The Famous Jett Jackson

infobox television
show_name = The Famous Jett Jackson


caption = (Left to right) Lee Thompson Young as Jett and Kerry Duff as Kayla.
format = Children's television series
runtime = approx. 0:22 (per episode)
creator = Fracaswell Hyman
starring = Lee Thompson Young
Ryan Sommers Baum
Lindy Booth
Jeff Douglas
Kerry Duff
Gordon Greene
Montrose Hagins
Melanie Nicholls-King
Nigel Shawn Williams
Andrew Tarbet
country = USA
network = Disney Channel
first_aired = October 25, 1998
last_aired = June 22, 2001
num_episodes = 65
list_episodes = List of The Famous Jett Jackson episodes
imdb_id = 0174388
tv_com_id = 871

"The Famous Jett Jackson" was a Disney Channel Original Series coming of age television series about a boy named Jett Jackson (Lee Thompson Young) who plays a teenage secret-agent on a fictional TV show-within-a-show called "Silverstone". Jett lives and films "Silverstone" in his fictional hometown of Wilsted, North Carolina, where his father is the sheriff. However, the actual series, "The Famous Jett Jackson", was filmed in Brooklin, Ontario.

Plot

Jett Jackson previously lived with his publicist mother in Los Angeles, but missed his home and his friends. Longing for a relatively normal life, Jett succeeds in getting the production of "Silverstone" moved to Wilsted, North Carolina, thus providing jobs to townspeople while affording Jett the chance to live with his father, Sheriff Wood Jackson, and his great-grandmother, Miz Coretta (whom Jett calls Nana). [cite web
last =
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coauthors =
title = Disney Channel's Zoog Disney Pumps Up the Action of "Jett Jackson: The Movie" Both On-Air and Online
work = Disney press release.
publisher = LaughingPlace.com
date =
url = http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID10006730.asp
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2006-12-02 ] Keeping in touch with his mother Jules by video link on his computer (though by the third season she also moved to Wilsted), Jett now spends part of his time with family, friends and school, and the rest living the life of a working actor and celebrity. In doing so, Jett often ends up in sticky situations, usually aided and abetted by his best friend, J.B., his not-quite girlfriend Kayla, and sometimes by Cubby, "Silverstone"'s wacky special effects wizard. In the second half of the series, Jett's new co-star, Riley Grant, is added to the mix.

The show within the show, "Silverstone", is about a spy who works for Mission Omega Matrix in order to save the world from villains like Dr. Hypnoto and the Rat. In contrast to Jett, Silverstone has no family, only his mentor, Artemus, and eventually his partner Hawk ("played" by Riley Grant).

History and related series

"The Famous Jett Jackson" is notable for being the first of the original series created by Disney Channel in the late 1990s. Show creator Fracaswell Hyman reportedly devised the character before casting Lee Thompson Young for the role. Like Jett, Young was raised in a single parent home in the South, and decided on an acting career at an early age. Young went on to write one of the episodes produced for the series. [cite web
last = Rodil Jr.
first = Neal
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = B-Boy the Movie
work = B-Boy the Movie.com
publisher = Neal Rodil Jr.
date =
url = http://www.bboythemovie.com/info.html
format =
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accessdate = 2006-12-02 ]

The series included both young guest stars such as Hayden Christensen, Britney Spears and Destiny's Child and veteran stars such as Eartha Kitt, the latter of whom played the new coach of Wilsted's minor league baseball team in one episode. [cite web
last = Yaffe
first = Samantha
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = On set: The Famous Jett Jackson
work = Playback
publisher = Brunico Communications Inc.
date = 1999-05-31
url = http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/magazine/19990531/25698.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2006-12-02 ]

The relative realism of Jett's home life sometimes gave way to fantasy or paranormal elements, such as one episode in which Jett learns about a shameful incident in Wilsted's history with a little prodding from the ghost of a key figure in the buried scandal. Other episodes dealt with issues in a more realistic and contemporary way, such as when J.B.'s father's family-owned store is threatened by the arrival of high-powered, "big box" competition, and another in which Jett's English teacher, Dr. Dupree, runs afoul of local attempts at censorship of a class reading assignment. Other episodes dealt with such topics as bulimia and the question of whether Jett, with his relatively sheltered and pampered home life, can truly understand or cope with the problems of other African Americans.

Although it was well-received and regarded as a success, the series ended on June 22, 2001, allegedly due to Disney's unstated policy of making only 65 episodes per series. It was followed by a Disney Channel movie in which Jett finds himself trapped in Silverstone's world, and vice versa. In that movie he takes on Silverstone's role for real and is able to muddle through while Silverstone does the same thing in Jett's world until Miz Coreta finds out the truth and he returns home and sends Jett back as well. The movie ends with Jett returning to Silverstone's world and helping him complete his mission by rescuing Silverstone from Kragg and then defeating Kragg alongside his hero alter-ego. The series was in re-runs on Disney Channel throughout 2002 at 12:30 AM eastern/Pacific.

Many of the regular and recurring cast members from "The Famous Jett Jackson" have since appeared in another Canadian television series, "Strange Days at Blake Holsey High", as stars or guest stars. The most obvious examples of this are Jeff Douglas (Cubby) as Professor Noel Zachary, a.k.a. Professor Z., Lawrence Bayne (Dr. Hypnoto) as Victor Pearson, Tony Munch (The Rat) as The Janitor, and Valerie Boyle (Vice Principal Niad) as Principal Amanda Durst.

Director Shawn Levy ("Cheaper by the Dozen", "The Pink Panther", "Night at the Museum") did a few episodes of the series and has since then cast members of the cast in minor roles in his big-budget films.

Critical reaction

Response to the show was generally positive. Laura Fries of "Variety", the Hollywood trade paper, noted in her review of "Jett Jackson: The Movie" that "Young serves as an appealing role model, much like Sarah Michelle Gellar's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" --someone who can fulfill young, action craving audiences without the gratuitous violence. There's a sense of empowerment associated with these sort of roles, and handled correctly, they function as an excellent allegory for the confusing teenage years." Although she mentions "contrived plot devices", she also refers to the series as "clever" and "an extremely entertaining concept". [cite web
last = Fries
first = Laura
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Jett Jackson: The Movie (review)
work = Variety
publisher = Reed Business Information
date = 2001-06-06
url = http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117798235.html?categoryid=32&cs=1&p=0
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doi =
accessdate = 2006-12-02 ]

Film

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Awards and nominations

The series "The Famous Jett Jackson" and its young cast were nominated for Young Artist Awards, presented by the nonprofit Young Artist Foundation, in several categories in the course of the show's run:

1998-1999 (21st Annual Young Artist Awards) [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Twenty-first Annual Young Artist Awards, 1998-1999
work = The Young Artist Awards
publisher = Young Artist Foundation
date =
url = http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms21.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2006-12-02 ]
* Lee Thompson Young, BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV COMEDY SERIES: Leading Young Actor (nominee, lost to Thomas Dekker)
*Ryan Sommers Baum, BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV COMEDY SERIES: Supporting Young Actor (nominee, lost to Andrew Ducote)
*Kerry Duff, BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV COMEDY SERIES: Supporting Young Actress (WINNER)
*"The Famous Jett Jackson", BEST FAMILY TV COMEDY SERIES (nominee, lost to "Freaks and Geeks")

1999-2000 (22nd Annual Young Artist Awards) [cite web
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title = Twenty-Second Annual Young Artist Awards, 1999-2000
work = The Young Artist Awards
publisher = Young Artist Foundation
date =
url = http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms22A.htm
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accessdate = 2006-12-02 ]
* Lee Thompson Young, BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV DRAMA SERIES: Leading Young Actor (nominee, lost to Robert Clark)
*Ryan Sommers Baum, BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV DRAMA SERIES: Supporting Young Actor (nominee, lost to Miko Hughes)
*Kerry Duff, BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV DRAMA SERIES: Supporting Young Actress (nominee, lost to Michelle Trachtenberg) 2000-2001 (22nd Annual Young Artist Awards) (for "Jett Jackson: The Movie" [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Twenty-Third Annual Young Artist Awards, 2000-2001
work = The Young Artist Awards
publisher = Young Artist Foundation
date =
url = http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms23A.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2006-12-02 ]
*Kerry Duff, BEST PERFORMANCE IN A TV MOVIE (Comedy or Drama): Leading Young Actress (nominee, lost to Kelsey Keel)

In addition, the Parents' Choice Foundation presented a "Silver Honor" medal to "The Famous Jett Jackson" as part of its 2001 Parents' Choice Awards. [cite web
last =
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authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The Famous Jett Jackson
work = 2001 Parents' Choice Awards
publisher = Parents' Choice Foundation
date =
url = http://www.parents-choice.org/get_direct_indiv.cfm?cat=c_tel&awdyr=2001&award=xx&from=Parents%27%20Choice%20Award%20Winners
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2006-12-02 ]

References