Brenda Song reflects on how much one of her Disney Channel series ran from 2005 to 2008, and the cast featured Song, Cole Sprouse, Dylan Sprouse, Ashley Tisdale, Kim Rhodes, and Phill Lewis. The series was successful enough to warrant a sequel spinoff, The Suite Life on Deck, which ran from 2008 to 2011. Song played London Tipton, a ditsy rich girl whose father is the owner of the Tipton Hotel.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Song looked back at one of Suite Life's most iconic scenes, where her character calls the gear shift "PRNDL," and how it has persisted in social culture today. The star stated that she "never thought PRNDL was going to be a thing." She felt like this was a good testament to the strength of the art, saying that people ing scenes years later is "exactly the reason why we do what we do." Check out the full quote from Song below:

That people can enjoy her even 20 years later is exactly the reason why we do what we do. I feel very lucky to be able to portray a character that people keep resonating with even though she's so outrageous.

I never thought PRNDL was going to be a thing. It's so crazy how that's really stuck.

What This Means For Suite Life Of Zack & Cody

PRNDL Is A Good Testament To London's Character

The "PRNDL" scene occurs in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody season 1, episode 10, "Cody Goes to Camp." In the episode, London has to learn how to drive and picks none other than a disgruntled hotel manager, Mr. Moseby. When Mr. Moseby teaches London about the gear shift, the wealthy teen assumes that the symbols for "Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and Low" spell a word, PRNDL, which she has pronounced like "prindle." Though its episode of origin is almost 20 years old, the PRNDL scene has influenced the audience and young new drivers since the episode.

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Part of why this particular scene might stand out to viewers is summed up well by Song's observation that London is "a character that people keep resonating with even though she's so outrageous." London feels dignified in flexing her knowledge to Mr. Moseby when he asks if she knows about the gear shift. As is typical of her character, she is pretty hilariously off-base. Still, misunderstandings and mishaps when learning to drive are a universal experience, making London's character relatable. As a result, the PRNDL was popularized as many drivers adopted the same saying about the gear shift.

Our Take On The PRNDL Scene's Persistence

London Was A Memorable Character

Mr. Moseby giving London a deadly stare in Suite Life of Zack and Cody

The PRNDL scene from Suite Life of Zack & Cody is a great reminder of how appealing London Tipton was. While she was clueless at times, it also came at the expense of her endearing qualities. As a former fan, I still find myself occasionally humming "London Tipton's really great / She deserves the opposite of hate (which is love)," one of London's other iconic moments. Between this and PRNDL, London Tipton remains one of the Suite Life franchise's most memorable and quotable characters.

Source: EW

The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody (2005)

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The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody
TV-G
Comedy
Family
Release Date
2005 - 2008-00-00
Network
Disney Channel

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