Welcome back to another edition of “Bring the old Disney back” the second entry of the series “Hannah Montana” starring Miley Cirus, Emily Osment, Jason Earles, and Bill Ray Cirus. Hannah Montana is one of Disney Channel’s most commercially successful franchises; it received consistently high viewership in the United States on cable television and influenced the development of merchandise, soundtrack, and concert tours. The series ran from 2006 to 2011 amassing 4 seasons and 101 episodes. Episodes deal with Miley’s everyday struggles to cope with the social and personal issues of adolescence while maintaining the added complexities of her secret identity, which she sustains by wearing a blonde wig.
The series focuses on a girl (Hannah Montana) who lives a double life as an average teenage schoolgirl named Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus) by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real identity from the public, other than her close friends and family. During this time Hannah Montana was a huge role model for some young girls, this led the series garnering remarkable success and recognition.
Not only was the show entertaining but also provided numerous hits songs for viewers to sing along to. I honestly do not know if “Hannah Montana” would have become the hit show it was if “The Best of Both Worlds” was not the song that defined it. Other songs that I loved from the series was “He could be the one” and “Nobody’s Perfect”. My all-time favorite episode of Hannah Montana episode would be “Can you see the real me.” This episode was very memorable because it showed her most memorable moments with her friends, her family, her dating life, and how she was able to manage two lives. It also signified the ending of Miley’s Double life.
And even though many of us only watched this show for laughter and the ridiculous skits, looking back I realized that this show taught me some especially important life lessons. Hannah Montana taught kids the importance of familial bonds, friendships, and hardships. But the most important lesson I learned was to always be yourself. Although Miley loved being Hannah, at the end, when she is presented with the opportunity to shoot a movie in Paris, she decides to go to college instead. Her experience as a pop star may have been thrilling, but she always chooses to embrace her true self.
Even though the show was well received viewers, Hannah Montana ultimately ended after Miley Cyrus felt like she needed to move on.
Sometimes, shows need to end, especially when they’ve told all the stories they can tell. I know that this show was an inspiration to a generation of young girls, because my sister was completely obsessed for a while. But when the show loses its direction (for example, when the actor who the show is based on feels it’s time to move on), you can’t keep dragging it through the mud just for a few extra bucks. Maybe this show is remembered so fondly because it ended the way it did, instead of becoming a twenty-season money zombie.
Hannah Montana was an extremely impactful show for me. Although I watched it mainly for the laughs, Hannah Montana Forever was a serious tear-jerker. During my senior parade, someone played “I’ll Always Remember You”, and I swear 20 people started crying. It is amazing to me that a Disney show can have that large of an impact on us for so long.
Hannah Montana was one of my favorite shows growing up. The song “I Miss You” never ceased to make me cry, and listening to “You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home” after graduation was a major core memory moment. I will say that I’m happy this show didn’t drag on. I obviously was sad when it ended, but there’s nothing worse than watching a show you know should have just ended.
I can really tell how much these shows meant to you even if I’ve never seen them. I know folks talk about Hannah Montana, so it’s nice to read an elaboration on why the show was good. Keep up the good work!
I love that this is the show you chose to talk about this week. It’s one of my all-time favorites. As a kid, I had all the episodes on DVD that I’d watch in the car on a DVD player. It was my favorite way to pass the time in the car. I also agree that Hannah Montana taught many valuable lessons. Honestly, the song “Nobody’s Perfect” goes through my head multiple times a day. I think it is a good reminder. I, too, am sad that it had to end, but I’m glad we can still go back and watch the old episodes.