Exclusive: The Cast of "Zoey 101" Talk About Their "All That" Reunion and a Possible Reboot
Ever since Nickelodeon's hit TV show Zoey 101 ended, fans have been hoping for a reunion with its cast members. The show, which followed the lives of students at the fictional California boarding school Pacific Coast Academy, seemed like a total dream. But, at the end, it was Zoey and Chase's relationship that left fans wondering what was going to happen next between them and hoping for a reunion.
Luckily, fans will have at least one of their wishes come true thanks to All That, the very show where Jaime Lynn Spears, who also starred as Zoey in Zoey 101, had her first start. Now her and her Zoey 101 cast mates are back together for a special sketch that brings her to the very beginning of her career. Seventeen got to talk to the Zoey 101 cast about their big reunion, how it was being together again, and a possible revival.
17: How was it reuniting again? Did getting to play yourselves help alleviate some of the pressure?
Jamie Lynn Spears [Zoey Brooks]: I think that that was the that was kind of the initial idea was for us, just get back together and kind of figure out our chemistry again. And also to give the Zoey fans what they have been begging us for years. I do think it took a little bit of the pressure off. We weren't expected to do much except for really just have a real reunion. That's what we did and we did it at Nickelodeon, where it all began.
Erin Sanders [Quinn Pensky]: I think it is nice that we still have the freedom to imagine where our characters are and really give it a lot of thought and creativity. This reunion came together in a whirlwind and it's easier to step into that position of just being ourselves. Our chemistry snapped right back into place without any prep because we have that personal connection. Going back to actually playing our characters, we want to give it a lot of time and take the responsibility on of making sure we tell their stories accurately and we can relate to where they are now as young adults. We want to make sure that that feels honest to our fans who have also grown up with us.
17: A small clip was already released and fans were absolutely freaking out as soon as it dropped. Were you expecting that kind of reaction?
Paul Butcher [Dustin Brooks]: I've always been so impressed by the fan base. They've always stuck with us and I've always been so incredibly grateful. I think I speak for everybody in saying they are just so devoted and we just want to always give them something that we're proud of. We want something they can connect to, that relates to us, and that does the series justice. I think we did that with All That. Jamie bringing back Thelma [Stump], she did such a flawless job. I think everybody who's a fan of all that is going to be incredibly happy.
Kristin Herrera [Dana Cruz]: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Jamie also mentioned in a group chat a long time ago that you said Zoey 101 was one of the most watched shows, right?
Jaime Lynn Spears: I don't want to misquote anything, but it was something like that. [Editors note: Only iCarly has beat the show in ratings for non-special episodes for live-action series on Nickelodeon.] I didn't realize at the time when we were filming the show how much of an impact it was going to have on people for the rest of their life and how many people connected to it. That's such a honor to be a part of something like that. It's so important for us to do this in a way that it's something we can all be proud of. We want to continue on this journey with our fans, because our fans really are the best. I can't believe how loyal they are and how they just don't give up on it. I'm always like, "I'm working on it. You guys just hang in there."
Sean Flynn [Chase Matthews]: Yeah, people really connected to the show, all of our characters, and this world that was created by Dan [Schneider]. A big part of the show that made it so special was that they really took our input into account as kids. What was cool, what was interesting, what was current, etc. It made it really special experience for kids. It was also the only single camera show that was filmed for them. That's a part of what helps the fans connect to it. It feels like this fantasy that everyone wants to live out. It was the ultimate high school experience. We made some really great friends along the way. I think that there's a really interesting story to tell afterwards. You know what, what happened with Quinn Penske? What is she inventing? What she working on? Is Logan Reese still a jerk?
Erin Sanders: Are Logan and Quinn still dating?!
Sean Flynn: There's a lot of questions to answer and it'd be really fun to explore all those different avenues that could potentially happen in this world that Dan and Nickelodeon created for us.
Paul Butcher: I want to know if Chase and Zoey are back together. I think everybody thinks they're the couple of the century.
Jaime Lynn Spears: What's really cool is there still a lot of stories that are open ended that are very true to real life. There's not always a definitive answer in life. A lot of things are not just black and white. There's a lot of gray area and the show left a lot of room for that. That's what fans connected to. There wasn't this perfect ending to every single story and that makes Zoey 101 much more of a relatable thing, especially with today's world. Look at what times we're living in.
17: For your fans who will meet you all for the first time through the script, what are your hopes for them when they see the sketch?
Paul Butcher: I hope that they connect to the characters like the younger generation did when we were kids. I've been told a lot by fans that they there's a character for each of them and it's helped them be comfortable with themselves. . For me, I don't have a sister in real life and so Jamie Lynn got to be my sister on the show. I hope we can help people see like the good things in people.
Erin Sanders: I think we were able to create something that was visually so beautiful and cinematic. We were able to show all different kinds of relationships and personalities, and hardships and experiences and moments, including when these characters didn't feel so good about themselves and the moments when they uplifted one another and felt stronger and empowered.
Dana is this strong woman who's a basketball player. Quinn is this woman pursuing a career in science. I've had so many young women write to me over the years telling me that Quinn Pensky inspired them to pursue their dreams to have a career in STEM, which is wild. I know there are so many other stories that I'm sure all of you have heard from the fans on how each of your characters have uplifted and guided them in a way. I think we have the opportunity to do that with a whole new group of people.
Matthew Underwood [Logan Reese]: I work with a lot of kids filming projects and when I meet their parents, they were huge fans. Some of the kids don't know the show very well. A lot of times the kids don't recognize me, but their parents do. I hope this new generation can bring an opportunity for the parents and the kids to come together in their love of for these characters that the parents grew up with and now the kids are going to get to grow up with. I don't know any show that has that sort of a dynamic between adults and their kids both relating to the same characters in the same way. I hope that if we get a chance to do this reboot that it would it would give that to families.
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