The Suite Life of Zack & Cody

Did You Know?

• The series filmed an episode that aired as part of the network crossover special That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana on July 28, 2006.
• An attempted spin-off titled Arwin!, starring Selena Gomez and Brian Stepanek, was not picked up by Disney Channel.

Premise

The series follows 12-year-old twin brothers Zack and Cody Martin, who live with their divorced mother Carey at the Tipton Hotel in Boston, where she works as a lounge singer. The twins frequently create trouble in their residence, often clashing with hotel manager Mr. Moseby. Other main settings include Cheevers High, the school Zack and Cody attend, and Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow, the private Catholic school of Maddie and London. In the third season, episodes also take place at the Paul Revere Mini Mart and Camp Heaven on Earth.

Characters

Cody Martin, played by Cole Sprouse, is the more mature and intelligent younger twin, a straight-A student who is often persuaded to join his brother's schemes. Zack Martin, played by Dylan Sprouse, is the self-centered, outgoing older twin who favors skater and baggy-camo clothing. London Tipton, portrayed by Brenda Song, is the teenage daughter of hotel owner Wilfred Tipton, living in her own private suite and hosting a web show called Yay Me! Starring London Tipton.

Maddie Fitzpatrick, played by Ashley Tisdale, works at the hotel's candy counter and is London's best friend; she comes from a lower-class family and is hard-working and intelligent. Marion Moseby, played by Phill Lewis, is the stern hotel manager who often serves as a father figure to London. Carey Martin, played by Kim Rhodes, is the twins' single mother and the hotel's lounge singer. Other recurring characters include bellhop Esteban, played by Adrian R'Mante, and janitor and aspiring inventor Arwin Hochhauser, played by Brian Stepanek.

Production

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody first aired in March 2005. Its ensemble cast featured Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Brenda Song, Ashley Tisdale, Phill Lewis, and Kim Rhodes. Disney Channel’s Gary Marsh called them an ensemble. The show was taped in Hollywood with a live studio audience and was the first production under the It's a Laugh Productions label, created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan. The Tipton Hotel’s exterior is the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, while interiors were filmed at Hollywood Center Studios in Los Angeles. Five extra episodes were ordered during the first season, making 26 total. A third season was greenlit in November 2006 after 65 episodes were finished, with production set to resume in January 2007.

Other media

A sequel series, The Suite Life on Deck, debuted on Disney Channel on September 26, 2008, following Zack, Cody, and London on a cruise ship with Mr. Moseby as manager. Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Brenda Song, and Phill Lewis returned, joined by Debby Ryan as Bailey Pickett and Doc Shaw as Marcus Little. An attempted spin-off, Arwin!, was not picked up by Disney Channel. The Suite Life on Deck ended on May 6, 2011.

An Indian adaptation, The Suite Life of Karan & Kabir, aired on Disney Channel India from April 8, 2012, to January 19, 2014. A television film, The Suite Life Movie, premiered on Disney Channel on March 25, 2011. Three video games were released: Tipton Caper for Game Boy Advance, Tipton Trouble for Nintendo DS, and Circle of Spies for Nintendo DS. Five novels adapting episodes were published between May 2006 and January 2007, and a film comic was released under Tokyopop's Cine-manga brand in July 2007.