Fans have hoped for a Zoey 101 reboot, ever since it came to an end in 2008, and now that it might become a reality – we’re ready to mentally pack our school bags and head to Pacific Coast Academy! Could Zoom be featured in the Zoey 101 reboot to connect to the kids in 2021? We don’t know, but the cast has certainly talked about a reboot happening, maybe even on Netflix!
Zoey 101 Reboot: 8 Must-Read Facts Before Watching The Reboot!
The Nickelodeon series first premiered in 2005 and told the story of the everyday trials and tribulations of a group of students at the fictional Pacific Coast Academy boarding school.
After the cast reunited for an episode of All That in July 2020, rumors about bringing the show back have been swirling, especially. Over the past few years, the entire cast (plus some pretty major influencers) teamed up for a special live streamed event to premiere the music video for a reimagined version of the Zoey 101 theme song “Follow Me.”
After reuniting with some of her former castmates on All That at the end of 2019, Jamie Lynn Spears revealed during a podcast in May 2020 that she was interested in developing a possible reboot of the series, and that the discussions with the Nickelodeon channel had already been underway, but nothing was official at the time.
Details about bringing the students back to PCA have been kept mostly in the shadows, however, some cast members have shared major teasers about the possible Zoey 101 or even reboot. Jamie told The Hollywood Reporter:
“Zoey was the problem solver and the good-at-everything girl. But we need to add some depth to her,” But where would her character be now? “She and Chase would definitely have some type of tangled love story. I don’t think they would have just left PCA and gotten married. Maybe Zoey would be working in fashion in some capacity.”
This year, Victoria addressed reboot rumors, in March 2021, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight saying:
“To be honest with you. I don’t really know much about it. I was hearing things about a reboot, but no one had ever really talked to me specifically about it,” she said. “So I don’t really know exactly what’s going on. But I mean, I love that cast, I love that show … but there’s nothing official right now.”
The two actresses are not the only ones who have spoken out over the years.
July 2019
Actress Victoria Justice from Victorious and Zoey 101 stated in an interview with Life & Style that she would love to reprise her role as Lola Martinez, after the cast’s mini-reunion!
“It was a lot of fun. It was great getting back together,” she stated in September 2019 about getting the cast back together. “It really just brought back old times and so many great memories. I just remember sitting there and looking at everyone’s faces and just feeling like no one had really changed. Like, things had obviously changed but we were still like at our core the same people and it just felt so comfortable and so familiar, so that was a really nice feeling. It was really fun.”
November 2020
While chatting with iHeartRadio, Jamie publicly admitted that the reimagined version of “Follow Me” is “a taste” of the new Zoey 101 era. “I think it’s going to be very true to what the fans want, but also there’s a lot of twists and turns,” she added about the Zoey 101 reboot.
“I think that the reboot is going to happen even faster now that we have done this song because, not only was the chemistry still there but we saw what the world will look like in today’s world,” Jamie stated in an interview with Entertainment Tonight after the “Follow Me” remix was released. “So I think that all this did was push this to happen sooner.”
October 2020
The cast took to Tiktok to allegedly confirm that something will be coming next year. “See you next year,” Paul Butcher (who played Dustin Brooks, younger brother of Zoey) captioned a TikTok video of him and the cast.
July 2020
“I’ve had conversations, and we want to be able to tell everyone’s story the best way we can, and finding the right home for it, I think that’s the most important part right now,” Jamie Lynn Spears who started as Zoey Brooks stated in an interview with E! News.
“These conversations were being had before quarantine … We’re still having them, but everything’s just at a slower pace.”
The Zoey 101 actress also touched on Zoey and Chase’s love story.
“There’s a lot to still be said, and we’ll figure out where they are and how that all goes into play, but I definitely think that there’s more to that,” the actress said. “Those two had a strong bond, and I don’t think it’s finished at all.”
About her daughter possibly joining the show, Jamie later stated in an interview with Entertainment Tonight:
“Maybe she could play Zoey when she was younger or something,”….“But it’s just [hard during] quarantine and all this stuff. I think putting everyone’s safety first is what we are trying to do right now. And conversations that were started before this have kind of [taken] a slow pace, as everything else in the world.”
She added, “I think we are still having the conversations and figuring out how to tell the story in a way that is going to do it justice, because we want it to be good. We want it to relate to the fans. That’s why the show worked in the first place, because we connected to our fans and where they were in their life. So we want to make sure we find a home and the best story to tell.”
May 2020
The American actress stated in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the following things in May 2020 about the Zoey 101 reboot:
“Everything and anything is on the table, whether that’s a movie or a series. In all of the discussions I’ve had with Nickelodeon — which are in baby stages, by the way — the main thing is figuring out the right home for the reboot. We couldn’t do it justice by putting it back on Nickelodeon, because our fanbase has grown into young adults like me,”
“We want to tell stories about where the characters are now. We want to connect with the fans and touch on topics that are impacting millennials, so it would have to be aged up and be more mature.”
“I couldn’t play Zoey today without some type of connection to who I am now. She grew up, and so did I. You need that freedom to explore where the character would be.”
May 2020
Jamie Lynn Spears stated in an interview with Maria Menounos during an episode of her “Better Together” podcast:
“I definitely think we should give the fans what they’ve been asking for. We’ve had conversations, and hopefully things will come together quickly, but we also want to do things the right way, and find the right home for it… I would like it [to go to Netflix]”.
“That’s the business side. Do I call Netflix? … I want it to happen. I’ve had conversations with people at Nickelodeon. I think it’s just about, hey Netflix, call your people! I’ll have your people call me people!”
As for Zoey and Chase’s romance? Jamie describes them the “biggest tease in the whole entire world.”
“If the show comes back, I do think that their love story has to be a bit of a broken one. I don’t think it could be like, ‘Oh, we got right out of PCA and had a wonderful love story!’ That just wasn’t Zoey and Chase,” she continued. “It would have to be some breakups, and some makeups … But of course the Zoey fans want to see them together! … They love each other, but they can never make it last!”
8 Interesting Facts About Zoey 101
1. Infamous creator:
Zoey 101 was an American youth comedy series created by Dan Schneider for the Nickelodeon television channel. Dan Schneider, who allegedly had a foot fetish and verbally abusive behavior on Nickelodeon sets, was later let go.
2. Zoey 101 was nominated for an Emmy Award in the “Best Children’s Show” category in 2005:
It also had the largest audience at a Nickelodeon premiere in nearly eight years, as well as being one of the channel’s highest-rated series.
3. Why did Zoey 101 end?
The series ended with 4 seasons and 65 episodes in 2008 because according to its protagonist (Jamie Lynn Spears) it was because the production contract had ended and not because of her pregnancy.
The show debuted on January 9, 2005, and concluded on May 2, 2008, in the United States.
It starred Jamie Lynn Spears, Paul Butcher, and Sean Flynn-Amir, who was replaced by Austin Butler in season four, starring Matthew Underwood. It also featured the stellar appearances of Kristin Herrera, Victoria Justice, Christopher Massey, Alexa Nikolas, and Erin Sanders.
4. In the original script, the character Quinn Pensky did not exist:
The series centers on Zoey Brooks when she enrolls in Pacific Coast Academy, a school that previously only allowed children to attend. Throughout the series, Zoey and her friends go through life as teenagers in boarding school. As the series progresses, the group of friends grows closer.
In the original script, the character Quinn Pensky did not exist, but when Erin Sanders auditioned for another minor role, Dan Schneider was so impressed by his performance that the character was created specifically for Erin.
5. The actress who played the character Dana Cruz left along with another actress:
Kristin Herrera left the series due to the disputes caused with Dan Schneider, since she appeared to be older than the rest of the characters, although she signed a contract to participate in 3 seasons. Alexa Nikolas voluntarily left the series as well, due to alleged problems, not yet clarified, with the producer and with the protagonist’s sister, Britney Spears and to avoid problems she left the series.
6. What was the ending of Zoey 101?
Zoey 101 concluded in the fourth season where she returns to the academy unaware that Chase is going to Covington to find her. He reveals to her that he has to stay a full semester in Covington, having pleaded with his parents for his transfer to said school. When they finally went on their first video chat date, it broke down, so they decided to postpone their relationship until Chase returned to PCA.
Logan and Michael have a new partner named James Garrett (Austin Butler), who later becomes Zoey’s boyfriend after a misunderstanding Logan formed so that James would no longer be “available” so that he could remain “the longest bachelor handsome from PCA. “
To everyone’s surprise, Quinn and Logan start dating, after Mark del Figgalo (played by Jack Salvatore Jr.) left her for another girl, and he gave her a kiss after finding her crying, thus discovering that he had been in love with her for a long time, although both decide to keep their relationship a secret to avoid the ridicule of the academy.
More surprises come like the return of Vince Blake (Brando Eaton) to the academy after being expelled for cheating in an exam and having beaten Chase, Micahel, Logan and Mark, but when they arrive they see that if he changes and then he and Lola begin to go out.
In the last chapter of the last season, titled Chasing Zoey, the boys prepare for the prom. Zoey and James end their relationship, as she realizes that she is in love with Chase, who later surprises her when he returns to the academy and they finally manage to start their relationship. Michael tries to learn how to drive a car because of a bet he made with his girlfriend Lisa Perkins (Lisa Tucker). Lola and Vince try to get to the dance in time after a chase in the woods by some boys trying to get dates to the dance. Logan finally goes public with his relationship with Quinn by kissing her in front of the entire PCA, which is shocked by the news. Finally Chase and Zoey spend the summer together in Hawaii with Zoey’s family.
7. “What Did Zoey Say?” was the closest thing we have to a Zoey 101 reboot:
On September 18, 2015, through Dan Schneider’s YouTube account, a video titled What Did Zoey Say? was uploaded in which 10 years later, Chase is in a restaurant about to propose marriage to his girlfriend, Elisa, but then Michael appears and shows her the video he was waiting for all that time, referring to the chapter The Time Capsule.
As he does not have a device to start playing the album, Michael, who had previously written what Zoey says in the video in a note, tells Chase, and then takes out his phone to call her, but Michael convinces him to go find her.
8. “What Did Zoey Say?” Part 2:
On May 4, 2016, through Sara Zaghi’s YouTube account, the second part of What Did Zoey Say? was uploaded, where Chase appears at PCA looking for Zoey.
Unlike the series, the character Zoey Brooks was played by Zoe Borden. It is unknown why the original actress did not participate in the second part of the miniseries.
However, this video has not been officially recognized or not an official statement of Dan Schneider credit it as the continuation of the one he carried out.
