The Drake & Josh Reunion You Didn't Even Realize You Missed
Hug me, brother!
One's popular while the other's a little nerdy, but they both love each other despite their differences. Drake & Josh capitalized on the immediate chemistry apparent between Drake Bell and Josh Peck when they got their starts on The Amanda Show, also on Nickelodeon. For four seasons, they starred as stepbrothers who get into all sorts of hilarious hijinks — from singing a Blues Brothers song during a talent show to accidentally running over Oprah Winfrey.
Of course, all good things must come to an end. The series finale aired back in 2007, but you can't keep two brothers from other mothers down for too long. They reunited a year later for the Nickelodeon TV movie, Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh, and for casual fans, that may have been the end of watching these two play off of one another. But what if we were to tell you the two shared the screen years later in a moment that may have flown under the radar?
There's a good chance you missed it, especially if you trapped yourself in a treehouse without making a door five years ago. But luckily, we're here to show you the first — but hopefully not the last — time these two hugged onscreen post-Nickelodeon.
Drake & Josh shared the screen once again during an episode of Grandfathered
Both Drake Bell and Josh Peck have stayed active in Hollywood since their sitcom ended. Bell's done a lot of voiceover work for shows like Ultimate Spider-Man while Peck can next be seen in the Turner & Hooch series coming soon to Disney+. Their paths haven't really crossed all that much over the years, but they did have an opportunity to yuk it up one more time during Peck's short-lived sitcom — Grandfathered.
You're not alone if you don't really remember it. It lasted for a single season from 2015 to 2016 and starred John Stamos as Jimmy, a 50-year-old bachelor who one day discovers he has a 25-year-old son, Gerald (Peck), who has a daughter of his own. Gerald is a struggling app developer, hoping to one day hit it big, and he reaches a major milestone in his career when he gets the chance to pitch an idea to a Silicon Valley whiz kid, Kirk Kelly, who just so happens to be played by Drake Bell.
His appearance is more than just a fun bit of stunt casting as the show specifically references Drake & Josh in several instances. For example, Kirk points out how Gerald looks a lot like his stepbrother, only to reveal that said brother is in jail for stalking Oprah Winfrey. The Easter egg calls to mind the running gag on Drake & Josh where Josh was obsessed with Oprah and ended up hitting her with his car. Later in the Grandfathered episode, Kirk agrees to provide the seed money for Gerald's app, which causes the developer to shout "hug me, brother" as he goes in to hug his new business partner. They make for some nice callbacks to anyone who grew up watching Drake & Josh, and who knows? Maybe Bell will swing by to see Peck and his new canine partner when Turner & Hooch airs.