Jett Jackson: Back in Action

 Earlier today, I talked of 90s nostalgia in the form of TEENICK reviving the best 90s Nickelodeon programming but I'm an equal opportunity blogger. Disney was key in my childhood to a certain extent. In the 90s, the Disney Channel wasn't always a part of basic cable so I relied on visits to my cousins' house and free preview weekends to get my fill. And although my cousins and I argued over what to watch at times, there was one show we couldn't resist: The Famous Jett Jackson. It was awesome. Lee Thompson Young was Jett, an average teenager who happened to have his own television show. He was smart, witty, and quick. The show was great because it was for kids, but it wasn't dumbed down or filled with excessive silliness. After the show ended, I always wondered what happened to him and then I saw him on Scrubs a couple of years ago.
 Imagine my surprise when TNT's newest drama, Rizzoli and Isles debuted a year ago and Jett Jackson was the young gun slinging partner of Angie Harmon's Jane Rizzoli. I was like Jett Jackson's back in action and still looks good. I forgot his name the first few episodes and had to use Wikipedia but I remembered him. I'm glad he turned out on the good side of former child stardom. But better than that it reminded me of what I liked about 90s Disney and Nickelodeon.
 The shows and the stars weren't far from reality. Jett Jackson was set in a small North Carolina town. He still had to deal with friends and family. I feel that as Disney and Nickelodeon shows became more and more about being cute or sassy than actually entertaining. Passing through the channels, the shows don't have any real substance or suspense. I'm not saying that it has to be masterpiece or anything but something that actually could prompt discussion. Watching Jett Jackson, I always wondered what would happen if I were him. I can't say if I had the same feeling watching Hannah Montana, but then again I can't watch it the same way I watched in the 1990s.