Hannah Montana

Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl 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.

The series has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program from 2007 through 2010.^[1][2] Hannah Montana: The Movie was released in theaters on April 10, 2009. The third season of the series premiered on November 2, 2008 and ended on March 14, 2010. The show was renewed for the fourth and final^[3] season, which started production on January 18, 2010, and ended production on May 14, 2010.^[4] The final season premiered on July 11, 2010,^[5][6] and became the last Disney Channel sitcom to transition from standard definition to high definition in the process. The fourth season of Hannah Montana was promoted as Hannah Montana Forever.^[7] The one-hour series finale aired on January 16, 2011.^[8]

Production

Conception

Michael Poryes, who is credited as co-creator, also co-created the hit Disney Channel Original Series That's So Raven. The show is produced by It's a Laugh Productions, Inc. and Michael Poryes Productions, in association with Disney Channel Original Productions. It is filmed at Sunset Bronson Studios in Hollywood, California.

The original idea for this show was based on the That's So Raven episode "Goin' Hollywood", which served as the backdoor pilot for a sitcom tentatively called Better Days to star Alyson Stoner, in which a child star of a popular TV show of the same name was to try her hand at going to a normal school. The episode "New Kid in School" has the basic premise as that aforementioned episode. Former American Juniors finalist Jordan McCoy, future Gossip Girl actress Taylor Momsen and pop and R&B singer JoJo (who rejected the role)^[9] were considered for the role of Chloe Stewart. Miley Cyrus originally auditioned for the role of the "best friend"^[10] Lilly Romero, later changed to Lilly Truscott, but they thought she would be better for the main character, so she tried out for Chloe Stewart/Hannah Montana. Chloe Stewart was later changed to Miley Stewart when Cyrus got the part.^[11] The names of Hannah Montana were changed a few times. Three of the previous names were Anna Cabana, Samantha York, and Alexis Texas.

In December 2006, Disney announced plans to release Hannah Montana products, including clothing, jewelry, apparel, and dolls, at selected stores.^[12] Play Along Toys released the Hannah Montana fashion dolls, singing dolls, Miley Stewart doll, and other merchandise in August 2007. More Hannah dolls were released in November, along with Oliver, Lilly, and later Jake Ryan dolls. They became one of the most popular Christmas toys in 2007.^[13]

According to the Daily Dispatch, the TV series held a global audience of 200 million viewers in 2008. "If Miley’s viewers were a country, they would be the fifth largest population in the world – just ahead of Brazil."^[14] By February 2008, the Hannah Montana franchise had become so important that Disney convened an "80-person, all-platform international meeting to discuss Hannah Montana's future."^[15] All Disney business segments were represented at the meeting.

Opening sequence

The theme song for Hannah Montana is "The Best of Both Worlds" written by Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil, produced by Gerrard and performed by Miley Cyrus (as Hannah Montana). John Carta, who also composed the music cues to signify scene changes and commercial breaks for the first season, composed the music for the song. The song's lyrics describe the basic premise of the television series.

The full-length version of the song, which is 2 minutes, 54 seconds in length, was included on the show's soundtrack, released in October 2006. For the TV version of the theme, which lasts only 50 seconds, only the first two stanzas and the last two were used. "Just Like You" and "The Other Side of Me" were originally tested for the opening theme song, before "Best of Both Worlds" was chosen as the theme.

The opening sequence for the first two seasons features episode clips of each cast member when their name appears. Each cast member's name is "wiped" on the screen in a marquee-light-style. The sequence then switches to full-screen episode clips (most of the clips used in the Season One version of the sequence were of the early produced episodes) with the creator's names appearing in the second-to-last clip. The show's title logo design appears at the beginning and end of the sequence (the latter portion on the "concert stage" features Cyrus as her character Hannah Montana). The only change to the sequence for season two were the replacement of episode clips and the addition of the Disney logo above the show's title logo.

For season three, a new version of the opening credits was used. It features Miley as herself and Hannah Montana in a Times Square-like setting. The names of the actors and actresses and clips from the show appear in a sort-of marquee board and it features Hannah Montana with her new wig and clothes style. The song playing is a remixed version of "The Best of Both Worlds", that was originally recorded for (and heard in) Hannah Montana: The Movie. This marked the first time that a Disney Channel series has completely revamped its opening title sequence. The sequence was reformatted for high definition and slightly altered for season four, with the credit typing changed, the addition of the "Forever" wording in the main title logo, the removal of Mitchel Musso from the credit sequence and the inclusion of clips from season four episodes.

Lawsuits

On August 23, 2007, Buddy Sheffield sued Disney over Hannah Montana, alleging that he originally came up with the idea for Hannah Montana, but was never compensated by Disney. In the lawsuit, Sheffield claims that he pitched an idea for a TV series with the name of "Rock and Roland" to Disney Channel in 2001 with the plot of a junior high student who lived a secret double life as a rock star. The lawsuit claims that Disney Channel executives at first liked the idea, but passed on the series.^[16]

On April 9, 2010, Hannah Montana co-creators Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien filed a lawsuit against Disney for $5 million over profits from the show. Correll and O'Brien claim they were denied their fair share of profits and pre-negotiated percentage-based bonuses based on their backend deals and WGA requirements for writers who receive "created by" credits. Correll, who also directed a number of episodes of series, also claims that he was unfairly terminated and blackballed by Disney after testifying in connection with a WGA arbitration. A spokesperson says Disney is declining to comment on the suit. Michael Poryes, the third Hannah Montana creator, sued Disney on similar grounds in October 2008.^[17]

Cast

Episodes

Films

Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert

Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert is a concert film from Walt Disney Pictures presented in Disney Digital 3-D. The limited release was intended to be for one week, February 1–7, 2008 in the US and Canada with release in other countries later on, but was extended for viewing as long as theaters wanted. Disney announced the concert was filmed in several cities to be theatrically released in the US in February and internationally that month. The film uses 3-D glasses.

The opening weekend, February 1–3, 2008, the movie had gross revenue of $31.1 million. It was the number one movie of the weekend. Opening in only 638 theaters, it set a record of over $42,000 per theater. It set a record for the highest revenue for a 3-D movie for one weekend.

Hannah Montana: The Movie

Hannah Montana: The Movie is the musical film adaptation of the American teen sitcom Hannah Montana. Filming began in April 2008,^[18] much of it occurring in Columbia, Tennessee,^[19] and Los Angeles, California,^[20][21][22] and was completed in July 2008.^[23] The film was released on April 10, 2009 in the United States and Canada.^[24]

Discography

Awards and nominations

DVD releases

Series novelizations

1. Keeping Secrets – "Miley Get Your Gum" & "It's My Party and I'll Lie if I Want To"
2. Face-Off – "You're So Vain, You Probably Think This Zit Is About You" & "Oooh, Oooh, Itchy Woman"
3. Super Sneak – "She's a Super Sneak" & "I Can't Make You Love Hannah If You Don't"
4. Truth or Dare – "Oops! I Meddled Again" & "It's a Mannequin's World"
5. Hold on Tight – "O Say, Can You Remember The Words?" & "On the Road Again"
6. Crush-Tastic! – "Good Golly, Miss Dolly" & "Mascot Love"
7. Nightmare on Hannah Street – Torn Between Two Hannahs" & "Grandma Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Favorites
8. Seeing Green – "More Than a Zombie to Me" & "People Who Use People"
9. Face the Music – "Smells Like Teen Sellout" & "We Are Family: Now Get Me Some Water!"
10. Don't Bet On It – "Bad Moose Rising" & "My Boyfriend's Jackson and There's Gonna Be Trouble"
11. Sweet Revenge – The Idol Side of Me" & "Schooly Bully"
12. Win or Lose – "Money for Nothing, Guilt for Free" & "Debt It Be"
13. True Blue – "Cuffs Will Keep Us Together" & "Me and Rico Down by the School Yard"
14. On the Road – "Get Down and Study-udy-udy" & "I Want You to Want Me...To Go to Florida"
15. Game of Hearts – "My Best Friend's Boyfriend" & "You Are So Sue-able to Me"
16. Wishful Thinking – "When You Wish You Were the Star" & "Take This Job and Love It!"
17. One of a Kind – "I Am Hannah, Hear Me Croak" & "You Gotta Not Fight for Your Right to Party"
18. Feeling Alright – "He Aint A Hottie, Hes My Brother" & "Ready Set Dont Drive"
19. Sweet Not Niblets – Killing Me Softly With His Height" & "Dont Go Breaking My Tooth"
20. Lier Pants On Fire – You Never Give Me My Money" & "Would I Lie To You Lilly?"
21. Pay Back – Cheat It & Knock Knock Knocking on Jacksons Head"
22. Prom and Promise – Promma Mia" & "Jake...Another Little Piece Of My Heart"
23. Could He Be The One? – He Could Be The One Part 1 & He Could Be The One Part 2"
24. Judging Me – Judge Me Tender & Cant Get Home To You Girl"
25. Miley Says Goodbye? – Should I Neigh Or Should I Go? Part 1 & Should I Neigh Or Should I Go? Part 2"
26. Our New Home! – Moving To Malibu Again" & "About Her Now" from Season 4

Other novelizations

1. Hannah Montana: The Movie
2. Rock the Waves
3. In the Loop
4. Hannah Montana My Memories Will Last Forever

International release

Hannah Montana is broadcast on the following stations around the world:

References

External links

• Official website
• Hannah Montana at the Internet Movie Database
• Hannah Montana at TV.com
• Hannah Montana at TV Guide