Hailey's On It! review: Auli'i Cravalho shines in the new Disney Channel show
If you are a big fan of the Disney movie Moana, then you are in for a treat. Auli'i Cravalho, the actress who voiced the character Moana, is back — this time on the small screen. Cravalho takes her talents to the Disney Channel in a new show called Hailey's On It!.
Hailey's On It! airs on the Disney Channel, but the day after it also is available on Disney+. The first episode was on June 8, 2023, and six episodes are currently available on Disney+. The first season looks to have a total of 36 episodes and the show airs every Thursday at 8:00 pm ET on Disney XD.
Disney introduces a new heroine in Hailey's On It!
The show itself is wonderful for families with children of almost any age. The main character, Hailey Banks (voiced by Auli'i Cravalho) is a high school girl who is afraid to do pretty much anything that involves risk. In the first grade, she started a list of all the amazing things she wanted to accomplish.
One of those tasks includes kissing her best friend Scott. Scott is one of the main comedic roles and is played by Manny Jacinto, best known as Jason Mendoza from The Good Place. Most of the other tasks on the list include things like going on all of the rides at an amusement park or leading her peers through an escape room.
Hailey is visited by a woman from the future who goes by the Professor. She explains to Hailey how important she is to the future of the planet. In order to become the person she needs to be in the future, she needs to complete everything in her list book. Then, and only then, will she be able to use her creativity and resourcefulness to save the world.
I have three children that range in age from three to 11. My youngest is my daughter. She really enjoyed Hailey's character. Disney does a great job empowering women and showing little girls like my daughter that they can do whatever they set their minds to. My middle child is nine. He is goofy and a prankster, so he really enjoyed Scott's character. My oldest is 11 and, like me, he enjoys the comedic wit of Hailey's AI phone sidekick, Beta.
Overall, Disney did a great job with this show. It shows kids how they can overcome their fears if they put themselves out there, lean on their friends and just try. Star Wars fans may not appreciate the try part, but if you have children, I highly recommend you and the family, or at least the kids, give Hailey's On It! a try. For more detailed information on how the show came together, here is a behind-the-scenes interview.