Abby Wells

Amaya Bailey Wells (born December 23, 1962) 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.

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 BKN International executives. In 2001, she was chosen as BKN 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.