Disney Channel is a guilty pleasure for me. I watch it with my younger brothers, but I think I enjoy it more than they do.
I have laughed loud and long over episodes of "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." The show is about two mischievous twins who live in an exclusive hotel, a perk of having a lounge singer for a mother. Yes, this is another twin show, this time starring Cole and Dylan Sprouse rather than Mary Kate and Ashley. The characters of Zack and Cody are easier to keep straight than the Olsen twins' roles ever were. Zack's the obnoxious one. Cody's the smart one.
The twins are no where near as funny as the characters that surround them, though. Phil Lewis is the comically stiff-upper-lipped, but strangely likable, hotel manager. Disney channel veteran Brenda Song is the lovely, Paris Hilton inspired hotel heiress who is conceited and sheltered to comical levels. Brian Stepanek and Adrian R'Mante have supporting roles. Brian Stepanek is the eccentric inventor/handy man Arwin, who is sometimes good for a laugh. Adrian R'Mante, on the other hand, as bell boy Esteban, is consistently hilarious and steals the show whenever he's on screen.
Kim Rhodes, as the twins' mother, is mainly there to deliver the moral of each episode, but she occasionally gets in a good joke or two.
But the main pull for me is 20-year old actress Ashley Tisdale. Her comic timing is perfect. Her delivery is funnier than most other actresses on TV. Her facial expressions are fantastic. And she's gorgeous. If there's any justice in Hollywood, her career will continue long after this show ends.
Finally, kudos to the writers. The problem with most TV comedies is you can see what's coming a mile away. The adventures of Zack, Cody, and company, on the other hand, are hardly ever predictable.
