Six years ago, Debby Ryan made Disney Channel history with her show, Jessie. Fresh out of high school, Debby "got to pitch, produce and cast [her] dream job," creating a series that not only furthered her career, but jump-started the careers of Cameron Boyce, Skai Jackson, Karan Brar, and Peyton List.
Jessie was Disney Channel's "first straight-to-series pickup," and earned Debby the title of "youngest female director and producer" for the network. Celebrating the show's anniversary on September 30, Debby posted a series of tweets with nostalgia-inducing photos and memories. Can you make it through these tweets without feeling all the feels? (Spoiler: You can't.)
Probably Jessie's biggest contribution to Disney Channel — and television in general — is how it portrayed families. A family isn't solely comprised of people who all share the same DNA. Families can be anything, as long as the people involved love and care for one another.
Shows like The Fosters also do a good job of reminding audiences family doesn't stop at blood, but that series premiered two years after Disney's Jessie. One can even argue Jessie helped pave the way for an important episode on Raven's Home that showed how blended families are just as important as non-blended families.
Debby finished her Twitter spree with a final thank you to the fans who helped keep the show thriving.
Stacey Grant is the Snapchat Editor at Seventeen.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram! 👻: penciltop24
Stacey Grant is a senior editor at Seventeen who runs the brand's Snapchat Discover channel. She also covers entertainment topics specializing in nostalgia, such as classic '90s and '00s Disney Channel and Nickelodeon content.
