Drake & Josh: Nickelodeon Stars Return — for the Last Time?

Published: July 10, 2008

Drake and Josh The stars of Nickelodeon’s hit show, Drake & Josh, are reuniting for a new TV movie. The movie, the third based on the TV series, will be titled Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh and is set to air during the holidays later this year.

The Drake & Josh TV show enjoyed a successful run on Nickelodeon, beginning in January 2004. The show focuses on two teenage boys (played by Drake Bell and Josh Peck) who become step-brothers after their parents decide to marry. Though they have their differences, the boys eventually become good friends, often teaming up against Drake’s quick-witted younger sister, Megan (Miranda Cosgrove). The show ended on September 16, 2007 after four seasons and 60 episodes. It was one of Nickelodeon’s highest rated series for kids 2-11.

A 2006 TV movie, Drake & Josh Go Hollywood, follows the boys on a trip to Los Angeles. It delivered Nick’s highest ratings for a made-for-TV movie with kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14. Last August’s Drake & Josh: Really Big Shrimp focuses on the lead characters trying to reseal a bungled record deal. Big Shrimp out-paced Hollywood, averaging 5.8 million viewers and set a new ratings record for tweens 9-14 and total viewers.

Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh will be the first Drake & Josh production since the end of the regular series. The movie will follow the step-brothers a they work as a mall Santa and his helper. The two end up promising a young girl in foster care that she’ll have the “best Christmas ever” and then must figure out a way to make that happen. Production begins this month.

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Show creator Dan Schneider (Head of the Class) returns and he’s partnered with Cohn and Lauren Levine as executive producers. The movie is being written by Steven Molaro (The Class) and directed by Micahel Grossman (Charmed).

For their part, the Drake & Josh stars have certainly been keeping busy since their series ended. Earlier this year, Bell’s Superhero Movie was released and his second 2008 movie, College, is scheduled to hit theaters August 29th. He also has a music career with a third album expected in August. Later this month, Peck opens in a dark comedy called The Wackness. He plays an ex-con dope dealer opposite Olivia Thirlby and Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley. Peck recently wrapped another film called Safety Glass, in which he stars with Thirlby and Hilary Duff. He may be barely recognizable to his fans in that role as he reportedly sports a short haircut, a thin mustache, and a psychotic attitude.

If Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh performs as well as expected, Nickelodeon will undoubtedly want to make other Drake & Josh projects. It remains to be seen however if the two rising stars will be available to do them. Stay tuned!