Shaftesbury and its digital media division, Smokebomb Entertainment, announced Monday the launch of Totally Amp’d, the first original mobile series for iOS smartphones and tablets, set to launch Jan. 26 via the Apple App store.

The 10-“appisode” series (nine minutes each) is a live-action musical comedy targeted to kids and tweens between the ages of 8 and 14 years old. The series also features an original soundtrack and an accompanying suite of interactive activities that are unlocked with each appisode.

“Totally Amp’d is the first app of its kind for the underserved tween mobile entertainment market – we see this as a brand new category,” said Daniel Dales, CEO and executive producer, Smokebomb Entertainment, in a statement.

Totally Amp’d features a slew of tween favourites from popular Canadian series, including Ashley Leggat (Shaftesbury’s Life with Derek) as Zoe, the receptionist/manager at fictional music label XMP! Music, who brings together a group of teens for the label’s contest to find the next big pop group. Cristine Prosperi (Degrassi: The Next Generation) and Demetrius Joyette (Wingin’ It) also star.

Published by Toronto-based mobile game developer XMG Studio, each appisode unlocks interactive content with which users can use their iOS devices to create band posters and album covers, direct the band’s music videos, and remix and upload their own vocals to the original Totally Amp’d songs. A website, plus Facebook, Twitter, youtube and tumblr pages are already live.

“Looking at the habits of today’s teens and tweens, always on their phones texting, messaging and emailing on the subway or the bus, the decision to work on Totally Amp’d was a no-brainer,” said Ray Sharma, founder and CEO of XMG Studio in a statement. “There’s huge potential in the ‘appisode’ space – no one wants to watch half of a made-for television episode on their phone while commuting.”

The first appisode and related content will be available to download for free, and the remaining content can be unlocked for a one-time fee of $4.99.

The joint initiative from Shaftesbury and Smokebomb was funded with the participation of the Canada Media Fund’s Experimental Stream and the OMDC’s Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit. Shaftesbury also took the series to MIPCOM in October.

Totally Amp’d is executive-produced by Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie and Shane Kinnear, and produced by Daniel Dales, Jarrett Sherman and Jay Bennett.