As the most ambitious of the Even Stevens siblings, it’s not surprising that the actress who portrayed Ren, Christy Carlson Romano, would end up with her own entertainment company. Along with her husband, Brendan Rooney, Christy is one of the driving forces behind PodCo, a new podcast empire that celebrates nostalgia. Through her own show, Vulnerable, Christy gets her guests to open up about their past in meaningful and insightful ways, a skill that she exemplified live on stage at one of the final panels of this year’s ATX TV Festival in her new hometown of Austin, TX. The two-hour panel included the hosts of three of PodCo’s shows, each with recognizable names and faces for kids of the 90s and 00s. Here is a recap of the panel broken out by podcast.
(ATX/Jack Plunkett)
Wizards of Waverly Place stars Jennifer Stone (Harper) and David DeLuise (Jerry) host this rewatch podcast of Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place. Jennifer was a guest on Christie’s Kitchen Throwback web series in early 2020, which is how she and Christy became friends. Jennifer had just become a nurse and the two kept in touch as the pandemic waged on. When Brendan first approached Jennifer about doing a rewatch podcast, she shared that she didn’t want to do it alone. Thankfully, David DeLuise had no reservations about joining, although he jokes that in the earliest batch of episodes, he forgot that anyone would be listening to what, to him, was just reminiscing with a friend about the good times they shared working together.
Part of the fun of doing the podcast has been bringing guests on to get different perspectives. David teased an upcoming episode with writers Perry M. Rein and Georgia McCreery, who shared stories from the writers’ room that the cast didn’t know about. David was also honest about some challenges Wizards of Waverly Place had with Disney Channel management, who often wanted to increase the amount of silly and wacky moments, pulling away from the more emotional fan-favorite elements. Showrunner Peter Murrieta oversaw the first three seasons and shielded the cast from many of these conversations. When he was fired after the third season, David recalled feeling that the show had jumped the shark. David also applauded Peter’s progressive vision for the character of Stevie, long rumored to have been a bisexual crush for Alex, a theory the former showrunner has since confirmed to have been his plan.
One of the funniest moments came during the audience Q&A portion of their time on stage. Jennifer was asked about her favorite costumes from the show, an answer she admits to changing every time someone asks. However, during the panel, she felt nostalgic for the food-based outfits, laughing about how pieces would often fall off while filming. These sometimes created strong odors on set, with an outfit made of jerky a particularly odious example. She laughed about feeling bad for David, who had to be stuck in a cramped ferris wheel with her during that episode’s plot.
Ned's Declassified Podcast Survival Guide
(ATX/Michelle Maurin)
From the hit Nickelodeon series Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, Devon Werkheiser, Lindsey Shaw, and Daniel Curtis Lee host their rewatch podcast. Prior to this, they had been campaigning for a grown-up continuation of their series, with Paramount+ passing on it. But Devon shared that it's probably for the best because on the podcast, they get to be a lot more open and honest. Lindsey confessed that the rumors of her crush on Devon were true and that by Season 3 when Ned and Moze were coupled up, the two actors had also become an item off-set. Their romance was brief, but they’ve remained close friends.
Something that sets this rewatch podcast apart from others is that Daniel brings re-enactments to the show. And unlike many kids' shows from the era, all three stars agree that series creator Scott Fellows made the set so fun and happy that they don’t have tea to spill. Having all moved on to other projects, they look back on this show as a very special experience. And tying things back to the panel’s host, Lindsay gushed about being a huge Even Steven’s fan, crediting that show’s cartoon-like whimsy with paving the way for their show, a literal live-action cartoon.
(ATX/Michelle Maurin)
The Lawrence Brothers may have named their PodCo podcast after their 90’s sitcom Brotherly Love, but it’s actually not a rewatch podcast. Christy was joined by her husband, Brendan as Joey, Matthew, and Andy took the stage to discuss reintroducing themselves as a trio after years of working on individual projects. The brothers had been pitched a reality series several times but admitted that they try to be drama-free and wouldn’t be good fodder for that format. In addition to this podcast, the brothers also worked together on the Prime Video film Mistletoe Mixup, directed by Andy and starring Joey and Matthew. A sequel is coming this winter.
While the Lawrence Brothers have had their share of experience being recognized for their various work, they’re used to meeting fans of a particular age group. For Joey, for example, he can usually tell if someone knows him from Gimme a Break, Blossom, or Melissa & Joey as they approach. But Matthew was recently recognized by two guys at a convenience store, both in their early twenties. They didn’t know him from Mrs. Doubtfire or Boy Meets World, but from watching Brotherly Love Podcast on YouTube.
The brothers will be welcoming guests on future episodes, and Joey shared his interest in having other famous siblings on the show, from The Jonas Brothers and Hanson to the Stallone Sisters and the Russo Brothers. Matthew added that he’s interested in technology and science, hoping to bring experts in both fields on the show. And Andy, who is a marksman and gunsmith, wants to have on one of his heroes, Keanu Reeves.
With origins in Philadelphia, which was the setting of Brotherly Love, during the audience Q&A, the brothers were asked if they would like to guest star on ABC’s Abbott Elementary (the answer is yes) and who they would like to play. Joey said he would love to be the school’s physical education teacher or a coach of one of the school’s teams. Matthew instantly knew his answer, a science teacher. But for Andy, the answer was less conventional – a school security guard.
Vulnerable, Wizards of Waverly Pod, Ned's Declassified Podcast Survival Guide, and Brotherly Love Podcast are now available on your favorite podcast platforms from PodCo. Christy Carlson Romano will also co-host an upcoming show, the BNB Podcast, alongside fellow Disney Channel alumn Anneliese van der Pol of That’s So Raven and Raven’s Home fame. Visit PodCo.us to learn more.