The Suite Life on Deck is an American teen sitcom created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan, and developed by Kallis and Pamela Eells O'Connell. The series aired on the Disney Channel from September 26, 2008, to May 6, 2011. It is a sequel/spin-off of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. The series follows twin brothers Cody and Zack Martin and hotel heiress London Tipton in a new setting, the SS Tipton, where they study-abroad at Seven Seas High School and meet Bailey Pickett while Mr. Moseby manages the ship. The ship travels around the world to nations such as Italy, France, Greece, India, Sweden and the United Kingdom where the characters experience different cultures, adventures, and situations.
The series' pilot aired at an earlier date in the UK on September 19, 2008, and in U.S. markets on September 26, 2008. The series premiere on the Disney Channel in the U.S. drew 5.7 million viewers,Gary Levin (September 30, 2008). "Nielsens: Presidential debate fights for numbers". USA Today. Retrieved December 12, 2008. and it became the most watched series premiere in Canada on the Family Channel.Scott Campbell (October 20, 2008). The Suite Life on Deck sets sail on Family Channel with record-breaking premiere ratings. Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved December 12, 2008. The show was also TV's No. 1 series in Kids 6–11 and No. 1 scripted series in tweens 9–14 in 2008, outpacing veteran series Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place in the ratings. On October 19, 2009, it was announced that the series had been renewed for a third season, which began production in January 2010 and debuted on July 2, 2010. The series was also 2009's top rated scripted series among all children ages 6 to 14.
The series has been broadcast in more than 30 countries worldwide and was shot at Hollywood Center Studios in Los Angeles (as was the original series). The series was taped in front of a live studio audience, though a laugh track is used for some scenes. The series is the second spin-off of a Disney Channel series (after the short-lived That's So Raven spin-off Cory in the House); as well as the last Disney Channel series to debut broadcasting exclusively in standard definition, and the first of three Disney Channel shows to transition from standard definition to high definition, which occurred on August 7, 2009, with the season 2 premiere, "The Spy Who Shoved Me", and the second multi-camera comedy (after Sonny with a Chance) to utilize a filmized appearance instead of the Filmlook appearance that was used in the first season.
On March 25, 2011, a film based on The Suite Life on Deck and its parent series, titled The Suite Life Movie aired on Disney Channel. The series' forty-minute finale episode, "Graduation on Deck", aired on Disney Channel on May 6, 2011, officially ending the series.
Premise Sometime after the events of the previous series, Mr. Moseby has been transferred to manage the SS Tipton, a cruise ship owned by Mr. Tipton. Aboard the ship, Zack and Cody Martin enroll at Seven Seas High School, a Semester at Sea-like study-abroad program offered on the ship, receiving affordability discounts due to their mother being a Tipton employee. London Tipton is also forced to attend the program under the direction of her father, with Mr. Moseby remaining responsible for her. A small-town farm girl named Bailey Pickett also enrolls for the program. The twins set on a range of new adventures and make new friends, as they begin attending classes on the cruise ship, while the ship sails around the world.
Cast
Main
Cole Sprouse as Cody Martin, the intelligent, kind-hearted, and sensitive twin. Cody performs well academically, is a straight A student, and has shown to have a great interest in academics; however, he does not perform well in sports. Cody has been noted to be ten minutes younger than Zack and often plays into Zack's crazy schemes. Cody is usually picked on by Zack, but Zack becomes very defensive when other people do it. Likewise, Cody cares very deeply for Zack, despite his picking on him constantly. At the end of season one, Cody begins dating Bailey Pickett, but they sever their romantic relationship in the second-season finale due to a misunderstanding in Paris. However, near the end of the third season, they get back together again after confessing that they never stopped loving each other. In "Das Boots", it is revealed that he has multiple allergies. Also, in "A London Carol", a future version of Cody and Bailey are married, though it's not certain if it was their real future. Dylan Sprouse as Zack Martin, the fun-loving, rebellious, and immature twin. He works in the juice bar on the ship as a result of using up both Cody's and his money for the semester. Cody is forced to obtain the job as a towel boy. Zack does not perform particularly well academically, but he manages to graduate in the series' finale episode. He performs very well physically and enjoys physical sports, especially basketball and football. Zack acts selfish at times but he also sincerely cares for his brother and friends, even if he does not always show it. He flirts with most of the girls on the ship by using various pick-up lines, although he rarely ever stays with them for more than one episode. At the beginning of the third season, he starts to develop strong feelings for a new student on the ship named Maya. At first, she refuses to go out with him since he was a "player," but eventually he wins her over by throwing a surprise party for her. He then surprises his friends by being a good boyfriend. Although initially there is confusion as to whether he loved her or whether he was just taking her on as a challenge, he proves to have strong feelings for her in later episodes. She breaks up with him in the episode "Graduation on Deck" because of a Peace Corps assignment she accepts, but they remain close friends. Brenda Song as London Tipton, the socialite of the four main teenage characters. She is a parody of Paris Hilton. She is the daughter of Wilfred Tipton, a multi-billionaire and the owner of the Tipton Hotel chains, including the one in Boston and the SS Tipton. London is typically selfish, dim-witted, spoiled, gullible and meticulous about her appearance but she is happy and heartwarming, and she does care for her friends (even if she can't remember the difference between Zack and Cody). She also has a pomeranian pet dog named Ivana. When she is happy, she usually claps her hands and repeatedly jumps up and down while saying her catchphrase, "Yay me!" Mr. Moseby fools London into thinking that she is on the SS Tipton for a vacation, to trick her into boarding the ship. London gets enrolled at the Seven Seas High School program because her father wants her to live in the real world. London does not live in a first class suite on the SS Tipton, but a small cabin. London reluctantly agrees to accept Bailey Pickett (Debby Ryan) as her new roommate, although she does so after unsuccessfully trying to bribe Bailey into leaving as she did with her previous roommate. The two later become good friends. In The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, when London resided at the Tipton Hotel, it seemed that she was living in her own bubble. On the SS Tipton, London became more aware of the real world and faced several difficulties to help her when she takes over her father's business. Debby Ryan as Bailey Pickett, a teen girl from the fictional town of Kettlecorn, Kansas. She is very intelligent just like Cody, seemingly the perfect girl-next-door and has been described as a "small town, down-to-earth girl." She shares a room with the wealthy London Tipton, in which the two later form a close friendship and end up becoming best friends. Bailey is a student at Seven Seas High and attends classes with her new friends Zack, Cody, London, and Woody. She boarded the ship to leave Kettlecorn, where she lived on a farm, because she longed for the big city. She pretends to be a boy in the pilot in order to get a room on the SS Tipton because the girls' cabins were filled. Eventually, she moves in with London after people find out she is a girl. London tries to bribe her not to move in, but Bailey refuses. Both Zack and Cody have a crush on her at the beginning of the series, but when they find out more about Bailey's life and her ex-boyfriend, Zack lets Cody have her, claiming that she was "carrying too much baggage." However, a couple seasons later he says that he doesn't blame Cody for not being able to get over Bailey and called her "smokin'," showing he still thinks she's beautiful even if he doesn't like her "that way". Cody tries several times throughout the first season to attract Bailey, but is unsuccessful until the crossover episode "Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana" in which they start dating. They eventually end their romantic relationship in the second-season finale due to a misunderstanding in Paris. However, near the end of the third season, they get back together again after confessing that they still loved each other. In "A London Carol", a future version of Cody and Bailey are married, though it's not certain if it was their real future. In the series finale, she reveals that she chose to attend Yale University. Phill Lewis as Marion Moseby, the uptight and serious former manager of the Tipton Hotel in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody is now the chaperon and manager of the SS Tipton. He speaks with a wide vocabulary and an urbane vernacular, minimal tolerance for fun of any kind, and is therefore often annoyed by Zack and Cody's schemes. He has raised London Tipton like his own daughter. His repeated catch phrases, "Good luck with that," and "If you'll excuse me," have become his trademark. He often refers to the children as "Hooligans," yet in many episodes he seems to have a soft side. He loves bad jokes, has a passion for collecting handkerchiefs, and has a penchant for ballet, which becomes a running joke throughout the series. Though he acts as though he does not care about Zack and Cody, he actually has a great deal of affection for them and tells them he will miss them in the end of the Graduation on Deck episode. He's constantly running from stem to stern keeping the Martin twins and London out of trouble. Moseby is a father figure in London's life, because of London's father's absence in the series. He looks after her constantly and cares for her very deeply. Moseby reportedly tricked London in order for her to be enrolled in the Seven Seas High School program. He told London she was going on a vacation on the SS Tipton to get her on the ship. Mr. Moseby is continuously trying to "court" Ms. Tutweiller and, in the final episode of the series, proposes to her, deciding he wants them to be together rather than apart. In an act of true bravery in the final episode, Moseby tells off Mr. Tipton for having the ship dismantled during graduation; he follows up by telling the shocked crowd that he was already losing his job anyway.
Doc Shaw as Marcus Little (seasons 2–3), a former singing sensation, Lil' Little, who comes aboard the SS Tipton. After hitting puberty, causing his voice to change, he lost his fame and career. He attends Seven Seas High and shares a room with Zack. Marcus lived in Atlanta, Georgia, as mentioned on his sash in "The Beauty and the Fleeced." He first appears in the second-season episode "Roomies". He has a crush on London, and is shown to be quite gullible, often believing Woody's tall tales. Marcus has as many famous contacts as London does; however, he is sensitive about the loss of his fame because he believes his celebrity friends won't like him, though he was later proven wrong in the episode "Crossing Jordin." Marcus eventually leaves the ship in the episode "Bon Voyage" after choosing to star in a musical based on his hit song "Retainer Baby." Cody is proud of him for this because he'll be entertaining people while promoting proper dental care.
Recurring