Disney Channel Renews "Jessie" for 4th Season

[JamesG]

Disney Channel Renews "Jessie" for Fourth Season
by THE DEADLINE TEAM
May 20, 2014


Disney Channel has ordered a fourth season of "Jessie" for a January 2015 premiere. The live-action comedy series stars Debby Ryan, Kevin Chamberlin, Peyton List, Karan Brar, Cameron Boyce, and Skai Jackson. Ryan, who also produces, is slated to direct an episode this summer.

There’s also a wedding arc set for this fall in which Jessie gets engaged.



From 2014 to date, "Jessie" is TV’s No. 1 telecast in its time period, and overall, is TV’s No. 2 live-action series in kids 2-11 (1.6M/4.0) and kids 6-11 (1.3M/5.4), and the No. 4 TV series in tweens 9-14 (1.2M/4.8), according to Nielsen.

The series was created by Pamela Eells O’Connell (Family Matters), who serves as executive producer. It’s produced by It’s A Laugh Productions.

http://www.deadline.com/2014/05/disn...fourth-season/

[HauntedThunderman94]

YAY! Best show on Disney Channel right now.

[comedyfreak]

As I said before, this will probably be its last season. The kids are getting old now and are losing their cuteness.

[TMC]

http://www.chicagonow.com/tween-us/2...essie-improve/

1. Quit showing it all the time.

Remember the saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder? Yeah, that's not a principle the Disney programming people apply to this show (or their other ones, really). "Jessie" is on All. The. Time. It's like rerunapalooza. If there were some breaks between shows, parents would be happier. Not that it isn't filling up DVR's around the nation, but still. A break. It ubiquitous, and there's no need for that.

2. Give parents, and just grown-ups in general, some credit, or at least a modicum of respect.

Kids are sassy enough, thanks, they don't need a "how to guide" from the kids on "Jessie." Kids can be funny without being rude. (Don't believe me? See The Cosby Show.) Also, The parents are portrayed as idiots, and unnecessary at that. Parents can be funny without being really, really dumb and selfish. Again, see The Cosby Show.

3. Give kids some credit.

It feels like the writers don't think much of kids and their intelligence levels. It feels like the show often goes for the lowest common denominator. Also, Common Sense Media notes in its review of the show that the "cast's diversity sends questionable messages by falling victim to racial stereotyping in the case of African-American and Indian-American characters." I know it's tough appeal to a wide age range, but the 9-14 age group that likes this show can handle so much more. Kick it up a level. Kids watching this show look like zombies. They "watch" but what about tweaking the show to be one that really engages them?

3a). Be kind.

Making fun of people for being fat or unattractive is not cool, and even kids know that. Be kind. The meanness is uncalled for.

4. Get rid of the really big lizard.

It's called a komodo dragon on the show but the net says it is an Asian Water Monitor lizard. Whatever it is, I don't like it. It is 7 feet long and you can see it in the first photo above. It is not cute. It is creepy. There are so many characters that a pet is completely unnecessary. Please, send the lizard named Mrs. Kipling off screen. Permanently. Please.

5. Make better use of Bertram the butler.

Kevin Chamberlin plays the butler, Bertram. He has been nominated for both Drama Desk and Tony Awards for his work on Broadway. Clearly this man can act, and sing, and be so much more than the straight man that the show uses him as. He deserves better, and so do us parents.

[MacLeaper]

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YAY! Best show on Disney Channel right now.

That's cool- I like Jessie well enough, but it's not my favorite show on Disney Channel. That would be "Girl Meets World", which is by far the best show on TV right now, in my opinion.
(And not just because it's a Boy Meets World spinoff.) But anyway- nice to see Jessie continuing. I hope maybe the show will take some pointers from the article TMC posted, but I kinda doubt much will change with the show at this point.