New on Apple TV+, Life By Ella follows 13-year-old Ella McCaffrey (Lily Brooks O’Briant) as she discovers what matters most in life and encourages her friends and family to do the same. Hayley Kiyoko, an award-winning artist and actress, will make a special guest appearance on the 1st episode of the new series, which will air on the streaming service on September 2. Apple TV+’s newest kids and family show, Life By Ella, begins shortly after Ella McCaffrey completes chemotherapy. School has started again, but this 13-year-old girl has a fresh perspective on life to bring with her. Even though Ella’s father (Kevin Rahm) is worried about her getting back into the swing of things so fast, she is eager to push through his concerns and go back to her normal routine.
O’Briant’s upbeat performance propels the show along as she deals with the challenges of coming of age after enduring something no kid should have endured. A teaser for Apple TV+ was published in the middle of August, highlighting Ella’s courage as she faced each new day with a “seize the day” attitude. Kiyoko’s 2016 song “Gravel to Tempo” was used for the trailer. The song’s upbeat lyrics include, “I’ll do this my way, don’t matter if I break” and “I gotta be on my own.”
The song not only gave listeners a taste of what was to come in the series, but it also captured the determination of Ella’s new attitude on life, as she refused to allow her worries to hold her back or let social media and phoney friends diminish her self-worth. Kiyoko began her career in children’s television with many shows, including Nickelodeon’s Unfabulous starring Emma Roberts and Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place featuring Selena Gomez and herself in the recurring character of Stevie Nichols. In addition to her position as the lead in Disney’s Lemonade Mouth, Kiyoko’s musical career took off in 2015 after she publicly declared her sexual orientation and detailed her own experiences in the song “Girls Like Girls.”
The celebrity was quickly hailed as a role model for the LGBTQ youth community, and in 2018, they went so far as to record a full-length album. Kiyoko’s latest album, Panorama, came out only a few short months ago. The singer’s involvement in Life By Ella is fitting, given that the singer’s overriding themes deal with self-acceptance and staying steadfast in who you are. Life By Ella also features an ensemble cast led by O’Briant, including Rahm (Mad Men) as Ella’s father Carl McCaffrey, Mary Faber (Parks and Recreation) as her mother Joanne, Aidan Wallace (You) as her younger brother Grady, Kunal Dudheker (Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), and Maya Lynne Robinson (The Walking Dead) (The Unicorn).
The creators of Bunk’d, Jeff Hodsden and Tim Pollock, also wrote and executive produced Life By Ella. Linda Mendoza, Emmy nominee for her work on Ugly Betty, helms the premiere episode, while Juanesta Holmes (Family Reunion), Nimisha Mukerji (Motherland: Fort Salem), and April Winney (Season Finale) direct future episodes.
On September 2, Apple TV+ will debut the first episode of Life By Ella.