Step into the future, but hold onto High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

The Disney+ series comes to an end with its fourth season, which drops August 9. Ahead of the SAG-AFTRA strike, its cast and creator chatted with ABC Audio to commemorate the show’s run.

“I have not began to process that this is ending,” Joshua Bassett, who plays Ricky, said. “It’s so rare that a show gets a pilot, let alone gets picked up, let alone gets put out, let alone gets loved by people. And then gets multiple seasons. We’re just so fortunate.”

Sofia Wylie, who plays fan-favorite Gina, agrees.

“We’ve finished this off in such a wonderful way,” Wylie said. “Anything good ending never feels good in the moment. So, of course there’s an element of me that wants to cry and scream and kick until we get a fifth season. But also, an element of me that’s just so, so grateful.”

Showrunner Tim Federle recalls the incredible talent his show produced: “I always thought they would explode in a big way. I don’t know if I expected it to happen so fast, and I’m just so proud of them.”

One of those talents is Olivia Rodrigo. Her character, Nini, was written out of the series as Rodrigo’s real-life music career soared. “She’s left such a legacy on all of us, and such a thumbprint, handprint on our heart for the series, that she of course stays with us in a lot of meaningful ways emotionally,” Federle said.

Speaking of, Federle has an idea of what he hopes the legacy of his show will be.

“That we were inclusive and safe for people, our audience, and then for future theater kids who are looking for their own club,” Federle said.

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