Jessie (TV series)

*For the main character, see Jessie Prescott.*

Template:Infobox television

***Jessie*** (stylized as ***JESSIE***) is an American family/teen sitcom which premiered on September 30, 2011, on Disney Channel. The series was created and executive produced by Pamela Eells O'Connell. It stars Debby Ryan as Jessie, a small-town girl who moves to New York City and unexpectedly becomes a nanny to four kids portrayed by Peyton List, Cameron Boyce, Karan Brar, and Skai Jackson.

## Premise

The series follows Jessie Prescott, an 18-year-old, now 19, small-town girl with big dreams who decides to leave her hometown in Fort Hood, Texas for New York City. She accepts a job as a nanny and moves into a multi-million dollar penthouse apartment on the Upper West Side with the wealthy Ross family. The family includes jet-setting parents, Morgan and Christina, and their four rambunctious children, Emma,

 File:JESSIE logo.png  Luke, Ravi, and Zuri along with the family's pet, Mrs. Kipling. With a whole new world of experiences open to her, Jessie embarks on new adventures in the big city as she learns to rely on the love and support of the children in her care. Assisting her are Bertram Winkle, the family’s sarcastic butler, and Tony Chiccolini, the building's 20-year-old doorman.

### **Main Cast**

* **Jessie Prescott** (Debby Ryan) is an idealistic and resourceful 18-year-old from rural Texas who moves to New York City to realize her dreams and becomes a nanny to the four Ross children along the way.
* **Luke Ross** (Cameron Boyce) is a mischievous 11-year-old boy adopted at the age of three 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.
* **Zuri Ross** (Skai Jackson) is an adorable, sassy 7-year old who was adopted at birth in Uganda. She is the one who discovered Jessie in the first episode. She has close-knit relationships with Emma and Jessie. She is also Luke's partner-in-crime, but she lets him fend for himself.
* **Emma Ross** (Peyton List) is a bubbly but cynical 13-year-old girl, eager to order the world the way she sees it. She is the only biological child of the bunch.
* **Ravi Ross** (Karan Brar) is a 10-year-old boy from India 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.
* **Bertram Winkle** (Kevin Chamberlin) is the cranky butler of the Ross family who begrudgingly helps Jessie navigate her job as a nanny for the four Ross children.

### **Recurring cast**

* **Mrs. Kipling** (Frank) is the house pet, a 7-foot Asian Water Monitor lizard. Ravi found the lizard when she was only an egg, and she is his only link to his beloved homeland, India. While the series was in fruition, she was originally a capybara.
* **Tony Chiccolini** (Chris Galya) is the building's 20-year-old doorman. He previously dated Jessie Prescott.
* **Morgan Ross** (Charles Esten) is the kids' father. He's a high budget film director.
* **Christina Ross** (Christina Moore) is the kids' mother. She's a former model turned business mogul.
* **Rhoda Chesterfield** (Carolyn Hennesy) is the main antagonist who is head of the board.
* **Nanny Agatha** (Jennifer Veal) is the mean nanny who bullies Jessie and the Ross family.

## Development and production

*Jessie* skipped the pilot phase and was directly put into production by Disney Channel. The show is taped at Hollywood Center Studios and takes place in New York City. It was announced on June 9, 2011, that production had begun on the series. Thirteen episodes were initially ordered for the first season. On July 22, 2011, when the show's freshman season was in production, Disney Channel ordered an additional seven episodes bringing the total episodes for the first season to 20. The series has since been renewed for a second season of 28 episodes, which premiered on October 5, 2012. A movie was also confirmed during its second season. On January 5, 2013, *Jessie* was renewed for a third season, filming started May 2013 and premiered October 4, 2013. On May 20, 2014, Jessie was renewed for a 4th season. Filming started in August 2014 and premiered in January 2015. Peyton List revealed in an interview that Season 4 would be the last season of the show. On February 25, 2015, it was announced that Peyton List, Karan Brar, and Skai Jackson would be starring in a spin-off series revolving around Emma, Ravi and Zuri and the trouble that they get into without a nanny.

## Trivia

* *Jessie* is the only Disney Channel series where the main character has already graduated from high school, but not yet college.
* *Jessie* currently has the highest ever testing for a Disney Channel series.
* *Jessie* has its own spin-off titled Bunk'D following Emma, Ravi, and Zuri at camp.
* The most-viewed episode on its release was the episode Star Wars racking in a whopping 7.3 million viewers