We previously reported that the spin-off to The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, The Suite Life on Deck, opened to record numbers on the Family Channel last October and hasn't looked back since.  It did the same thing when it premiered on the Disney Channel to 5.7 million viewers.  The sequel, which follows brothers Zack and Cody Martin, now both 16 years of age, and hotel heiress London Tipton as they move to their new home The S.S. Tipton, was able to do something initially thought was impossible: outpace Hannah Montana.

In other news, former The Suite Life of Zack and Cody mainstay and High School Musical regular Ashley Tisdale will make a highly anticipated return.  Tisdale, who played Maddie Fitzpatrick on the old series, will reprise her role as London's BFF with a guest spot.  The episode, called “Maddie on Deck,” will see 8-year-old Prince Jeffy of Linchtenstamp fall in love with Maddie and forces her to marry him.  To solve the predicament, Zack challenges the Prince to a joust, with Maddie as the ultimate prize.  The catch: if Maddie refuses the prince's request and Zack loses, she will be imprisoned and S.S. Tipton will not be permitted to leave Lichtenstamp.

The relatively new series sees the return of its original stars Cole Sprouse, Dylan Sprouse, Brenda Song, and Phill Lewis, plus newcomer Debby Ryan.  Uriah Shelton guest-stars on this particular episode as Prince Jeffy.

Far from being the same antics-laden fun days at the Tipton Hotel, the two boys are said to be a little more mature on the new series. "With growing older comes responsibility, [which] if you don't acquire sooner or later, you're gonna be in trouble," Dylan said.  "So the new show definitely teaches responsibility. We get jobs, and essentially every single show has a moral."


- Glenn Paul Diaz, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Ace Showbiz
(Image courtesy of Disney Channel)