 20 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
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