Drake Bell teases potential Drake & Josh reunion with Josh Peck 20 years after the original – but he doesn’t want it to be just ‘another reboot’
Despite disturbing allegations of abuse by a dialogue coach as a teenager on Nickelodeon, as seen in the docuseries Quiet On Set, Drake Bell said he’s open to a Drake & Josh reboot.
The now 38-year-old actor revealed that he and his former brother have discussed a possible sequel to their old hit teen sitcom, but this time around the series would follow a buddy comedy format set 20 years after the original.
“I would love to. We’ve talked about it,” Bell said The Patriot News. “But I also didn’t want to do it when everyone else was doing reboots. It’s like, ‘Okay, sure, let’s do a reboot because everyone else is doing reboots.'”
He added: ‘If we’re going to do something, it’s got to be more special. Let’s hit them with a bang, rather than, “Oh, another reboot.”‘
Bell then brought up one of the ideas he and Peck discussed together, which involved them playing different versions of the old characters Jake and Josh.
Drake Bell, 37, revealed that he and his former co-star Josh Peck have “talked about” rebooting their old teen sitcom Drake & Josh, but this time in a buddy comedy format set 20 years after the original
“I don’t think I would be okay with us playing the characters from the show, or [our sister] Meg [Miranda Cosgrove],” he said, before elaborating. “I think, luckily for us, they’re our names, so we can still play Drake and Josh. But I think it would be funnier if we did other buddy comedies, you know. Something that’s a little bit of a surprise, a little bit different. It would be more interesting.”
In the original, created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon, Bell and Peck played stepbrothers Drake Parker (Bell) and Josh Nichols (Peck) during the series’ four-season run on the network, from 2004 to 2007.
Drake & Josh was a ratings success, drawing 3.2 million viewers for its first episode, setting the tone for the series, which is consistently among the most watched in its target audience.
Nancy Sullivan and Jonathan Goldstein played Drake’s mother and Josh’s father, respectively, while Miranda Cosgrove played Drake’s scheming younger sister.
The television special Really Big Shrimp was the series finale in September 2007. The series thus totaled 56 episodes in four seasons.
Following the finale, the network aired a one-time special in 2008: Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh.
In addition to Bell, Peck and the rest of the lead cast, the film also featured a number of recurring roles, including Yvette Nicole Brown, Jerry Trainor, Allison Scagliotti, Alec Medlock, Scott Halberstadt, Jake Farrow, Julia Duffy, Roark Critchlow, Cathy Shim and Johnny Lewis.
Bell described the abuse he endured in Quiet On Set, a five-part documentary that explores the toxic behind-the-scenes world of children’s television shows from the 1990s to the 2000s.
In the third episode, Bell reveals that he was sexually abused by Brian Peck, a former Nickelodeon dialogue coach.
The actor and musician claims he received a lot of support after the revelations he made in the documentary Quiet On Set
Dialogue coach Brian Peck eventually pleaded guilty to the abuse charge and was sentenced to 16 months in prison. He was also required to register as a sex offender.
Bell is currently focusing on his music and touring in support of his fifth album Non-Stop Flight.
After performing his final show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the singer and guitarist wrote on his Instagram page, “Thank you so much.”
His next performance is scheduled for Sunday, August 18 at The Token Lounge in Westland, Michigan.
“I would love that. We’ve talked about it,” Bell told The Patriot-News. “But I also didn’t want to do it when everyone else was doing reboots. It’s like, ‘OK, sure, let’s do a reboot because everyone else is doing reboots.'”
The two child stars played stepbrothers who seemed like an odd couple during the four seasons that also starred Miranda Cosgrove, Nancy Sullivan and Jonathan Goldstein
Bell accused dialogue coach Brian Peck of sexual abuse, to which he offered no defense and served 16 months in prison while also being required to register as a sex offender; the two actors reprised their roles in the one-off special Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh, opposite Henry Winkler
Bell is currently focusing on his music and his ongoing tour in support of his fifth album Non-Stop Flight (2024).
Peck was arrested in 2003 and charged with child sexual abuse, but the victim’s name was withheld.
Ultimately, the television employee was sentenced to 16 months in prison and also had to register as a sex offender.
After the premiere, Bell revealed that the support he’s received from fans “has been incredible.”
“There’s been a lot of support. And when you go into something like this, you’re very anxious. It’s an emotional roller coaster. You don’t know how people are going to react, or what’s going to happen, or what the aftermath is going to be,” the Newport Beach, Calif., resident said. “People are coming forward and sharing their stories. And that’s really fun.”