Jim Geoghan, the television writer and producer who co-created and executive produced Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, died September 6 in Los Angeles. He was 79.
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His daughter, Genevieve Geoghan, confirmed his death to Variety. His family has not publicly disclosed a cause of death.
Geoghan co-created The Suite Life of Zack & Cody with Danny Kallis. The Disney Channel sitcom premiered in 2005 and followed twin brothers Zack and Cody Martin, played by Cole and Dylan Sprouse, as they navigated life while living at the fictional Tipton Hotel with their mother, Carey.
The series also featured Ashley Tisdale as Maddie Fitzpatrick, Brenda Song as London Tipton, Phill Lewis as Mr. Moseby and Kim Rhodes as Carey Martin. The show ran for three seasons from 2005 through 2008 and became a major Disney Channel success.
Jim Geoghan Was An Acclaimed Disney Show Writer
Geoghan received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Children’s Program for his work on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, earning recognition in 2007 and 2008.
The franchise continued with The Suite Life on Deck, which moved Zack and Cody from the hotel to a cruise ship. The sequel ran for three seasons from 2008 to 2011. Geoghan also executive produced the Indian adaptation The Suite Life of Karan & Kabir.
Long before his Disney Channel work, Geoghan established a career in television comedy. He wrote for numerous sitcoms, including Three’s Company, Sanford, Too Close for Comfort, The Facts of Life, Silver Spoons, The Van Dyke Show and It’s Garry Shandling’s Show. He also worked as a producer on Family Matters.
Geoghan began his entertainment career in the 1970s as a member of the New York comedy trio Divided We Stand.
Geoghan’s career ultimately spanned television, comedy and theater, but his work on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody became his most recognizable contribution to popular culture. The series helped bring its young cast to a global audience and became a defining Disney Channel sitcom of the 2000s.
Geoghan is survived by his wife, Annie, and their daughter, Genevieve.