Hannah Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hannah Montana |
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| Genre | Teen sitcom |
| Created by |
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| Starring |
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| Opening theme | "The Best of Both Worlds" by Miley Cyrus |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 98 (list of episodes) |
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| Running time | 22 minutes |
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| Original network | Disney Channel |
| Original release | March 24, 2006 – January 16, 2011 |
Hannah Montana is a popular American TV show that aired on Disney Channel. It was created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll, and Barry O'Brien. The series ran for four seasons, from March 2006 to January 2011.
The show is about a teenage girl named Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus). Miley lives a secret double life: she is also the famous pop singer Hannah Montana! She wears a blonde wig to hide her true identity. This way, she can be a normal teenager while also being a huge music star.
Each episode shows Miley dealing with everyday teenage problems. She also has to keep her big secret safe. Her family and best friends know about her secret. These include her brother Jackson (Jason Earles), her dad Robby Ray (Billy Ray Cyrus), and her best friends Lilly Truscott (Emily Osment) and Oliver Oken (Mitchel Musso). The show often focuses on the importance of family, friendship, music, and finding out who you are.
Hannah Montana became one of Disney Channel's most successful shows. It had many viewers and led to lots of merchandise, music albums, and concert tours. The show helped Miley Cyrus become a huge music star and a teen idol. It was even nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Children's Program.
Contents
Story and Characters
Miley Stewart seems like a regular fourteen-year-old middle school student. But she has a huge secret: she is the famous pop singer Hannah Montana! She chose this secret identity so she could have a normal life away from the public eye. To keep her secret, she wears a blonde wig when she performs as Hannah.
Miley's dad, Robby Ray Stewart, used to be a famous country music singer. After his wife passed away, he stopped singing to raise Miley and her older brother Jackson. The family moved from Tennessee to Malibu, California, so Miley could follow her music dreams. Robby Ray also works as her manager.
Miley's school friends love Hannah Montana. Sometimes, Miley is tempted to tell them her secret and become a celebrity at school. In the very first episode, Miley's best friend Lilly Truscott finds out the truth. Lilly then creates her own secret identity, Lola Luftnagle, to help Miley keep her secret safe. Later, Miley tells her close friend Oliver Oken her secret too. He uses the alias Mike Stanley III. This means Lilly and Oliver are the only school friends who know.
Jackson, Miley's brother, works at a beach food stand for Rico Suave. Jackson and Rico often have their own funny adventures in the show. In the second season, Miley and her friends start high school. In the third season, Lilly and Oliver even start dating!
In the third season finale, Miley brings her horse, Blue Jeans, from Tennessee to California. But the horse isn't happy in the new place. Miley thinks about moving back home. Instead, the Stewart family decides to move from their Malibu house to a ranch nearby.
In the final season, Miley faces even more challenges with her double life. It becomes hard for her to go to college with Lilly. She has to choose between being Hannah Montana forever or telling the world her secret. In the end, she reveals her true identity to everyone. Before going to college, she deals with the results of her big decision. Miley Stewart grows up, combining her celebrity life with her normal life.
How the Show Was Made
Creating the Show
In the early 2000s, Disney Channel had great success with shows that featured music. Shows like The Cheetah Girls and Lizzie McGuire were very popular. Disney wanted to create a new show that would also use music. They thought Hannah Montana could be a big hit, just like their movie High School Musical (2006).
The idea for Hannah Montana was first called "cast contingent." This meant the show would only be made if the perfect actors were found for the main roles. The show was announced in 2004, and casting calls for a pilot episode started in January 2005.
Disney Channel officially approved Hannah Montana in August 2005. They ordered twenty episodes for the first season, and then six more were added later. Michael Poryes, who had also created That's So Raven for Disney Channel, developed the show. He worked with Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien. Steven Peterman also joined as an executive producer.
The show was made by It's a Laugh Productions. The president of Disney Channels Worldwide, Rich Ross, said the show fit Disney's usual style: "an ordinary person in an extraordinary situation." The show was mainly for young girls, but because it was a family comedy, it appealed to many different people.
Choosing the Actors
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The main actors for Hannah Montana were announced in August 2005. Miley Cyrus was chosen to play the main character, Miley Stewart. When Miley Cyrus first auditioned, she was eleven years old. She was told she was too young for the role, which was originally named Chloe Stewart. But Miley kept sending in audition tapes. After six months, she was asked to audition again at age twelve and got the part!
After Miley Cyrus was cast, the character's name was changed to Miley Stewart. This was to make it less confusing. Disney executives liked her confidence, her funny timing, and her unique singing voice.
Miley's real-life dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, joined the cast as her TV dad, Robby Ray Stewart. He was asked to audition only after his daughter got the role. He was worried about "messing up Miley's show" but later accepted.
The show also starred Emily Osment as Lilly Truscott, Mitchel Musso as Oliver Oken, and Jason Earles as Miley's older brother Jackson. Moisés Arias played Rico Suave in the first season and became a main cast member in the second. Mitchel Musso's character, Oliver, had a smaller role in the fourth season because he was cast in another Disney show, Pair of Kings.
Many famous guest stars appeared on the show. These included Vicki Lawrence, Jesse McCartney, and the Jonas Brothers. Brooke Shields played Miley's mom in dream scenes, giving her advice. Singer Dolly Parton, who is Miley Cyrus's real-life godmother, played Miley's godmother, Aunt Dolly. Dolly Parton said Miley convinced the show's creators to write her into the series. The final season also had guest appearances from musicians Sheryl Crow and Iyaz, and actors like Ray Liotta.
Music of the Show
Hannah Montana featured lots of original music. Disney released several albums of songs from the show. Miley Cyrus, as Hannah Montana, sings the show's famous theme song, "The Best of Both Worlds."
The first soundtrack album, Hannah Montana, came out in October 2006. Many of the songs talked about Miley's secret identity. Songwriters tried to make the lyrics fit the show's story and Miley's feelings. Later albums included Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus (2007), Hannah Montana 3 (2009), and Hannah Montana Forever (2010). The songs on these albums became more mature, matching the storylines in the show, like romantic relationships.
The show's music mixes teen pop, pop rock, and country pop styles. Steve Vincent, a Disney Channel music executive, helped create Hannah Montana's sound. He was inspired by country pop singers like Shania Twain and Carrie Underwood, and pop artists like Kelly Clarkson. The music often used acoustic guitars, synthesizers, and backup singers. Billy Ray Cyrus's song "Ready, Set, Don't Go" was also used in the show.
Filming the Episodes
Hannah Montana was filmed in front of a live audience at Sunset Bronson Studios. They usually filmed on Thursdays and Fridays. Miley Cyrus had school on set, while Emily Osment went to a different school. For the pilot episode, Miley Cyrus even performed a concert as Hannah Montana to get footage for the show.
Filming for the second season started in Los Angeles in November 2006. The show was renewed for a third season in April 2008. Disney also planned for a fourth season around this time. The third season finished filming in mid-2009.
The series also filmed special episodes that were part of network crossover events. The first special, That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana, aired in July 2006. It combined Hannah Montana with That's So Raven and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. The second special, Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana, aired in July 2009. It featured episodes from Wizards of Waverly Place and The Suite Life on Deck.
Ending the Show
Hannah Montana was renewed for a fourth and final season on June 1, 2009. For this last season, the Stewart family moved to a new ranch. Billy Ray Cyrus said that Miley Cyrus wanted the show's story to have a clear ending. Production for the final season began in January 2010.
As the last season was filmed, Miley Cyrus said she wanted to move on from the show. She felt she had grown up and was uncomfortable wearing the bright, colorful Hannah Montana costumes. In 2019, she said she felt she had matured beyond the show. The final season premiered on July 11, 2010.
Other Media
Movies
In 2008, Walt Disney Pictures released a concert film called Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert. It was a three-dimensional film shown in theaters for a limited time. The movie showed Miley Cyrus performing as herself and as Hannah Montana during her 2007–2008 Best of Both Worlds Tour. It earned over $70 million worldwide. A soundtrack album of the live performances was also released.
In 2007, Miley Cyrus said there were plans to make a movie based on the TV series. She wanted to film it in her hometown, Nashville, Tennessee. Production for the movie began in Los Angeles and Nashville in April 2008. Hannah Montana: The Movie was released on April 10, 2009. The film, directed by Peter Chelsom, shows Miley dealing with Hannah Montana's fame taking over her life. It earned over $169 million worldwide. A soundtrack album for the movie was released in March 2009.
Merchandise
In December 2006, Disney released its first line of Hannah Montana merchandise. This included clothes, jewelry, toys, and dolls. There was also a series of video games. The first game, Hannah Montana, came out for the Nintendo DS in October 2006.
By 2008, the Hannah Montana brand was so successful that Disney held a big meeting to plan its future. Disney's 2008 report said the brand was one of the top reasons for the company's growth. Some estimated the Hannah Montana brand was worth $1 billion by the end of 2008. It was a very successful franchise for Disney Channel.
Possible Spin-off Show
In 2011, Billy Ray Cyrus said he wanted to make a prequel series. A prequel would tell a story that happened before the original show. In 2020, there were reports that a prequel about Miley Stewart's journey to becoming Hannah Montana was being discussed for Disney+. Billy Ray Cyrus said he would like to be involved, but Miley Cyrus reportedly would not be.
See also
In Spanish: Hannah Montana para niños
