If you grew up with the early 2000s TV shows on Nickelodeon, then there’s a good chance you’re familiar with Drake and Josh. The buddy comedy debuted 21 years ago and, for many children of the era like myself, it was a cornerstone of our allotted TV time. Some of the cast members have discussed their time on the beloved sitcom over the years, and co-lead Drake Bell recently did just that. Bell specifically explained what his off-screen relationship with co-star Josh Peck was really like.
The now-38-year-old singer-songwriter recently appeared on the podcast Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown. During the chat, which is on YouTube, Drake Bell opened up about his life and career, including the abuse he endured as a child star (which he revealed on the Quiet on Set docuseries). Bialik eventually asked Bell about his relationship with Josh Peck, and the “I Know” singer had some sweet thoughts to share:
Josh and I would obviously – we started so young, we were growing and going through our adolescence. So there would be times where we were like, inseparable, you know? … [We’d] finish work [, and we’re like,] ‘What are you doing?’ ‘Oh, I’m gonna go home and play Playstation.’ ‘Alright, I’ll meet you there.’ I’m like, we just spent 12 hours together and, now, we’re at home, playing games and ordering pizza.
What the Amanda Show alum seems to describe is a genial friendship one can have with a work colleague. On the show, Bell and Peck played stepbrothers with stark personalities, which made for an Odd Couple-like dynamic. If there’s anything the characters had in common, it was there tendency to get into wild situations. It sounds like Peck and Bell mostly got along, though the latter also humorously made another comment about their adolescent years:
But then, there [were] also times where I was like, ‘I’m only talking to Josh if it says it in the script. OK? … Otherwise, keep him away from me.’ And I’m sure he felt the same way.
Hey, teens will be teens, right? Times, of course, change as do people, and the relationship between these two Nickelodeon veterans has evolved over the years. In 2017, there was much said about Josh Peck and Drake Bell’s beef. The pair have more recently been in touch again under unfortunate circumstances. Peck released a statement on QoS, and, around the same time, Bell revealed they’d started talking again.
Considering how much love the show still receives, it’s reasonable that some are still curious about it returning in some form. Drake Bell isn’t opposed to a reboot, though he’d ideally join if there was an interesting idea at play. I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t be interesting to see the two leading men on screen again. And, should that happen, I’d be curious as to how their off-camera relationship would compare to the ups and downs of their teenage years.
All four seasons of Drake & Josh are currently available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription. You can also access Quiet on Set in its entirety using a Max subscription.