OCEANSIDE, Calif. — “It’s a love letter to North San Diego County,” said Nick Stanton, one of the creators of a new Disney-animated series that’s set in Oceanside.
He and co-creator Devin Bunje joined FOX 5 for a Zoom interview Thursday to give San Diegans a sneak peek at what they can expect ahead of the show’s premier this week.
“Hailey’s On It!” tales the journey of main character Hailey Banks, a 14-year-old girl who has a long list of things she wants to do and see in her life. The only thing getting in her way — her reserved nature, Stanton explained.
Then, a professor from the future appears to tell Hailey she’s going to, in fact, do all of these amazing things, but it all starts with taking on her list one adventure at a time, Stanton said. This encourages Hailey to step out of her shell and begin her tasks alongside her best friend.
The creative duo explained why they chose Oceanside as the setting for the Disney series.
“Well, we both actually grew up in cold, snowy climates and we always gravitated towards shows when we were kids that took place on the beach,” said Bunje. ” When we moved to Southern California for college we immediately fell in love with San Diego — the entire area.”
Bunjie went on to reveal that he actually met his wife in Carlsbad, which further explains the sentiment favoring North County.
Though it’s based in Oceanside, the shows creators explained that they took little elements of other North County areas to blend into the Oceanside theme. For example, Stanton says viewers will see the bluffs of Solana Beach and bits of Carlsbad.
“We wanted to make the most beautiful, fun place for kids to kind of experience,” said Bunjie.
“Hailey’s On It!” premiers at 8 p.m. Thursday on the Disney Channel and Disney XD. It will then premier on Disney Plus Friday.