Jessie (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Jessie is an American television sitcom which premiered on September 30, 2011 on the Disney Channel
. The series was created and executive produced by Pamela Eells O'Connell
and stars Debby Ryan
as Jessie, a small town Texas
girl who moves to New York City
and becomes a nanny to a high profile couple's four children played by Peyton List, Cameron Boyce, Karan Brar
and Skai Jackson
.
where she grew up and moves to New York City
. She accepts a job as a nanny and moves into a multi-million dollar penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side
with the wealthy Ross family which includes jet-setting parents, Morgan and Christina, and their four rambunctious children; Emma, Luke, Ravi and Zuri, along with the family's pet, a seven-foot monitor lizard. With a whole new world of experiences open to her, Jessie embarks on new adventures in the big city as she grows to rely on the love and support of the children in her care. Assisting her are Bertram, the family’s sarcastic butler, and Tony, the building's 20-year-old doorman.
who'd had previous experience with the "nanny" sitcom formula, starting her career as a writer on the series, Charles in Charge
and serving as co-executive producer on The Nanny
, before working with Debby Ryan
on The Suite Life on Deck
. O'Connell is said to have developed Jessie specifically to showcase Ryan's talent. In an interview with the Star-Telegram, Ryan explained how the concept originated - "(O'Connell) and I were throwing ideas back and forth when The Suite Life was coming to an end, and she came up with this. I was absolutely captivated. Then Disney looked at the script and the show runner (O'Connell) and myself and they were like: 'Awesome. We like it. You're on in the fall'". In interviews with Variety
, Disney CEO, Gary Marsh
spoke of working with Ryan again, - "It's been thrilling to watch Debby grow from an unknown actress to one of our top stars. Debby is a talented young actress who connects to a wide fanbase because she's genuine, relatable and aspirational all at once. Our viewers have followed her from The Suite Life on Deck to 16 Wishes, and we're pleased to be working with her again."
With Ryan signed on, Disney Channel
began the search to cast the Ross family in May 2011. Before casting was finalized, there were numerous differences in the original concept for several of the characters. The role of mother to the Ross children was originally a photographer named "Pandora", the role of eldest daughter, Emma was originally named "Anabel", the role of Luke was originally a boy adopted from Korea
named "Hiro" and the role of Ravi was originally a boy adopted from South America
named "Javier" who had a pet capybara
instead of a monitor lizard
. Some have speculated that Brad Pitt
and Angelina Jolie
, as a prominent celebrity couple with a multi-cultural adoptive family, may have been one possible inspiration for the series. In an interview with the Boston Herald
, O'Connell described her inspiration, saying - "I thought the celebrity parents and gorgeous penthouse would be glamorous, and a nice contrast to Jessie’s more modest Texas roots. That fish out of water element makes for good stories, and I was inspired by many families who have adopted children of different ethnicities."
After casting was finalized and changes were made to several of the characters to suit the actors chosen, the series skipped the pilot phase and was put directly into production. Filming began in June 2011 on Stage 26 at Hollywood Center Studios
which, prior to start of production, served as the soundstage where the Disney Channel series, Wizards of Waverly Place
was taped. Thirteen episodes were originally ordered for the first season, but in the summer of 2011, while the show's freshman season was in production, Disney Channel ordered an additional seven episodes bringing the total number of episodes for the first season to twenty. When asked about the atmosphere on set during an interview with MSN TV
, Ryan described her relationship with the young cast - "I definitely feel like a nanny! They are smart kids, but they're real kids. They like to have fun. My policy is: We can play hard, as long as we work hard, and because we work hard, we need to play hard."
File:Cast_of_Disneys_Jessie.jpg|thumb|250px|Main characters of Jessie (Use cursor to identify)
rect 184 91 260 333 Jessie
rect 260 324 462 374 Mr. Kipling
rect 50 109 113 348 Zuri
rect 123 74 191 252 Luke
rect 338 79 409 334 Ravi
rect 255 32 335 324 Emma
rect 43 10 140 329 Bertram
desc bottom-left
store one week prior to its Disney Channel
premiere. Making its official debut on the Disney Channel on September 30, 2011, the series became the network's most-watched premiere on a Friday since September 2008, when The Suite Life On Deck debuted. The premiere of Jessie ranked as the No. 1 telecast at 9 p.m. with a total of 4.6 million total viewers in the target demographics, scoring 2.3 million viewers among kids 6-11 and 1.8 million viewers among tweens 9-14, with an average of 887,000 viewers among adults age 18-49.
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
. The series was created and executive produced by Pamela Eells O'Connell
Pamela Eells O'Connell
Pamela Eells O'Connell is an American television producer and writer.Her credits include Charles in Charge, Family Matters, Mad About You, Ellen, The Nanny, Brotherly Love, Married... with Children, Rude Awakening, Jessie, The Suite Life on Deck and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
and stars Debby Ryan
Debby Ryan
Deborah "Debby" Ryan is an American actress and singer. Ryan is best known for starring as Bailey Pickett in the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life on Deck. The Suite Life on Deck became the most watched children's show on television...
as Jessie, a small town Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
girl who moves to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and becomes a nanny to a high profile couple's four children played by Peyton List, Cameron Boyce, Karan Brar
Karan Brar
Karan Brar , is an American actor, best known for his role as Chirag Gupta in the Wimpy Kid feature film franchise, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, as well as for his co-starring role as "Ravi Ross" on the Disney Channel comedy series, Jessie.-Early life:Karan Brar was...
and Skai Jackson
Skai Jackson
Skai Jackson is American actress. She currently co-stars as Zuri Ross in the Disney Channel sitcom Jessie.-Career:Jackson was born in New York City. She began her career as a child model appearing in numerous national commercials, including for Band-Aid bandages.Her first major acting role was in...
.
Premise
The series follows Jessie O'Keefe, an 18-year-old small town girl with big dreams who, rebelling against her strict father, a Marine Sergeant, decides to leave the military base in TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
where she grew up and moves to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She accepts a job as a nanny and moves into a multi-million dollar penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
with the wealthy Ross family which includes jet-setting parents, Morgan and Christina, and their four rambunctious children; Emma, Luke, Ravi and Zuri, along with the family's pet, a seven-foot monitor lizard. With a whole new world of experiences open to her, Jessie embarks on new adventures in the big city as she grows to rely on the love and support of the children in her care. Assisting her are Bertram, the family’s sarcastic butler, and Tony, the building's 20-year-old doorman.
Production
The series was created by Pamela Eells O'ConnellPamela Eells O'Connell
Pamela Eells O'Connell is an American television producer and writer.Her credits include Charles in Charge, Family Matters, Mad About You, Ellen, The Nanny, Brotherly Love, Married... with Children, Rude Awakening, Jessie, The Suite Life on Deck and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
who'd had previous experience with the "nanny" sitcom formula, starting her career as a writer on the series, Charles in Charge
Charles in Charge
Charles in Charge is an American sitcom series which starred Scott Baio as Charles, a 19-year-old student at the fictional Copeland College in New Jersey, who worked as a live-in babysitter in exchange for room and board...
and serving as co-executive producer on The Nanny
The Nanny
Nanny may refer to:* Nanny, a child's caregiver* A grandmother * A Cajun word for godmother * A female goat* Nanny , a 1981–83 British drama series starring Wendy Craig* Nanny of the Maroons...
, before working with Debby Ryan
Debby Ryan
Deborah "Debby" Ryan is an American actress and singer. Ryan is best known for starring as Bailey Pickett in the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life on Deck. The Suite Life on Deck became the most watched children's show on television...
on The Suite Life on Deck
The Suite Life on Deck
The Suite Life on Deck is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from September 26, 2008 to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
. O'Connell is said to have developed Jessie specifically to showcase Ryan's talent. In an interview with the Star-Telegram, Ryan explained how the concept originated - "(O'Connell) and I were throwing ideas back and forth when The Suite Life was coming to an end, and she came up with this. I was absolutely captivated. Then Disney looked at the script and the show runner (O'Connell) and myself and they were like: 'Awesome. We like it. You're on in the fall'". In interviews with Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, Disney CEO, Gary Marsh
Gary Marsh
Gary Marsh is President and Chief Creative Officer for Disney Channels Worldwide, where he develops and produces Disney Channel Original Series, Disney Channel Original Movies and Disney Junior Series . He also oversees talent and casting operations for Disney Channel. Marsh joined Disney Channel...
spoke of working with Ryan again, - "It's been thrilling to watch Debby grow from an unknown actress to one of our top stars. Debby is a talented young actress who connects to a wide fanbase because she's genuine, relatable and aspirational all at once. Our viewers have followed her from The Suite Life on Deck to 16 Wishes, and we're pleased to be working with her again."
With Ryan signed on, Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
began the search to cast the Ross family in May 2011. Before casting was finalized, there were numerous differences in the original concept for several of the characters. The role of mother to the Ross children was originally a photographer named "Pandora", the role of eldest daughter, Emma was originally named "Anabel", the role of Luke was originally a boy adopted from Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
named "Hiro" and the role of Ravi was originally a boy adopted from South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
named "Javier" who had a pet capybara
Capybara
The capybara , also known as capivara in Portuguese, and capibara, chigüire in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador ronsoco in Peru, chigüiro, and carpincho in Spanish, is the largest living rodent in the world. Its closest relatives are agouti, chinchillas, coyphillas, and guinea pigs...
instead of a monitor lizard
Water monitor
The Water monitor, is a large species of monitor lizard capable of growing to in length, with the average size of most adults at long. Maximum weight of Varanus salvator can be over , but most are half that size. Their body is muscular with a long, powerful, laterally compressed tail...
. Some have speculated that Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
and Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
, as a prominent celebrity couple with a multi-cultural adoptive family, may have been one possible inspiration for the series. In an interview with the Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
, O'Connell described her inspiration, saying - "I thought the celebrity parents and gorgeous penthouse would be glamorous, and a nice contrast to Jessie’s more modest Texas roots. That fish out of water element makes for good stories, and I was inspired by many families who have adopted children of different ethnicities."
After casting was finalized and changes were made to several of the characters to suit the actors chosen, the series skipped the pilot phase and was put directly into production. Filming began in June 2011 on Stage 26 at Hollywood Center Studios
Hollywood Center Studios
Hollywood Center Studios is a company based in Los Angeles, California that provides stage facilities to television and movie production companies. Its sound stages, located at 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue in Hollywood, California, are steeped in Hollywood history...
which, prior to start of production, served as the soundstage where the Disney Channel series, Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place is a Disney Channel Original Series that premiered on October 12, 2007. It won "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009...
was taped. Thirteen episodes were originally ordered for the first season, but in the summer of 2011, while the show's freshman season was in production, Disney Channel ordered an additional seven episodes bringing the total number of episodes for the first season to twenty. When asked about the atmosphere on set during an interview with MSN TV
MSN
MSN is a collection of Internet sites and services provided by Microsoft. The Microsoft Network debuted as an online service and Internet service provider on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of the Windows 95 operating system.The range of services offered by MSN has changed since its...
, Ryan described her relationship with the young cast - "I definitely feel like a nanny! They are smart kids, but they're real kids. They like to have fun. My policy is: We can play hard, as long as we work hard, and because we work hard, we need to play hard."
Main characters
File:Cast_of_Disneys_Jessie.jpg|thumb|250px|Main characters of Jessie (Use cursor to identify)
rect 184 91 260 333 Jessie
rect 260 324 462 374 Mr. Kipling
rect 50 109 113 348 Zuri
rect 123 74 191 252 Luke
rect 338 79 409 334 Ravi
rect 255 32 335 324 Emma
rect 43 10 140 329 Bertram
desc bottom-left
- Jessie O'Keefe (Debby RyanDebby RyanDeborah "Debby" Ryan is an American actress and singer. Ryan is best known for starring as Bailey Pickett in the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life on Deck. The Suite Life on Deck became the most watched children's show on television...
) is an idealistic and resourceful 18-year-old from rural TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
who moves to New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to realize her dreams and becomes nanny to the four Ross children. - Emma Ross (Peyton List) is a bubbly, but cynical 13-year-old girl, eager to reorder the world the way she sees fit and the only biological child of the bunch.
- Luke Ross (Cameron Boyce) is a mischievous 12-year-old boy adopted at the age of five from Detroit who has a passion for video games and dancing. He considers himself a ladies' man and has taken a liking to Jessie in particular.
- Ravi Ross (Karan BrarKaran BrarKaran Brar , is an American actor, best known for his role as Chirag Gupta in the Wimpy Kid feature film franchise, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, as well as for his co-starring role as "Ravi Ross" on the Disney Channel comedy series, Jessie.-Early life:Karan Brar was...
) is a 10-year-old boy from IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the newest adoptee to join the Ross family. He is imbued with the culture of his beloved homeland, but is thrilled with his new life in America. - Zuri Ross (Skai JacksonSkai JacksonSkai Jackson is American actress. She currently co-stars as Zuri Ross in the Disney Channel sitcom Jessie.-Career:Jackson was born in New York City. She began her career as a child model appearing in numerous national commercials, including for Band-Aid bandages.Her first major acting role was in...
) is an imaginative 7-year-old girl, adopted at birth from AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. She is highly creative and fanciful, and has an array of imaginary friends and pets. - Bertram (Kevin ChamberlinKevin Chamberlin- Life :Chamberlin was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and raised in Moorestown Township, New Jersey, moving there as a nine-year old. Chamberlin graduated from Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting.- Career :...
) is the frosty butler to the Ross family who begrudgingly helps Jessie navigate her job as nanny to the four Ross children.
Recurring characters
Tony (Chris Galya) is the 20-year-old doorman in the building where the Ross family lives who helps Jessie navigate her adventures in the big city.- Morgan Ross (Charles EstenChip EstenCharles "Chip" Esten Puskar III is an American comedian, actor and singer known for his appearances on the improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?....
) is father to the four Ross children and a famous movie director. - Christina Ross (Christina MooreChristina MooreChristina Moore is an American actress. She is most notable for her membership in the main cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv, for replacing Lisa Robin Kelly as Laurie Forman on That '70s Show during the sixth season and for portraying Candy Sullivan in the TNT show Hawthorne.She had...
) is mother to the four Ross children and a former supermodel turned business magnate. - Mr. Kipling (Frank) is the Ross family's house pet, a seven-foot Asian water monitor lizardWater monitorThe Water monitor, is a large species of monitor lizard capable of growing to in length, with the average size of most adults at long. Maximum weight of Varanus salvator can be over , but most are half that size. Their body is muscular with a long, powerful, laterally compressed tail...
.
Release
The pilot episode of Jessie was released as a free download via the iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
store one week prior to its Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
premiere. Making its official debut on the Disney Channel on September 30, 2011, the series became the network's most-watched premiere on a Friday since September 2008, when The Suite Life On Deck debuted. The premiere of Jessie ranked as the No. 1 telecast at 9 p.m. with a total of 4.6 million total viewers in the target demographics, scoring 2.3 million viewers among kids 6-11 and 1.8 million viewers among tweens 9-14, with an average of 887,000 viewers among adults age 18-49.
International release
| Country / Region | Channel | Series premiere | Title in country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disney Channel Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in... |
September 30, 2011 | Jessie | |
| Family | |||
| Disney Channel (Brazil) Disney Channel (Brazil) Disney Channel Brazil is an cable television channel and is an edition of the The Walt Disney Company-owned Disney Channel, broadcasting to Brazil. It is marketed to mostly children; however, in recent years the diversity of viewers has increased with an older audience... |
November 26, 2011 (Sneak Peak) Premiere: December 5, 2011 |
||
| Disney Channel (Latin America) | |||
| Disney Channel (UK & Ireland) | December 16, 2011 | ||
| Disney Channel (Greece) | December 23, 2011 | ||
| Disney Channel (Italy) Disney Channel (Italy) Disney Channel Italia is the Italian version of Disney Channel. Disney Channel Italy also includes a +1 hour timeshift service , a +2 hours timeshift service , a channel for pre-school children , an English-audio channel with subtitles , and a channel for male teenagers... |
|||
| Disney Channel (Poland) | |||
| Disney Channel (Turkey) | |||
| Disney Channel (Hungary) Disney Channel (Hungary) Disney Channel is a children's television channel owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group broadcast in Hungary. It was previously known as Fox Kids, and later as Jetix.-History:The channel has launched on November 2000 as Fox Kids.... |
December 31, 2011 | ||
| Disney Channel (Czech Republic) Disney Channel (Czech Republic) Disney Channel is a children's television channel owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group broadcast in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It was previously known as Fox Kids, and later as Jetix... |
|||