Abby Wells

Amaya Bailey Wells (born December 23, 1961) is an American (with German citizenship acquired) executive, director, television producer and screenwriter who rose to fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s, having been the creator and director of several animated series made to promote Hasbro toys, most notably My Little Pony: New Tales (1996-98), My Little Pony G3 series (2003-09), My Little Pony G3.5 series (2009-10), with the latter being canceled to favor My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic resulting with Abby calling for her own departure from Hasbro and BKNI, in 2012.
She is considered one of the best television producers of the 2000s, due to the success of her series.
== Early life and career ==
Amaya Bailey Wells was born in Caribou, Maine on December 23, 1962, the only child of an ice cream vendor and a baker, growing up in a home with a strong tendency towards cooking. During her studies, she gave indications that she would not inherit her parents' culinary gifts, she had enormous creativity and good leadership skills, thus suggesting that she would be an entrepreneur. After finishing high school, another surprise, she decided to enter the Maine College of Art & Design, obtaining the terminal degree of Master of Fine Arts (MFA), which exactly combined creativity with a few hints of leadership, that is, administration. After finishing college, in 1991, she traveled to West Germany (which was already in the process of reunification), where she went in search of a job, having been hired by the TMO Film GmbH studio, having managed the company in its early years. She left her studio TMO Film GmbH in 1995, when she was hired by Bohbot Entertainment Worldwide, later BKN International, where at first, she again fulfilled the role of administrator.
== BKN International and Hasbro ==
=== Before Hasbro's takeover ===
Wells arrived at Bohbot Entertainment in mid-1995, a few months before an event that would mark the course of the company and Abby's life in particular. She again served as an executive at the company, as with her previous company, and said that she did a good job, and moving the company into production as quickly as possible, and giving the studio a good kick in investment, however this attracted from toy market giant Hasbro, which sent an acquisition proposal in October 1995, later that month, Abby then set up a meeting with Hasbro executives, in order to discuss the proposal, reaching an agreement to keep the employees already present in the company, including her. So, in January 1996, Bohbot Entertainment Worldwide was acquired by Hasbro.
=== My Little Pony: New Tales and ascension ===
Shortly after the acquisition of the German studio by the American toy company, Abby was called to the company's headquarters in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where executives proposed to Bohbot Entertainment animate a new series of My Little Pony, initially planned to be a sequel to Elizy's Tales, the resounding success of the My Little Pony franchise in the early 90s, with Abby being appointed as developer and creative director of the series, which made her happy, since until then she had only worked in areas related to administration, finally being able to put her creative side into practice. So Wells developed the planning that would culminate in New Tales in March 1996, with 65 animators under his creative direction, along with Allen J. Bohbot (as executive producer) and Turkdogan Aktas and Dilmen Nazmi (as directors), the series had a considerable and rapid advance, with the help of other Hasbro subsidiaries in the entertainment business, in May 1996, the initial project was canceled, and then Abby had an active voice for the first time, having given the idea that ended up giving rise to the final format of the series.
By July 1996, 7 episodes had already been finished, and in Abby's own words "we didn't have time to finish another episode before September due to the delay that the cancellation of the initial project caused", and so on September 28, 1996, it was aired the first episode of My Little Pony: New Tales in the United States, after it had spent a few days being exported from Germany, the first episode surprised and led the audience in its time slot, so Abby was called back to Pawtucket, where she received praise and even asked for suggestions for new G2 comics. The series was renewed for a second season in April 1997, after the end of the 1st season, and then Abby Wells continued directing the series creatively, and the second season began in October 1997, being again leader of the audience, the second season marked the cancellation of the series, which until today never had a clear explanation, although it is the most accepted theory that it was canceled due to , voice actress of Desdemona, withdraw from the voice cast after being invited by Disney to voice Kiara, in The Lion King II : Simba's Pride, this caused Hasbro to order the recreation of 9 episodes that would feature Desdemona, as a way to demonstrate revolt against Campbell, at least that's what this theory says; regardless of what marked its brief ending, New Tales was a landmark and received several awards that led to Abby's international rise, including three Annie Awards and a Daytime Emmy Award in 1999, in addition to being the largest audience ever recorded in the history of his channel, PBS.
=== After New Tales and before My Little Pony 2003 series ===
After the end of New Tales, Abby returned to the administrative field of her company, but with a high reputation among BKNI International executives. In 2001, she was chosen as BKNI International Management Board Chair, a position that made her more influential in the company's works, she also began to gain influence in Hasbro as a whole becoming Outside Advisor that same year.
=== My Little Pony 2003 series ===
In 2003, with the arrival of the 3rd generation of the My Little Pony toy line, Hasbro decided to order another series from BKNI International, and Abby was again chosen to direct the new animation, Production of the series began in March 2003, and Wells, as creative director, decided that the series would follow the same line as New Tales, something comical and chronic, however, with the rejection of this idea by other Hasbro executives, Abby decided then adopt a more serious script, without much humor, and with well-elaborated plots, which addressed more about how the ponies had their emergence, and how Ponyland rose, so the scripts were taken to Hasbro, and with some opposition that said that it made sense to give My Little Pony a lore and much less that it was something so serious, it ended up being approved.
The series was scheduled to premiere in January 2004, which pleased Abby and the animation team, who would have almost a year to complete the minimum 6 episodes, but in June 2003, the series was rescheduled to premiere in December 2003, which put a little more pressure on the BKNI team. By October 2003, 7 episodes had already been produced, which even exceeded Hasbro's order that only 5 episodes should be finished. The series premiered in the United States on December 6, 2003, on the CBS channel, with good ratings. The series was renewed for a second season in February 2004, the coming second season brought better ratings and more sponsorship, also attracting investors to BKN International. During the second season, Abby gave Hasbro an idea to start producing TV movies, which would serve to understand the plot of the series, thus arising the idea of Princess Promise.
The series was renewed for a third season in January 2005, the third season was the highlight of the series, with the highest ratings and coming from the first major awards for the series, such as the Daytime Emmy Awards. On the other hand, 2005 was the year of Abby's father's death, at the age of 75. The series was renewed for a fourth season in December 2005.
The fourth season was marked by the departure and change of voice actors, as well as the departure of some characters, this made the series decline behind the scenes, and many began to ask for the end of the series, but Abby was quick and decided to reverse the situation by creating a "second phase" for the series, this phase already happening with a Ponyland already grown and with other characters. The change took effect and the series gained new shape after 3 years of airing, this change was well-received by the public and critics, and calming those who asked for the end of the series, at least for that moment.
The series was renewed for a fifth season in October 2006, this fifth season marked the second high point of the series, Abby however was already setting the stage for the final season and for the conclusion of the storyline, and the new characters would have to deal with the curse of Princess Promise, who made an evil pact in the name of Ponyland's prosperity, but when it comes to an end, it is time for beings to take Ponyland as guarantee for the pact. 
In January 2008, the series was renewed for its sixth and final season, this finally bringing the clash between Princess Floral and Azis, leader of the evil spirits that attack Ponyland, being revealed that the ponies have powers and Floral, as an alicorn, has the most powerful of all powers, and with enough energy absorbed, can seal away Azis. The last season was the most awarded of the series and the third most watched season, in addition to being the longest lasting season with 42 episodes, the series ended its original airing on August 15, 2009, but gave way to a new series also directed by Abby.
==== Princess Promise and TV movies ====
==== Chair of Hasbro's Board of Directors ====
=== My Little Pony G3.5 series and last years in Hasbro and BKNI ===
In 2009, shortly after finishing the My Little Pony G3 series, Abby decided to give the idea of a new series, this time inspired by the new G3.5, and so it was done, it was a series with a comedic and simple script, in contrast to the previous series, and this time much in comparison with New Tales, this one was produced only 38 episodes, before being canceled in 2010 to favor My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Abby was not happy to have seen her series canceled and the idea of FiM was very implicated. Seeing that she was losing influence in Hasbro, in 2011, Abby resigned from the position of Chair of Hasbro's Board of Directors, returning to being an Outside Advisor, but continuing in his position at BKNI International as a Management Board Chair. Abby, however, wouldn't last much more time at these positions, and seeing that BKNI was also completely focused on the production of Friendship is Magic at the request of the President of the company, in April 2012, Wells decided to disconnect from both companies, thus ending a passage of long-lived 17 years by BKNI International and Hasbro.
== After BKNI International and Hasbro == 
After leaving the companies that she used to work for, Abby spent some time away from animation studios, and even managed a theater in Germany, but in 2015, she returned to work with some independent work and also being hired at another animation company in the United Kingdom, Timeless Films, where he was present between 2016 and 2018, as a screenwriter, after leaving Timeless Films, went through another hiatus away from animation companies, managing a theater in his hometown.
=== Possible proximity to Mattel ===
In 2020, rumors began to circulate that Abby would be approaching HIT Entertainment, and in turn the owner, Mattel, ironically Hasbro's biggest brand rival, in a 2021 interview, Abby left a mysterious air, in a certain excerpt from the interview respond to the rumour.