Hailey's On It! - The Beginning of the Friend (S1E1)
On New Year's Eve, 14-year old Hailey decides to make a list of all the big things she wants to do but the real-world challenges she gives herself suddenly have huge stakes when a crazed Professor arrives from the future and tells Hailey the fate of the world depends on her.
| Runtime (min) | 22 |
|---|---|
| TMDB Rating | 7.0 (1 votes) |
| Air Date | 2023-06-08 |
| Genres | Animation, Family, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy |
| TV Rating | TV-Y7 |
| Network(s) | Disney Channel |
Storyline
On New Year's Eve, fourteen-year-old Hailey Banks is inspired to create a list of ambitious goals and challenges she wants to accomplish. What begins as a personal exercise in self-improvement takes an unexpected turn when a frantic scientist named Professor Beet arrives from the future with an urgent warning. He reveals that Hailey's completion of her list is directly tied to preventing a catastrophic future, raising the stakes of her seemingly ordinary teenage bucket list to world-saving proportions.
The episode establishes the show's central premise: Hailey must tackle real-world challenges that push her outside her comfort zone, but now with the knowledge that her personal growth has cosmic consequences. Professor Beet becomes her guide from the future, while Hailey navigates the tension between being a normal teenager and shouldering the responsibility of literally saving the world through self-improvement. The New Year's Eve setting underscores themes of fresh starts, goal-setting, and the idea that small personal choices can have far-reaching impact.
What kids learn
This episode introduces children to the power of goal-setting and stepping outside their comfort zone. Hailey's decision to create a list of challenges demonstrates how writing down aspirations can transform vague wishes into actionable plans. Young viewers see that personal growth often requires embracing discomfort and trying things that feel scary or unfamiliar, a valuable lesson as they navigate their own developmental milestones.
The episode also explores the concept that individual actions matter more than we might think. While the time-travel stakes are fantastical, the underlying message resonates: the choices we make today shape our future in meaningful ways. Children learn that self-improvement isn't selfish—becoming braver, kinder, or more skilled can positively impact the people and world around them.
Additionally, the New Year's Eve framing teaches kids about reflection and intentional living. Rather than drifting through life reactively, Hailey models proactive thinking about who she wants to become. This encourages young viewers to consider their own values and aspirations, understanding that growth is a deliberate process that begins with deciding to try.
Parents' top 5 questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the time-travel element confusing or scary for younger kids? | The time-travel concept is presented in a lighthearted, comedic way through Professor Beet's frantic arrival. Rather than focusing on complex science fiction mechanics or dark futures, the show uses the premise as a motivational device to raise the stakes of Hailey's personal goals. The tone remains upbeat and age-appropriate, with the future threat staying abstract rather than frightening. Most children who enjoy animated adventure shows will find the concept exciting rather than overwhelming. |
| What kind of list does Hailey create? | Hailey's list consists of personal challenges and experiences she wants to accomplish, typical of goals a fourteen-year-old might set for themselves. The episode frames these as things that push her beyond her usual boundaries, encouraging growth and new experiences. The list becomes the framework for the series, with each item representing an opportunity for Hailey to develop confidence, skills, and character while supposedly preventing a future catastrophe. |
| Does this episode teach good lessons about New Year's resolutions? | Yes, the New Year's Eve setting provides a natural context for discussing goal-setting and self-improvement. Hailey's approach demonstrates that resolutions work best when they're specific, written down, and focused on personal growth rather than perfection. The episode shows that committing to challenges and stepping outside your comfort zone is valuable regardless of the outcome, modeling a healthy attitude toward self-improvement that children can apply to their own lives. |
| Is Professor Beet a trustworthy character or does he put Hailey in danger? | Professor Beet arrives as a guide figure who motivates Hailey to complete her list by explaining its importance to the future. While his frantic demeanor provides comic energy, he functions as a mentor character within the show's framework. The episode establishes him as someone invested in Hailey's success and the prevention of a negative future, positioning him as an ally rather than a threat, though his eccentric personality adds humor to their dynamic. |
| Will my child want to make their own list after watching? | Many children find Hailey's list-making inspiring and may want to create their own goals or bucket lists. This can be a positive conversation starter about aspirations, trying new things, and personal growth. Parents can use the episode as an opportunity to help children identify age-appropriate challenges they'd like to tackle, emphasizing effort and courage over perfection. The show models that growth comes from attempting difficult things, which can motivate kids constructively. |
Writing
Directing
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | On New Year's Eve, 14-year old Hailey decides to make a list of all the big things she wants to do but the real-world challenges she gives herself suddenly have huge stakes when a crazed Professor arrives from the future and tells Hailey the fate of the world depends on her. |
| 1 | 2 | Hailey and Scott set sail to catch the legendary Blue Ono so they can win the top prize at the Fish Taco Festival. |
| 1 | 3 | After becoming ‘Sheriff for a Day’ at a western reenactment town, Hailey uses her newfound authority to rid the town of an invading dirt bike crew. |
| 1 | 4 | Hailey and her dad enter Oceanside’s Sandcastle Building Contest, but a cheating A.C. goads her into a small-scale medieval war of epic proportions. |
| 1 | 5 | When the star of the school musical injures herself in the middle of the show, Hailey must overcome her fear of performing in front of an audience. |
| 1 | 6 | When Hailey’s plan to build an owl habitat is derailed, she learns the value of sacrifice for the good of a friend. |
| 1 | 7 | When Hailey, Scott and Beta discover that they’ve been scammed at a Hero Force cosplay event, Hailey finds the hero within her to stand up to the bullies. |
| 1 | 8 | Kristine feels like the third wheel after she unexpectedly joins Scott and Hailey on a road trip. |
| 1 | 9 | Hailey must lead her friends out of an Egyptian-themed escape room that chaos bots have rigged to crush. |
| 1 | 10 | Hailey secretly adopts a smelly, old flamingo and quickly realizes she’s bitten off more than she can chew. |
| 1 | 11 | Hailey must decide between perfection and fun in order to win a local music festival. |
| 1 | 12 | Hailey vows to fix the ill-fated Oceanside Lighthouse before her mom can sell it. |
| 1 | 13 | When Hailey takes on the list item “Get the Top Score at Mega Dance Hero,” she discovers a breakdancing secret from her mom’s past. |
| 1 | 14 | Kristine’s dad takes over her quinceañera and replaces Scott as her waltz partner. |
| 1 | 15 | Hailey must reunite an estranged childhood singing duo, but begins to worry about her and Scott’s relationship and future. |
| 1 | 16 | Hailey joins the cheerleading squad when she needs to earn an “easy” varsity letter but quickly realizes she’s underestimated the skill and spirit it takes to cheerlead. |
| 1 | 17 | Hailey must defeat a chaos bot that has infiltrated her school while simultaneously winning the school’s Crab Queen Pageant. |
| 1 | 18 | Hailey befriends Scott’s little sister, but their friendship is tested by two escaped wild cats. |
| 1 | 19 | Hailey races to find her little brothers, Dwayne and Johnson, after she loses them at a K-pop concert. |
| 1 | 20 | After a mishap with Hailey’s list, secret government agents nab Beta thinking he’s a U.F.O. |
| 1 | 21 | Hailey brings Scott to Catalina Island to get him out of an uncharacteristically mopey funk. |
| 1 | 22 | When Hailey throws a party, she sees an opportunity to kiss Scott as part of a harmless game. |
| 1 | 23 | Hailey ditches Scott at a dinosaur show to build a mystery gadget from The Professor. |
| 1 | 24 | Becker schemes to ride a condemned alpine slide but must endure her school rival, Kennedy. |
| 1 | 25 | Hailey finds a leather jacket that brings out her rebellious side. |
| 1 | 26 | When Hailey gets distracted by her list item instead of babysitting the school mascot, she lands herself in hot water. |
| 1 | 27 | When Scott has an awesome idea for a social media filter, A.C. claims the idea as his own. |
| 1 | 28 | After Hailey reads an online rumor about Dingles Chips, she, Scott and Beta go to the factory to expose the truth. |
| 1 | 29 | Beta suspects Alphred, a cleaning robot, is a chaos bot spy, but Hailey and Scott aren’t so sure. |
| 1 | 30 | Hailey and Beta ditch Scott to complete a complicated corn maze on their own. |
| 1 | 31 | When Hailey's sleepover prank goes awry, she must choose to lie or come clean. |
| 1 | 32 | Hailey faces her fears of trampolining (and sweating in public) in a film noir-style Trampoline Town. |
| 1 | 33 | In a competition where the winner has a sandwich named after them, Hailey is pitted against Scott. |
| 1 | 34 | When Hailey must be truthful for a day, she ends up delivering a comedy roast. |
| 1 | 35 | Hailey enters Frank into a bird show where they run into his former mean trainer. |
| 1 | 36 | Expert bowler Hailey struggles with a list item that requires her to lose to her dad at bowling. |
| 1 | 37 | When Hailey loses a mini-reindeer, causing Christmas to not exist in the future, she must "Throw the Best Oceanside Christmas Festival Ever" to save all future Christmases. |
| 1 | 38 | Hailey's attempt to find the Oceanside Mermaid leads to a shocking discovery. |
| 1 | 39 | When the Denogas move in with the Banks family, Hailey and Scott try to speed up the process. |
| 1 | 40 | Hailey goes to great lengths to catch a foul ball at a Barnacles game. |
| 1 | 41 | When a popular magician's tricks are exposed, Hailey must find the perpetrator. |
| 1 | 42 | Scott gets into an exclusive club at school thanks to an amazing hair gel but quickly regrets ignoring the gel's side effects. |
| 1 | 43 | Hailey throws her parents a dream wedding. |
| 1 | 44 | Hailey and Scott get thrown into detention. |
| 1 | 45 | After Hailey accidentally inspires her dad to go on strike, she struggles to make his famous fried rice for a school event. |
| 1 | 46 | Hailey causes an infestation of a wild, futuristic critter. |
| 1 | 47 | Hailey and Scott work at A.C.'s family shop while A.C. shoots a commercial. |
| 1 | 48 | A hypnotized Scott inadvertently provokes Rowdy Ronnie, who forces Scott to wrestle him. |
| 1 | 49 | Hailey's attempts to save a whale are interrupted by her talkative next-door neighbors. |
| 1 | 50 | Kristine and Hailey go to a local spa where Kristine has a goat-induced revelation. |
| 1 | 51 | Hailey hides proof of her crush on Scott in a book that the school gossip manages to find. |
| 1 | 52 | Hailey pulls out all the stops to be named Student of the Week. |
| 1 | 53 | When Hailey and Scott go "Running with the Goats" for a list item, Hailey tries to keep her meddling mom away. |
| 1 | 54 | Scott receives an invitation to a prestigious luge academy. |
| 1 | 55 | Hailey lives the life of her favorite pop star but finds out it's all work and no play. |
| 1 | 56 | Hailey's plan to tell Scott her feelings at the school dance are thrown into disarray when a compatibility app says they might not be meant for each other. |
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