Pinwheel was the first show to air on the then-rebranded Nickelodeon, as well as the first to appear on its Nick Jr. block along reruns until 1990. The show was created by Vivian Horner and produced by Sandy Kavanaugh, two educators who had previously worked at the Children's Television Workshop. The series is set in a boarding house called Pinwheel House, which is powered by a pinwheel on the roof.
The show takes place in and around a large Victorian-style boarding house powered by a pinwheel on one of the peaks. The Ohio episodes relied heavily on songs mostly performed by Jake.