# Jessie (2011 TV series)
**Jessie** is an American half-hour live-action comedy series that premiered on [Disney Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-channel) on September 30, 2011 and ran through October 16, 2015.[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/jessie-television/) • [2](https://disneychannel.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Jessie_episodes) Created by Pamela Eells, it follows Jessie Prescott, a young woman from a small town in Texas who moves to New York City and becomes the nanny to the four children of a wealthy, jet-setting couple.[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/jessie-television/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/jessie) The series was produced by [It's a Laugh Productions](https://www.edgepedia.org/its-a-laugh-productions) and starred [Debby Ryan](https://www.edgepedia.org/debby-ryan) in the title role alongside Kevin Chamberlin, Peyton List, Karan Brar, Cameron Boyce, Skai Jackson, and Chris Galya.[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/jessie-television/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network and format | Half-hour live-action comedy on Disney Channel, rated TV-G[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/jessie-television/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/jessie) |
| Run | Premiered September 30, 2011; four seasons; finale aired October 16, 2015[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/jessie-television/) • [2](https://disneychannel.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Jessie_episodes) |
| Episodes | episodes across four seasons (26, 24, 26, and 20)[4](https://www.epguides.com/Jessie/) • [2](https://disneychannel.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Jessie_episodes) |
| Creator | Pamela Eells, also executive producer and screenwriter[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/jessie) |
| Lead cast | Debby Ryan (Jessie), Peyton List (Emma), Cameron Boyce (Luke), Karan Brar (Ravi), Skai Jackson (Zuri), Kevin Chamberlin (Bertram), Chris Galya (Tony)[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/jessie-television/) |
| Pilot audience | "New York, New Nanny" drew 4.63 million U.S. viewers on September 30, 2011[2](https://disneychannel.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Jessie_episodes) |
| IMDb rating | 6.2/10 from about 23,000 user votes[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1865769/ratings/) |
## Premise and characters
Jessie Prescott is an 18-year-old from a small town in Texas who moves to New York City to follow her dreams. After her savings are stolen, she accepts a job as live-in nanny to the children of Morgan, a famous movie director, and Christina, a supermodel turned fashion mogul, and moves into their multi-million-dollar penthouse on [Central Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/central-park).[6](https://www.disneyplus.com/zh-sg/browse/entity-7df90484-5b46-4431-9a74-a6c8d405243e) With the parents constantly traveling, Jessie is left to care for their four rambunctious children: Emma, Luke, Ravi, and Zuri.[6](https://www.disneyplus.com/zh-sg/browse/entity-7df90484-5b46-4431-9a74-a6c8d405243e)
The four children have distinct backgrounds. Emma, the oldest, is the only biological child of the family; her three siblings are adopted: Luke, an American adoptee; Ravi, an Indian adoptee; and Zuri, an African adoptee.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/jessie) The household also includes the family's pet, a 7-foot [Asian water monitor](https://www.edgepedia.org/asian-water-monitor) lizard named Mrs. Kipling.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/jessie) • [6](https://www.disneyplus.com/zh-sg/browse/entity-7df90484-5b46-4431-9a74-a6c8d405243e) Jessie's main allies in the building are Bertram, the family's sarcastic butler, and Tony, the building's young doorman.[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/jessie-television/) • [6](https://www.disneyplus.com/zh-sg/browse/entity-7df90484-5b46-4431-9a74-a6c8d405243e)
**Storylines across the run.** Over the course of the series Jessie meets a number of famous figures, performs a duet with Austin Moon in a crossover episode with *Austin & Ally*, works as a stunt double on a major movie production, understudies on Broadway, chaperones the children on a trip to space, and becomes engaged to the wealthy son of her neighbor.[7](https://theses.gla.ac.uk/83649/3/2022GabrielPhD.pdf)
## Production
The series came from It's a Laugh Productions, the company behind much of Disney Channel's live-action slate.[1](https://d23.com/a-to-z/jessie-television/) Debby Ryan was already familiar to Disney Channel audiences from her roles in *The Suite Life on Deck* and the television movie *[16 Wishes](https://www.edgepedia.org/16-wishes)*, which the review site Common Sense Media identified as a draw for the show's young audience.[8](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/jessie)
## Episodes and broadcast history
The series ran for four seasons.[4](https://www.epguides.com/Jessie/) Season 1 ran from September 30, 2011 to September 7, 2012 with 26 episodes; season 2 from October 5, 2012 to September 13, 2013 with 24 episodes; season 3 from October 5, 2013 to November 28, 2014 with 26 episodes; and season 4 from January 9, 2015 to October 16, 2015 with 20 episodes.[2](https://disneychannel.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Jessie_episodes) The pilot, "New York, New Nanny", drew 4.63 million U.S. viewers, and the December 9, 2011 episode "Christmas Story" drew 4.01 million.[2](https://disneychannel.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Jessie_episodes) The series has since been available on Disney+.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/jessie)
## Reception and commentary
Audience response was moderately positive. On IMDb the series holds a 6.2/10 rating weighted from about 23,000 votes, with an unweighted mean of 6.8.[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1865769/ratings/) On Rotten Tomatoes the Popcornmeter, the site's audience score, stood at 79 percent from more than 50 ratings.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/jessie) The series received an NAACP Image Award nomination.[8](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/jessie)
**Criticism of stereotyping.** Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that rates media for families, recommended the show for ages 7 and up but flagged recurring problems. Its review noted that the multicultural cast "falls victim to racial stereotyping" in the cases of Zuri, written as a sassy African-American girl, and Ravi, a meek character of Indian descent who is often the subject of jokes tied to his culture; the review also cited mildly sexual jokes and put-down humor.[8](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/jessie) The same review credited the show with feel-good messages about family unity and mutual respect, and described Ryan's Jessie as a likable heroine who has the children's best interests at heart.[8](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/jessie) An academic analysis of the series placed it in the tradition of the nanny premise, in which a young woman of modest means becomes caregiver to a wealthy family's children, and noted that Jessie's personal dreams are repeatedly deferred to the children's needs over the run of the show.[7](https://theses.gla.ac.uk/83649/3/2022GabrielPhD.pdf)
## References
1. [Jessie (television), D23: Official Disney Fan Club](https://d23.com/a-to-z/jessie-television/)
2. [List of Jessie episodes, Disney Channel Wiki](https://disneychannel.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Jessie_episodes)
3. [Jessie, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/jessie)
4. [Jessie (2011): A Titles & Air Dates Guide, epguides.com](https://www.epguides.com/Jessie/)
5. [Jessie (TV Series 2011–2015): Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1865769/ratings/)
6. [Jessie: Watch Full Episodes, Disney+](https://www.disneyplus.com/zh-sg/browse/entity-7df90484-5b46-4431-9a74-a6c8d405243e)
7. [Gabriel, PhD thesis on tweencoms and the American sitcom, University of Glasgow (2022)](https://theses.gla.ac.uk/83649/3/2022GabrielPhD.pdf)
8. [Jessie: Parents' Guide & TV Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/jessie)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Sitcom and comedy series › Family and household sitcoms › Contemporary family sitcoms*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license