The 29-year-old actor reunited with her former Zoey 101 co-stars Paul Butcher, Chris Massey, Sean Flynn, Matthew Underwood, Erin Sanders and Kristin Herrera for an upcoming All That sketch.
Ahead of the episode, airing Saturday, July 11, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon, the cast spoke with ET's Rachel Smith about the reunion and hopes for a reboot of the Nickelodeon show, where Spears admitted she'd love to see her 12-year-old daughter, Maddie, portray Zoey Brooks.
"Maybe she could play Zoey when she was younger or something," Spears said, imagining her little one in a reboot, which she confirmed there were plans for. "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."
"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," she added. "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."
The Zoey 101 cast's All That appearance marks the first on-air reunion they've had since it wrapped in 2008. The skit shows Spears reprising her All That role as the grumpy, 101-year-old, bacon-loving bodyguard Thelma Stump, before she gets together with her former Zoey 101 cast. Spears was only 11 when she joined the Nickelodeon family.
"It's really strange to look at my now-12-year-old and be like, 'Oh my gosh, like, I was on a show at this point.' It's bizarre, I'm like, I can't imagine," Spears said of Maddie. "But then I see all the things that she does that are so amazing. I'm like, I could've never stepped up in those ways. So it just really is cool to be able to put myself where she is and what I was doing at this time… I'm able to have a different perspective that I think is important as we hopefully go on this next journey of seeing my children see me when I was their age. It's really bizarre."
The Sweet Magnolias actor shares her daughter Maddie with her ex-fiance, Casey Aldridge. She also shares daughter Ivy Joan with her husband, Jamie Watson.
As for reuniting with her cast, Spears said that at first she was a bit overwhelmed to see everyone -- "But in a good way!"
"This is, was, a very quick reunion. Kind of really just for us to get to see each other again and kind of just see if we saw that chemistry, if it was still there, and it was!" she said. "So I think for me, it was just kind of one of those things that assured me that the fans have been wanting it, and then figuring out, is it doable? And this was really fun! We did it where it all began, where I literally got my start, on All That and Nickelodeon, and I played two characters. So it was just really a lot of fun, it felt right to me, and hopefully we get to do it again."
For Flynn, he was "super surprised" to get the call for a reunion. "I had already had the privilege of getting together with some of the guys beforehand, some of the girls as well. We had a little dinner," he said, noting that Spears was missing that night. "I was like, what? Are you kidding me? This is crazy, I can't believe I get to see everyone again. I can't believe I get to see Jamie again. It was awesome. It felt sort of like a dream that had just come true."
Over the years, Massey made sure to keep in touch with his former co-star, with the actors saying that he is the "glue" that keeps everyone together, reaching out and making sure everyone's good."
They also understand how much their Zoey fans love them, with Butcher adding that "people have just connected to these characters so hardcore. ... Just like we are a family, I feel like the fans, they grew up with us, and they wanna see us where we are now, and they want a window into our lives again."
See their reunion on All That on Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon!
From Seventeen:
Exclusive: The Cast of "Zoey 101" Talk About Their "All That" Reunion and a Possible Reboot
"We want to continue on this journey with our fans, because our fans really are the best."
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.
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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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From HollywoodLife:
Jamie Lynn Spears & The ‘Zoey 101’ CastGive A Revival Update & More: ‘There’sMore Story To Be Told’
The ‘Zoey 101’ cast is reuniting on the July 11 episode of ‘All That.’ HL spoke with the beloved cast about reuniting, the latest about a possible revival, and more. Plus, there might even be a ‘theme song revival!’
Nickelodeon is reuniting the Zoey 101 cast — Jamie Lynn Spears, Paul Butcher, Sean Flynn, Kristin Herrera, Chris Massey, Erin Sanders, and Matthew Underwood — in an all-new version of the fan-favorite sketch “Thelma Stump.” The reunion will be featured in the July 11 episode of All That, which will air at 9 p.m. on Nickelodeon. The episode marks the first on-air reunion of the Zoey 101 cast since the show ended in 2008.
HollywoodLife spoke with the cast about reuniting on All That. Even after all these years, this cast is still incredibly close and loved being together on TV again. “It felt so magical,” Erin, who played Quinn, told HollywoodLife. “It felt like going back in time and seeing family members that you’ve missed a lot and didn’t even realize how much you missed them.”
For Paul, who played Zoey’s little brother Dustin, reuniting with the cast was like taking a trip back to his childhood. “We feel like a family,” he said. “Every time we’re together, the chemistry’s there. We pick up right where we left off. It’s nostalgic but it’s so familiar at the same time. I love these people. They’ve been my childhood. They were a lot of people’s childhoods, and they’re also amazing to work with. I think that’s an added bonus.”
It’s been 12 years since the show ended, and the cast revealed where they think their characters would be today. The possibilities are endless! “Obviously, I think that Zoey is doing something well, whatever it is,” Jamie Lynn, who played the one and only Zoey, said. “I think that her and Chase’s story is still open-ended, and I do think that there’s a lot more that needs to be told in that area, and I think fans definitely want to know what happens in that area as well.”
Jamie Lynn noted that there is “a lot about the characters that is still unknown — who their parents are, where they’re from. But, you know, there’s a lot of those things that we can really create a whole new story in a whole new way. But the heart of it will still be the same. It’s still these people that we fell in love with.”
When asked about a revival, the entire cast was 100 percent down for it. Jamie Lynn gave an update about the status of revival talks.
“I think the only issue that obviously the world is running into right now is that there’s a pandemic, and things are moving at a slower pace,” Jamie Lynn revealed. “But before this happened, conversations were starting and they’re still continuing, just at a different level during these times. The main goal right now is making sure that we do our fans justice by telling the story correctly and relatably so that we can create that same magic that we had when we did it the first time because that was what was special about it. These characters all had their own story to tell, and we want to make sure that we do that right, and then [have] the right home because as we grew up so did they, and I think it’s important to stay true to that.”
In addition to the reunion on All That, Jamie Lynn that there may be more Zoey 101 goodness on the way for fans. “There may be a theme song revival that we are doing that we’ll be able to hopefully share soon, so that is also something that they can look forward to and get something stuck in their head but in a newer way,” she said.
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From E! News:
The Zoey 101 Cast Reunited for All That Again, and They're Ready for a Full Revival
Jamie Lynn Spears, Sean Flynn, Paul Butcher and more stars of Zoey 101 tell E! News they're ready for a reboot.
Jamie Lynn Spears Names Her Pick to Play Younger Zoey 101 Character For Show Revival
A sketch on All That might not quite be a Zoey 101 reboot, but if you ask the cast, it will hopefully lead to one.
For the second time, the cast of the Nickelodeon comedy reunited for an appearance on the kids sketch show, and it sounds like they'd be happy to keep reuniting, especially if they were doing it in the form of a return to their original show. In fact, Jamie Lynn Spears says there have definitely been conversations, and it's "the ultimate goal."
"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," she says.
The story of Zoey (Spears) and Chase (Sean Flynn), she adds, is "not finished."
"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," she says. "Those two had a strong bond, and I don't think it's finished at all."
Spears says conversations about bringing the show back have been happening since before the pandemic, and then the world slowed down.
"But I think that for me, especially during this time off, it's only made me appreciate what I get to do even more," she says.
Spears recently returned to acting in Netflix's Sweet Magnolias, and she says she's ready to tell her "favorite story of all" again. She also would be happy to let her two kids cameo on a revived Zoey 101.
"I think that if my kids were gonna do anything, that would be the safest place for them to do it," she says. "I'm in control of it, and I can be protective and have a situation where I don't feel like I'm exploiting them at all, which I'm sure at some point, I will. I can't help it! I have cute kids! I wanna post pictures of them! God, leave me alone!"
You're going to want to hit play on the videos above to hear from the whole cast, and specifically to hear how excited they get while reminiscing about Britney Spears' visits to the Zoey 101 set.
All That reunites the cast tonight with an all new version of "Thelma Stump,' airing at 9 p.m. on Nickelodeon.
###
From 360aproko:
Jamie Lynn Spears Names Her Pick to Play Younger Zoey 101 Character For Show Revival
“Zoey 101” alum Jamie Lynn Spears already has someone in mind to play a young Zoey in the revival of the Nickelodeon show: her 12-year-old daughter, Maddie!
In an interview with 360aproko, the 29-year-old actress gave an update on the plans for a “Zoey 101” reboot, sharing her hopes that her daughter could be a part of it.
“Maybe she could play Zoey when she was younger or something,” said Spears, who got her start on Nick when she was only 11. “It’s really strange to look at my now-12-year-old and be like, ‘Oh my gosh, like, I was on a show at this point.’ It’s bizarre, I’m like, I can’t imagine. But then I see all the things that she does that are so amazing. I’m like, I could’ve never stepped up in those ways.”
“So it just really is cool to be able to put myself where she is and what I was doing at this time,” she continued. “I’m able to have a different perspective that I think is important as we hopefully go on this next journey of seeing my children see me when I was their age. It’s really bizarre.”
The county singer, who shares daughter Maddie with ex-fiance Casey Aldridge, also has a 2-year-old daughter with her husband, businessman Jamie Watson.
Spears — who played the titular character on “Zoey 101,” which ran from 2005 to 2008 — confirmed to 360aproko a revival is in the works but said plans have been halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“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,” she explained. “And conversations that were started before this have kind of [taken] a slow pace, as everything else in the world.”
“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,” Spears continued. “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.”
The “Sweet Magnolias” star also opened up about reuniting with her former co-stars Paul Butcher, Sean Flynn, Matthew Underwood, Erin Sanders, Chris Massey and Kristin Herrera for an upcoming “All That” skit, which features Spears reprising her role as a 101-year-old bodyguard, Thelma Stump.
“This is, was, a very quick reunion. Kind of really just for us to get to see each other again and kind of just see if we saw that chemistry, if it was still there, and it was!” she said of the sketch. “So I think for me, it was just kind of one of those things that assured me that the fans have been wanting it, and then figuring out, is it doable? And this was really fun!”
“We did it where it all began, where I literally got my start, on ‘All That’ and Nickelodeon, and I played two characters,” she continued. “So it was just really a lot of fun, it felt right to me, and hopefully we get to do it again.”
###
From BuzzFeed:
We Had The "Zoey 101" Cast Reveal Their Most Controversial Opinions About The Show
"OooOoooOo."
Incase you missed the news, Nickelodeon’s All That is set to reunite Jamie Lynn Spears with the rest of the Zoey 101 cast in an all-new version of the “Thelma Stump” sketch, premiering TONIGHT.
Luckily, we were able to hang out with the former cast ahead of the reunion to get their opinions on all things Zoey 101, including if they're Team Chase or Team James:
Now it's your turn! Below are some the same questions we asked the cast — pick what YOU think the right answer is and compare your results with the cast's!
[Play at: https://www.buzzfeed.com/ehisosifo1/zoey-101-opinions]
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From Bustle:
Jamie Lynn Spears Revealed A 'Zoey 101' Reboot Is Her "Ultimate Goal"
The cast is ready to come and play (again).
Are you ready ... to return to Pacific Coast Academy? During a recent conversation with E! News, the cast of Zoey 101 revealed they're hoping for a reboot, especially in the wake of their two recent reunions on All That. Though star Jamie Lynn Spears admitted that she would be happy to return to the Nickelodeon sketch show — which she starred on from 2002 to 2004 — anytime, she added that the "ultimate goal" is a full-fledged Zoey 101 revival.
"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," Spears explained, adding that she's been talking to networks about reviving the sitcom since before the pandemic. "But I think that for me, especially during this time off, it's only made me appreciate what I get to do even more," referring to Zoey 101 as her "favorite story" that she's told over the course of her career.
In fact, Spears added, she feels like the show is "not finished" telling its story — particularly when it comes to the relationship of Zoey and her best friend-turned-love interest Chase (Sean Flynn). "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," she said. "Those two had a strong bond, and I don't think it's finished at all."
Spears has long been open about her desire to star in a Zoey 101 reboot, with TMZ reporting in July 2019 that the actor and mother of two had pitched a reboot to Nickelodeon that would follow Zoey as a 28-year-old in Southern California with a “couple of kids in the mix.” Though she debunked those reports at the time, by May 2020, Spears revealed that she was finally talking to executives about a reboot, although she wasn't sure that the potential, grown-up revival would find its home on Nickelodeon.
"Everything and anything is on the table, whether that's a movie or a series,” Spears told The Hollywood Reporter. “We couldn't do it justice by putting it back on Nickelodeon because our fanbase has grown into young adults like me, 29 or around the same age. 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."
Explaining where she envisioned all of the show's iconic characters, Spears began by explaining that Zoey is "a boss of some type" and is probably "working in fashion in some capacity." However, she also expressed a desire to "add some depth" to her character, namely through what Spears imagines to be a "tangled love story" with Chase. "I don't think they would have just left PCA and gotten married," she said.
Meanwhile, Spears revealed that her costars, Erin Sanders and Matthew Underwood, had come up with their own plan for where their respective characters, Quinn and Logan, would be in 2020. "Erin said that Quinn would be running to be the first woman president," Spears revealed. "I could totally see that, because she's a scientist and is so smart. And then Logan would probably be bankrolling her with Daddy's money." Hopefully Spears' vision will finally become a reality sometime soon, for the good of '00s kids everywhere.
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More Nick: Nickelodeon and Paramount to Bring 'Rugrats' Back for the Next Generation of Kids!
Originally published: Friday, July 10, 2020.
Additional sources: Fox News, entertainment.ie.
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