Here at DC Fans, we’ve been excited for Debby Ryan’s new show Jessie for quite some time. Well, I’m proud to be one of the first to bring you an inside report from the taping of very first episode, last Friday, June 17th 2011.
The show is filming at Hollywood Center Studios on the same soundstage where Wizards once filmed. sonny/So Random also films here, and Suite life on Deck also filmed at Hollywood Center Studios.
In the new series, Debby plays recent HS graduate Jessie who was raised in rural Texas. She wants to be a singer/actress and comes to New York to chase that dream. She ends up as a live in nanny to four kids, three of whom are adopted from all over the world. The parents are like “Brangelina” with the mom an ex-model and the dad having a movie background. So Jessie quickly finds herself hired and on the job.
Emma is the oldest and the only biological kid. She’s played by Peyton List. Luke is next oldest and is a bit of a trouble maker. He’s played by Cameron Boyd. Ravi is a ten year old indian boy who also has a pet Komodo dragon!? He is played by Karan Brar. Zuri is the youngest at seven, and is played by Skai Jackson.
There was mention in the press release of a 20 yr old door man named Tony. He’s played by Chris Galy but it seems unlikely he and Jessie would end up as a couple. There’s also a lazy, sarcastic butler named Betrum that’s not very nice to Jessie. He’s played by Keven Chamberlain.
Along with the producers, Debby has put a lot of work into developing this show and building each character’s back story. It’s very much unlike any show Disney has ever ordered for DC. If it succeeds it could be a major game changer for the future of the network. If it fails, well, expect more shows built on the HM formula for a loooong time.
The show is expected to premiere in the fall. We will of course continue to keep you updated as we learn more.
BTW, there are also some new pics of Victoria Justice at Debby’s 18th birthday party posted over at my Nickelodeon Girls Blog. Here’s a sample. 😉
