The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

The stars of Disney's The Suite Life of Zack and Cody are heading for the high seas next season.  The family-oriented cable channel is taking the show out of the hotel and into a luxury liner, with show stars Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Brenda Song and Phill Lewis reprising their roles on the spinoff entitled, The Suite Life on Deck.

The new show follows the twin brothers Zack (Dylan Sprouse) and Cody Martin (Cole Sprouse) and hotel heiress London Tipton (Song) after they sign up for a semester-at-sea program aboard the SS Tipton.  To his dismay, dutiful hotel manager Mr. Moseby (Lewis) is tasked to look after the three on their new nautical adventure.

"Our audience has shown us that after 88 episodes, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody remains one of their favorite sitcoms ever," Gary Marsh, president of entertainment at Disney Channels Worldwide, said.  "We decided to find a new way for Zack, Cody, London and Mr. Moseby to live The Suite Life in a whole new setting -- this time aboard a luxury cruise liner."

At present, Disney is busy finding new cast members for other roles, including London's roommate, Bailey, a Southern girl who serves as a foil to the hotel heiress.  Actress-singer Ashley Tisdale, who has gained much fame for her portrayal of Sharpay on High School Musical, will not be returning as a regular on Suite Life on Deck, as she has decided to focus on her film career. Disney's senior VP of original programming Adam Bonnett said, however, that there's a chance Tisdale could appear on a recurring basis.

Bonnett also said that they were able to complete a number of scripts before the writers strike began, and hopes that production on the spin-off will begin as soon as a settlement is reached, which, as recent reports indicate, could happen sometime this week.  Additionally, the new show will be filmed with multiple cameras and in front of a live audience.

Bonnett believes that the new setting will give writers and producers to “go global with the concept.”

"This is a premise that can travel and go to different locales and ports of call so that we're not doing a show set just in the U.S.," he said.  "[In addition], it's an organic setting to bring in unique musical numbers and performances.  Like a real cruise ship, we can have a theater where we can create original production numbers."

The Suite Life on Deck is the brainchild of Danny Kallis and Pamela Eels O'Connell.  Both will be executive-producing with Jim Geoghan and Irene Dreayer.  Meanwhile, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody is currently on its third season, with an upcoming episode taking place on a cruise ship.


-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Hollywood Reporter
(Image Courtesy of Disney)