At only 15-years old, Miss Debbie Watson becomes NBC's newest star (TV GUIDE 1965-01-16 Northern California)

There is hardly a soul who doesn't wish her well. Hardly a person who, upon meeting her, isn't impressed by her guileless effervescence, her friendly-puppy personality. And there is hardly anyone who, watching her career, doesn't feel pangs of pity contemplating all the things Miss Debbie Watson has yet to learn. 

A year ago she was still going to football games with "the gang" at Buena Park High School. Today, though she hasn't "dated any Hollywood actors or anything," a trade paper reported that the day after Karen debuted she received 20 letters and phone calls proposing marriage. "Really only one or two, so far," Debbie corrected, blushing. 

A Year and a half ago she arose at 7:30 and got to school at 9. Today she and her mother rise at 5:30, drive some 40 miles to the studio from their La Mirada home in the Los Angeles suburbs.

At the tender age of 15, with nothing but brief theatrical experience, she became a star—the center of at-tention in NBC's Karen, which began the season as one-third of a 90-minute triptych of situation comedies entitled 90 Bristol Court and now is all that remains of that ill-fated venture. 

This week, on Jan. 17, Debbie will turn 16. Already, according to people in the business who should know, she has "it"—"it" being a star aura, a particular charisma, a personal quality that is, presumably, the stuff stars are made of. Not necessarily great actresses, but stars.

And indeed Debbie does have some special qualities. She is extremely pretty, remarkably vibrant, incessantly lively, constantly smiling. She possesses poise that belies her years, and exudes a sort of hyperenthusiasm toward everyone.