For the first time ever, Nickelodeon is taking one of its digital properties and moving it to television. The popular children’s cabler will produce a new version of Welcome to the Wayne for release on linear television.
Welcome to the Wayne debuted on August 4, 2014, as Nickelodeon’s first online original series. Created by Billy Lopez (of Phineas and Ferb fame), the animated series tells the story of ten-year-old boys Olly Timbers and Ansi Molina as they explore their wacky, unpredictable apartment building called The Wayne. Welcome to the Wayne was distributed through the network’s Nick App, as well as through the re-launched, side-scrolling Nick.com.
The TV version of Welcome to the Wayne will boast 20 episodes, created and written by Lopez. In addition to the traditional TV series, Nickelodeon will debut a companion app called The Wayne. The series’ app will provide an interactive experience where users can explore the fictional apartment building themselves, discover new locations and characters, solve puzzles, and discover a deeper mystery within the storyline of Welcome to the Wayne.
“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 of Content Development and Production at Nickelodeon, in a release. “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.”
Nickelodeon is already familiar with transitioning between the digital entertainment and traditional TV worlds. The network currently runs a sketch show based on YouTube multi-channel network AwesomenessTV, as well as a Fine Bros.-inspired series called ReactToThat. Nickelodeon also released its preschool-themed Noggin subscription service on March 5.
No official release date has been announced as of yet for the TV version of Welcome to the Wayne. Nickelodeon does expect it to be available sometime in 2016.
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