Wayne takes place in Brockton, Massachusetts and begins when the titular character "sets out on a dirt bike with his new crush Del to take back the 1979 Pontiac Trans Am that was stolen from his father before he died. It is Wayne and Del against the world."
Cast and characters
Main
Mark McKenna as Wayne McCullough, a teenage boy who attempts to retrieve his late father's stolen car
Ciara Bravo as Delilah "Del" Luccetti, a girl from Brockton whom Wayne develops feelings for
Recurring
Stephen Kearin as Sergeant Stephen Geller
James Earl as Officer Jay Ganetti, aka "Cop a' Soup"
Dean Winters as Daddy/Bobby Luccetti, Del's father
On December 7, 2017, it was announced that YouTube had given the production a pilot order. The series was created by Shawn Simmons and will be executive produced by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Greg Coolidge, and Kirk Ward. The pilot episode was set to be written by Simmons and directed by Iain B. MacDonald. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Endeavor Content. On April 23, 2018, it was announced that YouTube had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. On November 19, 2018, it was announced that the series would premiere on January 16, 2019.
Casting
Alongside the pilot order announcement, it was confirmed that Mark McKenna and Ciara Bravo would star in the series. Alongside the announcement of the series order, it was reported that Joshua J. Williams had been cast in a recurring role and that Dean Winters and Mike O'Malley would make guest appearances in the pilot episode.
Filming
Principal photography for the pilot episode took place in Ontario, Canada and lasted until December 12, 2017. Filming for the rest of the series began on June 11, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and was scheduled to last until August 16, 2018.
Release
Marketing
On September 21, 2018, a teaser trailer for the series was released. On November 19, 2018, the official trailer for the series was released.
Premiere
On September 23, 2018, the series held its world premiere during the second annual Tribeca TV Festival in New York City. Following the screening, a conversation was held featuring members of the cast and crew, including creator Shawn Simmons, actors Mark McKenna and Ciara Bravo, director Iain B. MacDonald, and writers and executive producers Greg Coolidge, Kirk Ward, Rhett Reese, and Paul Wernick.
Reception
Critical response
The series has been met with a positive response from critics since its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8 out of 10 based on 10 reviews. In a positive review, IndieWires Ben Travers awarded the series a grade of "A-" and praised it saying, "Wayne may feel familiar to other stories, Bonnie and Clyde included. But Simmons' thoughtful, engrossing, and altogether joyful new series carves its own path on the cold roads of America’s eastern seaboard." In another encouraging criticism, Screen Rants Kevin Yeoman commended the series saying, "With its varying tones, stellar lead performances, and great supporting cast, Wayne is much more than the foul-mouthed action-comedy it makes itself out to be. The laughs may be pitch black at times, and the violence is occasionally shocking, but there’s a fascinating and entertaining sweetness woven into every scene that’ll hit you like a blast of rock salt to the heart." In an additional acclamatory critique, Rolling Stones Alan Sepinwall gave the series a rating of 3½ out of 5 stars and was similarly approving saying, "Both the show and Wayne’s attempts to right the world’s wrongs don’t always work, but they mean well and are rarely dull."
Viewership
Within five days of the series premiere, the first episode had accumulated over 10 million views.
