‘High School Musical star’ gets animated

Zac Efron is getting his flirt on as a cartoon.

The “High School Musical” star will make a guest appearance on the Disney Channel’s animated series “The Replacements” on Nov. 18.

The series centers on tween siblings Riley (Grey Delisle) and Todd (Nancy Cartwright), who can replace any adult in their life for $1.98 courtesy of the Fleemco Company, which advertised in a comic book. After scoring stuntman Dick Daring (Daran Norris) and British spy Agent K (Kath Soucie) as their parents, the kids continue to replace various problem adults in their lives and have to deal with the consequences.

On the Nov. 18 episode, Riley wants to make her crush, baseball teammate Johnny Hitswell, jealous. She replaces her pool’s lifeguard with hunky, 14-year-old Davey Hunkeroff (Efron) so she can flirt with him in front of Johnny. Unfortunately, she doesn’t count on Davey’s feelings, and when he finds out her scheming ways, he closes the pool.

“The Replacements” is the No. 1 animated series on Disney Channel in the kids 6-11 demographic.

Efron, 19, appeared in the short-lived WB show “Summerland,” but is best known for playing the high school basketball player who liked to sing in the Disney Channel original movie phenomenon “High School Musical.” Lately, he’s been filming the role of Link Larkin in the big-screen remake of “Hairspray,” co-starring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah and Amanda Bynes.

Disney orders third helpings of something ‘Suite’

Dyan and Cole Sprouse will continue their teenage antics at the hotel they call home.

The Disney Channel has ordered a third season of “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” a top-rated comedy series starring the identical twin actors, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“With 65 episodes already completed, “The Suite Life’ is proving to be one of the classic sitcoms of kids and family television – drawing top ratings not just in the U.S. but in nearly every Disney Channel around the world,” says Gary Marsh, president of entertainment at Disney Channel Worldwide.

The series centers on twins Zack and Cody Martin (Dylan and Cole Sprouse), who live in an upscale Boston hotel with their single mom Carey (Kim Rhodes), a singer in the hotel. They turn the building into their own personal playground and pull in the candy counter clerk Maddie (“High School Musical’s” Ashley Tisdale) and the owner’s spoiled daughter London (Brenda Song, “Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior”).

Besides Tisdale, the series has become a showcase for other “High School Musical” stars such as Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens and Monique Coleman.

Production will resume in January in Hollywood.