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118-419: Hannah Montana is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes , Rich Correll , and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March   2006 and January   2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus ), a teenage girl living a double life as famous pop singer Hannah Montana, an alter ego she adopted so she could maintain her anonymity and live

236-518: A blended family and regularly focused on the exploits of the six younger characters), Boy Meets World (similar in format to The Wonder Years , which ended before Boy Meets World debuted in 1993, both of which focused on a boy dealing with the challenges that come with growing into adolescence) and Family Matters (which originated as a family sitcom spun off from the family-friendly though adult-centered Perfect Strangers , but soon shifted more of its focus towards its teenage characters due to

354-427: A "high concept" plot, such as Jessie (focusing on a woman from Texas who becomes a nanny to four upper-class New York City children), Shake It Up (about two teenage girls who are dancers on a local music show), A.N.T. Farm (about middle school students transferred into a gifted high school education program), Austin & Ally (about a teen pop singer's relationship with a teenage songwriter) and Dog with

472-482: A "strong, agentic girl", and Blue said Lilly is depicted as a tomboy who does not uphold the femininity Miley represents. In the book The Queer Fantasies of the American Family Sitcom , Tison Pugh analyzed the subtle sexualization present within the characters of Hannah Montana , such as Jackson's girlfriend Siena, who works as a bikini model . In a journal article, Shirley Steinberg cites Miley as

590-489: A Blog (about a family whose pet dog is able to talk). However, shows with a more basic plotline are also featured such as Good Luck Charlie (focusing on the Duncan Family adjusting to the recent arrival of a new baby), Liv and Maddie (focusing on teenage twin sisters, one of whom is a former sitcom star, adjusting to life together in the same high school), I Didn't Do It (which outlines an incident involving

708-459: A Heartbeat (a drama focusing on the lives of several teenagers who volunteer as part-time EMTs while going to school and trying to maintain their lives as normal teenagers) and Even Stevens , (a comedy about a misfit in a family of high achievers). Disney Channel's first truly successful sitcom was Lizzie McGuire , which centered on a junior high school girl dealing with the onset of puberty , trying to become popular and other teen issues. It

826-411: A celebrity; Tyler Bickford of Women's Studies Quarterly observes that lyrics in the theme song "celebrate authenticity" while also accentuating the benefits of a celebrity lifestyle. Morgan Genevieve Blue of Feminist Media Studies distinguished Hannah Montana from other programs about secret identities because of the public nature of Miley's alter ego. Series creator Michael Poryes said his goal

944-532: A character who maintains chastity but wears objectifying clothing. Mayes-Elma said guest stars such as the Jonas Brothers were incorporated by Disney to encourage the viewership of young teenage girls. Pugh stated that the program obscures the divergence between fiction and reality, due to the character of Miley Stewart sharing similarities to Miley Cyrus, Robby Ray Stewart being difficult to distinguish from Billy Ray Cyrus, and guest actors such as Parton and

1062-476: A clothing store with their respective adopted parents after being separated after they were born 15 years earlier, resulting in Tia Landry ( Tia Mowry ) and her mother Lisa ( Jackée Harry ) moving in the house belonging to Tamera Campbell ( Tamera Mowry ) and her father Ray ( Tim Reid )) and Unhappily Ever After (originally centering on the divorcing parents of three children, but shifted its primary focus on

1180-674: A complicated situation (such as the protagonist's parents not allowing them to try out for a school sports team because of their gender) that the characters must solve by episode's end, getting into moral conflicts with their parents, friends, relatives, or siblings, and coming-of-age situations (such as a first date or learning how to drive); however, more dramatic and shocking plot elements or ones which center on undesirable (such as bullying, anxiety, peer pressure, police brutality , excessive force, underage alcoholism, and possibly even substance abuse) may be featured as well, in what are sometimes called "very special episodes". Although adolescents are

1298-590: A decade of popularity ending its long run in 2005. All That was also a vital starting point of Dan Schneider 's relationship with Nickelodeon and started the careers of several successful teen actors associated with the network's brand. In 1996, Nickelodeon debuted Kenan & Kel (the first spin-off of All That which became a hit sitcom for the network), in 1998, Cousin Skeeter , and in 1999, The Amanda Show (the second spin-off of All That which remains one of Nickelodeon's highest rated series and launched

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1416-542: A dysfunctional sibling dynamic a la Malcolm in the Middle . Over time, the Big Three television networks (ABC, CBS and NBC ) began shifting away from family-oriented comedies toward comedy series focused on adults (although some family comedies have continued to return on those networks since then), teen sitcoms for the most part began to shift more towards broadcast networks intentionally aimed at younger audiences than

1534-468: A family sitcom allows it to have a wider appeal. The program and its primary cast were announced in August   2005; Miley Cyrus would be portraying the central character of Miley Stewart. After receiving the script from her agents, Miley Cyrus, aged eleven at the time, auditioned against over 1,000 applicants for the lead role, originally named Chloe Stewart. She was rejected for being too young to play

1652-598: A focus on family and friendships as well as the importance of music and discovering one's identity. The Walt Disney Company commissioned the series after the success of Disney Channel's previous music-based franchises, such as the made-for-television film High School Musical (2006). Hannah Montana was produced by It's a Laugh Productions in association with Poryes's production company, and premiered on Disney Channel on March 24, 2006. A concert film , Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert , in which Miley Cyrus performs as Hannah Montana and herself,

1770-618: A fourth season. That December, the network ordered another six episodes, extending the third season to 30 episodes. Filming for the third season concluded in mid-2009. The series also filmed episodes which aired as part of network crossover specials. The first special, That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana , aired on July 28, 2006, as a crossover featuring That's So Raven and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody . The second special, Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana , aired on July 17, 2009, and contained episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place and The Suite Life on Deck . Hannah Montana

1888-513: A group or rich teenagers living in California; and the latter's spinoff The Hills , which centered on former Laguna Beach cast member Lauren Conrad and her internship at Teen Vogue . During the 1990s, MTV aired the controversial animated series Beavis and Butt-Head , which focused on the antics of two idiotic teenage slackers and their unsuccessful attempts at getting girls, though they often displayed gross, violent and crude behavior;

2006-668: A handful of former cast members would go on to have successful careers in music and film including: Britney Spears , Ryan Gosling , Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez (who both became members of the popular boy band *NSYNC ), Christina Aguilera and Keri Russell . During the 1990s and 2000s, Disney Channel would begin to air reruns of teen-themed comedies and dramas with foreign and Canadian imports such as Eerie, Indiana , The Baby-Sitters Club , Ready or Not , The Torkelsons , Growing Pains , Brotherly Love , Smart Guy , Ocean Girl , Dinosaurs , Honey, I Shrunk

2124-505: A level of commercial success that had been absent since its musical films of the 1990s , and built on the success of the network's programs Lizzie McGuire and That's So Raven . He explained that Hannah Montana adopted a business model of combining celebrity acts with film, television, and popular music for a pre-adolescent audience and compared this model to 1990s teen pop artists such as Britney Spears and NSYNC , who were also marketed to children. Heather Phares of AllMusic described

2242-406: A lifestyle and pop culture channel that airs a limited amount of music videos, mostly during the late night and early morning hours, instead focusing on reality shows , soap operas , sports , documentaries and music-related programs. MTV aired series targeted towards teenagers such as TRL , a daily music countdown show; Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County , a reality show focused around

2360-596: A local beach food stand; he and Rico often feature in the show's subplots. Miley and her friends begin attending high school at the start of the second season , and in the following season, Lilly and Oliver develop a romantic relationship. In the third season finale, Miley relocates her horse Blue Jeans to California after she feels homesick for Tennessee. The horse is uncomfortable after being moved, and Miley contemplates permanently returning to her hometown. The Stewart family compromise and move out of their house in Malibu to

2478-480: A long-held belief that a children's series that centered on a female character would not be popular with boys, in fact, Clarissa was widely popular among children of both genders (Hart would later star in the hit sitcom Sabrina, the Teenage Witch which further would catapult her further into teen stardom). In the same year as Clarissa , Nickelodeon also premiered Salute Your Shorts , a sitcom following

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2596-477: A magical jersey that places its teenage protagonists into the bodies of famous athletes), The Famous Jett Jackson (a dramedy about the star of an action television action series trying to balance life as a normal teenager), Bug Juice (a reality show about the adventures of teenagers at summer camp), So Weird (a dramatic sci-fi series focusing around a teenage girl who attracts the paranormal/occult and often has to battle potential threats to humanity), In

2714-492: A nearby ranch. In the final season , Miley is faced with extra difficulties in maintaining her double life, which affect her capacity to attend college with Lilly. Faced with the choice between continuing being Hannah Montana and divulging her secret, she ultimately reveals her true identity to the world and has to deal with the effects of this decision before leaving for college. She merges her celebrity persona with her former private identity, and Miley Stewart enters adulthood with

2832-476: A negative influence on its younger audience. Pugh writes that the series acted as a natural appendage to Cyrus's "controversial transition into a sexual provocateur". Cyrus performed a pole dance the following year during her act at the Teen Choice Awards , later defending it as "right for the song and that performance", while Disney representatives did not comment. Her suggestive persona continued with

2950-648: A new character). Saved by the Bell spawned a short-lived spin-off Saved by the Bell: The College Years , which aired in primetime and only lasted one season; another spin-off, Saved by the Bell: The New Class , lasted for seven years (although it was notable for reusing plotlines originating in episodes of the original Saved by the Bell series). The series was responsible for the creation of NBC's TNBC Saturday morning block, which

3068-433: A newfound celebrity status. The central conflict of the series is the disconnect between the public and private lives of Miley Stewart, and the lengths to which she must go to secure her life as a normal teenager and protect her relationships with her friends. She values her core identity as "just Miley" and endeavors to protect her sense of self. This is made evident in the pilot when she fears her friends might not treat her

3186-525: A normal life as a typical teenager. 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. Miley has strong relationships with her brother Jackson ( Jason Earles ) and father Robby Ray ( Billy Ray Cyrus ), as well as her best friends Lilly Truscott ( Emily Osment ) and Oliver Oken ( Mitchel Musso ), who become aware of her secret. Overarching themes include

3304-400: A pop singer, with another child actor playing the character, was being discussed for Disney+ . Billy Ray Cyrus again expressed his interest in being involved, while reports said Miley Cyrus would not be. Notes Citations Bibliography Teen sitcom The most common episodic plot lines used in teen sitcoms involve the protagonist(s) dealing with family and friends, ending up in

3422-473: A relatively similar concept as What I Like About You ) convinces her mother to let her live with her father Flex Washington ( Flex Alexander ), a former basketball star who became a father to Breanna at age 18. Both The WB and UPN were shut down in September 2006, and were replaced by The CW (which carried series from both predecessor networks, including Everybody Hates Chris , which was loosely based on

3540-403: A song Billy Ray Cyrus wrote when Miley was cast, was used in the program. Guest stars, such as singer-songwriter David Archuleta , also contributed to songs on the series. Hannah Montana was recorded in front of a live studio audience at Sunset Bronson Studios on Thursdays and Fridays. Cyrus was required to attend school on set, while Osment attended an external prep school . While filming

3658-415: A spin-off set on a cruise ship featuring the majority of the original series' main cast, The Suite Life on Deck ) and Wizards of Waverly Place (which surpassed That's So Raven as the longest-running Disney Channel series by number of episodes, ending its run with 106 episodes, and centered on three siblings vying to become the sole wizard of their family). The channel continues to produce comedies with

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3776-414: A spinoff about one of the lead characters' former classmates, Daria , premiered in 1997 and focused around a cynical, sarcastic, intelligent yet monotone teenage girl and her stereotype-infested high school. In 2010, MTV premiered its first live action teen sitcom The Hard Times of RJ Berger , which became an instant hit although it would be canceled after two seasons. Awkward , which debuted in 2011,

3894-490: A strong cult following over the years), The Secret World of Alex Mack (a female driven series like Clarissa which was also a success, having a four-year run) and the short-lived My Brother and Me (which serves as a milestone as Nickelodeon's first black sitcom ). The year 1994 marked the premiere of highly successful sketch comedy series All That which highlighted a multiethnic cast similar to its predecessor Roundhouse but unlike its predecessor, All That enjoyed

4012-417: A teenage boy recruited as the new guitarist to a washed-up heavy metal band), Kickin' It (about a group of teenage students at a martial arts academy), Lab Rats (about three teen superheroes and a normal boy) and Pair of Kings (about two fraternal twin brothers who are connected to a royal family from a faraway kingdom). Hannah Montana season 2 Too Many Requests If you report this error to

4130-400: A teenage demographic with its three male protagonists) and You Wish (which had more a family-oriented demographic). However, neither managed to find an audience and were cancelled after only a season. Another attempt at a teenage demographic came with the 1999 sitcom Odd Man Out which heavily promoted its teenage lead star Erik Von Detten (nicknamed "EVD") who was already popular with

4248-611: A whole. By 2013, Nickelodeon decided to rebrand from airing teen shows (along with Nicktoons) to targeting and airing shows for a younger demographic of ages 2-11, such as Henry Danger , The Thundermans , Bella and the Bulldogs , Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn , Talia in the Kitchen and Game Shakers . Its teen comedies, as well as animated and dramatic series, populated the long-running SNICK block that ran from 1992 to 2005. SNICK would start to be replaced by TEENick as

4366-420: Is a symbolic representation of the end of her childhood. The final episodes reflect Miley's struggle to say goodbye to her alter ego. According to Kennedy, Hannah Montana parallels the idea of "becoming a celebrity" with "growing up female" and teaches young women the perceived importance of investing in celebrity culture. This intensifies and normalizes the desire of young people to become famous. Bickford said

4484-457: Is often tempted to reveal her secret and assume a celebrity status at school. In the pilot episode, Miley's best friend Lilly Truscott uncovers the truth about her alter ego and adopts the alias Lola Luftnagle to help protect Miley's secret. Miley later reveals her secret to close friend Oliver Oken , leaving him and Lilly as the only schoolmates she has trusted with the secret; he adopts the alias Mike Stanley III. Jackson works for Rico Suave at

4602-496: The Hannah Montana branding; Mayes-Elma explicated that Disney was selling Cyrus—a then-sixteen-year-old girl—to consumers as a "form of pop cultural prostitution". Blue also took note of the intersection between the world of the fictional characters and that of Cyrus. The series premiere of Hannah Montana was aired on March 24, 2006, as a lead-in to a rerun of High School Musical , and received 5.4 million viewers. This

4720-489: The 11-year run sometimes alternated between being part of the main plot and the secondary plot) and Parker Lewis Can't Lose . That '70s Show was a hit with both teenage and adult audiences, and focused on the lives of six teenage friends living in Wisconsin between 1976 and 1979; despite the short time period it was set in, the sitcom aired for eight years on Fox due to the use of a floating timeline . While Malcolm in

4838-601: The 2007–2008 Best of Both Worlds Tour . It earned a gross of $ 70.6 million worldwide. A soundtrack album of the live performances, Best of Both Worlds Concert , was released in April   2008. In 2007, Cyrus reported plans to adapt the television series into a theatrical feature film had commenced, and that she would like to film it in her hometown, Nashville, Tennessee ; production began in Los Angeles and Nashville in April   2008. Hannah Montana: The Movie ,

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4956-458: The Big Three and cable television . In 1989, the sitcom Saved by the Bell (a retooling of the 1987–88 Disney Channel comedy Good Morning, Miss Bliss ) premiered on NBC . The series quickly became a fan favorite and one of the most highly rated and popular teen shows of all time. Saved by the Bell had its main characters go through typical teen issues and the drama of high school, though

5074-491: The Boss? , Growing Pains , The New Leave It to Beaver , My Two Dads , and Good Morning, Miss Bliss (later known as Saved by the Bell ) were extremely popular especially among the younger demographic. Teen-oriented sitcoms have become more popular since the 1990s; during that decade, these type of programs gradually became fairly common on both broadcast and cable networks. Although pertinent social issues relating to

5192-438: The Jonas Brothers playing fictional versions of themselves. Kennedy added that featuring celebrity guests, such as Leno and his real talk-show The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , contributed to Miley being placed in the "real world" and thus becoming easily confusable with Cyrus. Pugh explained that displaying Miley as an authentic and likable character was a key marketing strategy, which led to Cyrus becoming closely associated with

5310-556: The Kids: The TV Show , Boy Meets World , Sister, Sister , Life with Derek and Naturally, Sadie . In 1997, Disney Channel began the transition into the basic cable market (which was completed nationwide by 2002) and underwent a network overhaul. This overhaul involved the network shifting its main focus to "tweens" and young teenagers which culminated in the 1998 launch of the Zoog Disney brand. Zoog Disney

5428-479: The Middle was targeted towards an adult demographic, it featured a predominantly adolescent-to-young adult male cast which led to its popularity with younger viewers and launched the career of teen idol Frankie Muniz . The WB and UPN were popular destinations for teen sitcoms. The WB's earliest comedies with teens as the central characters included Sister, Sister (which originated on ABC from 1994 to 1999; about teenage twin sisters who accidentally reunite while at

5546-452: The TGIF's biggest hits was Sabrina, the Teenage Witch which debuted in 1996. It starred Melissa Joan Hart whom was previously known to young audiences in the hit Nickelodeon teen sitcom Clarissa Explains It All which aired from 1991 to 1994. Sabrina was based on a popular Archie Comics character that was featured in an animated series from the early 1970s and a 1996 TV movie of

5664-453: The adolescence of actor/comedian Chris Rock ). The CW dropped sitcoms from its schedule in 2009 (when Everybody Hates Chris and the adult-targeted dramedy The Game were canceled), to focus more on its drama and reality series. The creation of MTV in 1981 had gathered a majority of the teenage audience with the airing of back-to-back music videos . Over time (beginning in the early 1990s), MTV gradually shifted into its current format as

5782-455: The adventures of a teenage boy and his friends through high school, the military, and college, and was the first U.S. network television program to feature teenagers (played by Dwayne Hickman and Bob Denver , actors in their twenties at the time) as its lead characters. In the mid-1960s, the creation of sitcoms such as The Monkees and Gidget were primarily targeted towards teenage audiences. The 1969–1974 ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch

5900-419: The brand as one of the leading contributors to growth across the company. MSNBC estimated the Hannah Montana franchise was worth $ 1   billion by the end of 2008. The program was a commercially successful franchise for Disney Channel. In 2011, Billy Ray Cyrus had said he wanted to produce a prequel series. Hollywood Life reported in 2020 that a potential prequel about Miley Stewart's rise to fame as

6018-586: The career of teen idol Amanda Bynes ) and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd . From the 2000s onward, Nickelodeon has aired The Brothers García , Noah Knows Best , As Told by Ginger , The Nick Cannon Show (spun-off from All That ), Taina (a predecessor to Victorious ), Drake & Josh (spun-off from The Amanda Show ), Romeo! , Unfabulous , Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide , Zoey 101 (spun-off from All That ), Mr. Meaty , Just Jordan , iCarly (spun-off from Drake & Josh and grew to become one of longest-running and

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6136-463: The channel's male-oriented spin-off network Disney XD , features series aimed at boys, although shows on each network are widely popular among both genders. Disney XD's sitcoms have included Zeke and Luther (about two teenage skateboarders), Crash & Bernstein (about a 12-year-old boy's friendship with a living puppet), Mighty Med (about a hospital for superheroes), I'm in the Band (about

6254-419: The channel, the most notable of which include Hannah Montana (centering on a girl who, until the series' fourth and last season, led a secret double life as a teen pop star; the series surpassed its predecessors in terms of popularity), The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (centering on twin brothers living in a hotel where their mother works as a singer and a smart blonde and a dumb Asian live here; it led to

6372-405: The character; Marsh cited her lack of professional experience. Cyrus persistently sent the producers more audition tapes. After six months of further casting searches, Marsh asked Cyrus, aged twelve, to audition again, and she received the role. Poryes later stated Marsh was responsible for selecting Cyrus over other "safe" choices who were more in-line with the producers' original vision. After Cyrus

6490-426: The choice is "as simple as choosing a pair of shoes" and that the character is privileged because she has multiple shoes and identities. Blue noted the contradiction of Miley's "normal life" being directly influenced by her celebrity status in ways such as financial security and a spacious home; she suggested Miley supports the family financially. Mayes-Elma criticized the portrayal of Miley as an "airhead" rather than as

6608-442: The concept for a television series titled Rock and Roland to Disney Channel in 2001; it would have focused on a junior-high school student who leads a secret double life as a rock star. The initial proposal was unsuccessful, and in August   2007, Sheffield filed a lawsuit against the network based on the similarities between his pitch and Hannah Montana . The lawsuit said Sheffield was owed millions of dollars in damages. A trial

6726-529: The conclusion of the series. After a controversial performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards , Melissa Henson of the Parents Television Council said parents would no longer feel comfortable allowing their children to watch Hannah Montana due to Cyrus's sexualized stage persona. Billy Ray Cyrus blamed the program for damaging his family and causing Miley's unpredictable behavior. Miley Cyrus expressed her annoyance at her history with

6844-480: The demographic were featured in earlier series, Blossom regularly focused on such issues, with episodes dealing with subject matter such as drug use, guns and teen sex. Several sitcoms aired on ABC during the early and mid-1990s were aimed primarily at teenage audiences as well as families; most of them aired as part of TGIF , the network's popular Friday night comedy block that originally ran from 1989 to 2000. Such examples include Step by Step (which focused on

6962-432: The development of merchandise, soundtrack albums , and concert tours ; however, television critics disliked the writing and depiction of gender roles and stereotypes. Hannah Montana helped launch Cyrus's musical career and established her as a teen idol ; after Cyrus began developing an increasingly provocative public image, commentators criticized Hannah Montana as having a negative influence on its audience. The series

7080-419: The earliest was the 1989–93 series Hey Dude , which focused on a group of teenagers working at a dude ranch; the network's most popular comedy of the 1990s was Clarissa Explains It All , running from 1991 to 1994 and starring then-unknown actress Melissa Joan Hart , which focused around Clarissa Darling, a typical teenager that faced typical teen issues and an aggravating younger brother. The series debunked

7198-487: The entire family. The teen movie genre was popular during the 1960s and led the way towards the teen sitcom genre. The earliest ancestor of the teen sitcom was Meet Corliss Archer , a TV adaptation of a popular radio show about a teenage girl which aired briefly in syndication in 1954. The first teen sitcom on a major network was The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis , a 1959–1963 CBS sitcom based on collegiate short stories by humorist Max Shulman . Dobie Gillis followed

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7316-478: The filming of a pilot were published in January 2005. Disney Channel officially greenlit Hannah Montana as a new, half-hour sitcom in August   2005. Twenty episodes were initially ordered for the first season and six extra episodes were later added to the commission. The series was developed by Michael Poryes , who had previously co-created and produced That's So Raven for Disney Channel. Poryes created

7434-477: The first season was scheduled to begin in November 2005. It's a Laugh Productions produced the program in association with the network. Former president of Disney Channels Worldwide Rich Ross stated the concept of the series conforms to the typical Disney Channel formula; "an ordinary person in an extraordinary situation". The series is primarily aimed at a preadolescent female audience, however, its framework as

7552-582: The guidance of their kind-hearted homeroom teacher Miss Bliss (portrayed by Hayley Mills of The Parent Trap fame). It was short-lived and was retooled later into NBC's Saved by the Bell which enjoyed much more success on the broadcast network and syndication. Another attempt came with 1989 reboot of The Mickey Mouse Club (MMC) which contained a mix of sketch comedy, musical and dance numbers (often covers of then-popular pop songs), celebrity guest stars and serial dramas. As opposed to its counterpart Kids Incorporated (also airing on Disney Channel) which

7670-517: The highest rated live-action series in Nickelodeon history), True Jackson, VP , Big Time Rush , The Troop , Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures , How to Rock , Victorious (Served as the launching pad for pop star Ariana Grande 's music career), Sam & Cat (spun-off from iCarly and Victorious ), Supah Ninjas , Life With Boys and Every Witch Way all of which targeted kids and older teens, as well as families as

7788-673: The latter characters, specifically attractive but intelligent redhead Tiffany Malloy ( Nikki Cox ) and her less-than-bright brother Ryan ( Kevin Connolly )). In 2002, What I Like About You debuted on The WB – centering on spontaneous, wild 16-year-old Holly Tyler (portrayed by former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes ), who convinces her father – who accepts a job position in Japan – to let her live with her neurotic, uptight older sister Valerie (portrayed by former 90210 star Jennie Garth ). In general, The WB put much of its programming focus during

7906-468: The line of clothing duplicated outfits Hannah wears in the series. A line of video games was also developed; the first, Hannah Montana , was released on the Nintendo DS on October 5, 2006. By February 2008, the Hannah Montana franchise had become so profitable Disney convened an "80-person, all-platform international meeting" to discuss its future. Disney's 2008 annual report to shareholders listed

8024-578: The main audience focus for these programs, these programs are also popular with young adults as well as preteens. Older adults may enjoy them for nostalgic purposes. Like teen dramas , this genre was also generally non-existent during the first 30 years of television. When sitcoms reached their peak in the 1950s and 1960s, these programs were supposed to be family-oriented. Sitcoms of the 1950s and 1960s such as Leave It to Beaver , Father Knows Best , The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and The Donna Reed Show were popular with teenagers, along with

8142-590: The melodies of the featured songs as strong and Cyrus's vocals as charismatic. Ruthann Mayes-Elma said in a journal article Hannah Montana is a wholesome, "bubble-gum" television show, and that the use of Miley's catchphrase "sweet nibblets" in the place of profanity in the scripts helped solidify the show's family-friendly appeal. The A.V. Club ' s Marah Eakin found fault with the writing of Hannah Montana , criticizing its "oppressive" laugh track , and its use of stereotypes. The series has been examined for its depiction of gender roles and stereotypes. Blue said

8260-499: The music video for " Can't Be Tamed " in 2010. The following year, Cyrus was listed as the worst celebrity influence in a JSYK poll voted on by children, following the leakage of a video showing her smoking the psychoactive plant Salvia divinorum at the age of eighteen. In the journal Tobacco Control , Cyrus's high-risk actions were described as a "turning point" for how fans perceived her behavior. Cyrus's public image continued to become more provocative and sexualized following

8378-637: The network's 11-year existence on teen-oriented series (attempting to broaden its audience in its final two years), which alongside comedy series had also included dramas such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and One Tree Hill . UPN's sitcoms largely (with few exceptions) were aimed at African-American audiences; such programs aimed at teens included Moesha , which focused on African-American teenager Moesha Mitchell (portrayed by singer Brandy ) and her family and friends. The 2001–06 sitcom One on One , centered on Breanna Barnes ( Kyla Pratt ), who (in

8496-437: The network's block for teen comedy starting in 2001 until 2009. Launched in 1983, Disney Channel was originally a premium channel geared towards young children, families and adults. However, in 1988, the channel made its first attempt to appeal to an adolescent audience with its first original sitcom Good Morning, Miss Bliss . Miss Bliss detailed the lives of middle schoolers who got into various wacky adventures but had

8614-425: The network's first in-house sketch comedy/variety series Roundhouse . While hugely unsuccessful in the ratings, Roundhouse still was innovative in some ways such as featuring a large diverse teenage cast and an urban setting which stood out from the predominantly white suburban environment of the Nickelodeon's past series. From 1993 to 1994, Nickelodeon aired The Adventures of Pete & Pete (which grew to have

8732-463: The persona of Hannah Montana. A second-season episode titled "No Sugar, Sugar" was planned to air in the United States on November 2, 2008, but was removed from the schedule after complaints about its subject matter. The episode, in which Oliver is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes , was previewed online; viewers said it presented inaccurate information about the disorder. Some viewers said there

8850-468: The pilot, Cyrus performed a concert as Hannah Montana at Glendale Centre Theatre to acquire footage for the show. Production of the second season began in Los Angeles , California, in November   2006, and concluded in September   2007. In April   2008, the program was renewed for a third season, which had commenced production by August. By this time, Disney had optioned the program for

8968-448: The popularity of the character of nerdy high school (and later, college) student Steve Urkel ). Other short-lived series that featured teenage protagonists included Sister, Sister (which aired during the 1994–1995 season but was cancelled and promptly moved to The WB and Clueless (aired on ABC during the 1996–1997 season and later moved to UPN; based on the hit 1995 comedy film starring teen idol Alicia Silverstone ). One of

9086-452: The program in 2013, stating she wanted to suppress her previous music and re-establish her career as a mature artist. By 2019, while Cyrus believed many had viewed her as a "Disney mascot" rather than as a person during her time working for the company, she said she was proud of her work on the series. She said she would like to play the character of Hannah Montana again. Cyrus explained in 2021 that she found it difficult to separate herself from

9204-488: The public spotlight. To conceal her true identity, she wears a blonde wig when she appears as Hannah. Miley's father, Robby Ray Stewart , was a famous country music singer before retiring after his wife's death to focus on raising Miley and her older brother Jackson. At the start of the series, the family have moved from Tennessee to Malibu, California , to allow Miley to develop her musical career; Robby Ray works as her manager. As her schoolmates idolize Hannah Montana, Miley

9322-498: The role. The series also stars Emily Osment as Lilly Truscott, Mitchel Musso as Oliver Oken, and Jason Earles as Miley's older brother Jackson Stewart. Moisés Arias appears as Rico Suave in a supporting role throughout the first season; he was promoted to the main cast for the show's second season. The network dropped Musso's character Oliver to a recurring role in the fourth season because he had been cast in Pair of Kings , which

9440-458: The ruling was refused. Poryes had filed a similar lawsuit in October   2008, but this was ultimately settled. In 2008, Walt Disney Pictures released a concert film , Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert , as a three-dimensional film for a limited theatrical run. The film consists of footage of Cyrus performing as herself and as Hannah Montana at a concert during

9558-475: The same name that aired on Showtime . The franchise focused on the adventures of the eponymous main character who tries to live a normal life as a teenager and later young adult while dealing with being a half-witch/half-mortal; Sabrina ran for four seasons on ABC and an additional three on The WB). Though TGIF was originally geared towards families, the success of Sabrina, The Teenage Witch and Boy Meets World which had its teenage cast become teen idols and

9676-409: The same process. Cyrus's father, Billy Ray Cyrus , joined the cast as Miley's father Robby Ray Stewart; he was only asked to audition after his daughter had received the role. Peterman praised the pair's "natural chemistry". Billy Ray Cyrus was initially apprehensive about being cast in the series—he did not want to "screw up Miley's show" and suggested a "real actor" be cast instead—but later accepted

9794-523: The same way if they become aware of her celebrity status; Miley's friendships and social opportunities at school are important to her. Jacques Steinberg of The New York Times said the series suggests celebrity status should not be confused with real life and that happiness comes as a result of staying true to one's self. In the Celebrity Studies journal, Melanie Kennedy states Miley must learn to remain as her "authentic self" while still being

9912-438: The series and credited her role for gaining her a following among young people. The final season includes guest roles from musicians Sheryl Crow and Iyaz ; actors Christine Taylor , Ray Liotta , and Angus T. Jones ; and television personalities Phil McGraw , Jay Leno , and Kelly Ripa . Hannah Montana includes original music; Disney released albums of songs from the series. Miley Cyrus performs as Hannah Montana and sings

10030-405: The series discusses themes of publicness and consumerism. Friendship is an important theme of the series, which is evident between Miley and her best friend Lilly. When Miley tells Lilly about her hidden persona in the pilot episode, Lilly promises not to divulge the secret to anyone. Bickford described these relationships as the "emotionally fraught", "intensely valued" core of the series, reflecting

10148-420: The series establishes stereotypical femininity as part of girlhood. She explained that the primary female characters, Miley and her alter ego—Hannah, are positioned as post-feminist subjects in a way their representation is confined to notions of celebrity and consumerism. Bickford interpreted the theme song "The Best of Both Worlds" as an expression of Miley's choice between her contradictory identities, saying

10266-519: The series on the TNBC block were executive produced by Peter Engel . Fox , The WB and UPN were each launched (respectively in 1986 and 1995) with target audiences aimed at teenagers and young adults between the ages of 13 and 35. Fox aired teen dramas such as Beverly Hills, 90210 and Party of Five and sitcoms such as That '70s Show , Malcolm in the Middle , Married... with Children (in which its teen characters, who grew into adults over

10384-600: The series such as romantic relationships. The show's music includes elements of teen pop , pop rock , and country pop genres. Steve Vincent, an executive of Disney Channel music, had previously worked on The Cheetah Girls and High School Musical , and helped to develop the sound of the projects. Vincent drew inspiration from country pop artists Shania Twain and Carrie Underwood , as well as pop artists such as Kelly Clarkson , to establish Hannah Montana's musical style. The music makes prominent use of acoustic guitars, synthesizers, and backing vocals. " Ready, Set, Don't Go ",

10502-425: The series was comical and the issues were often resolved before the end of the episode. Notably, Saved by the Bell featured teenage archetypes and stereotypes. Saved by the Bell kept its Saturday morning slot until 1993, when it ended after four seasons (by the final season, two main characters – Kelly Kapowski ( Tiffani Thiessen ) and Jessie Spano ( Elizabeth Berkley ) – departed from the series and were replaced by

10620-415: The show could build on the success of Disney's television film High School Musical (2006), which also includes music. The sitcom premiered two months after High School Musical . The concept of Hannah Montana was originally labeled "cast contingent", meaning the series would not progress until the central roles were appropriately cast. The project was publicly announced in 2004; casting advertisements for

10738-403: The show with director Rich Correll and Barry O'Brien , and Steven Peterman joined Poryes as an executive producer. Disney selected the pilot for Hannah Montana to progress to a series against a potential spin-off of Lizzie McGuire , which the network also considered during the 2004–05 pilot season . The full main cast were attached to the project in August and filming for the remainder of

10856-473: The show's premise in the lyrics of the songs. Jeannie Lurie, another key songwriter, explained that it was important for their team to capture the character's voice and feelings within each song's lyrics. The soundtrack albums Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus (2007), Hannah Montana 3 (2009), and Hannah Montana Forever (2010) were released to coincide with their respective seasons. The lyrical themes later became more mature, and reflected storylines from

10974-427: The show's theme song, " The Best of Both Worlds ". By April 2006, a soundtrack was scheduled for release in the latter half of the year; this would be followed by a studio album by Cyrus the following year. The soundtrack album Hannah Montana was released in October   2006; many of the songs' lyrics allude to the show's premise and Miley Stewart's secret identity. Songwriter Matthew Gerrard intended to encompass

11092-517: The teenage female audience from his previous roles in Disney media such as So Weird and Brink! and the Universal film Leave It to Beaver . However like Teen Angel , it failed to reach its intended audience and was cancelled after one season. Detten would later star in another short-lived TGIF sitcom, Complete Savages (2004-2005) which consisted of a predominantly teenage male cast with

11210-400: The transfer of its more successful sitcoms like Step by Step and Family Matters (which by that point was more focused on the young adult cast) to CBS in 1997, led to the block's shift towards teen-oriented sitcoms that fall. In order to capitalize on the success of Sabrina , TGIF introduced two new fantasy comedies (albeit with male protagonists): Teen Angel (which heavily leaned towards

11328-489: The two lead characters each episode as explained by them), and Girl Meets World (which focuses on Boy Meets World characters, Cory and Topanga Matthews' teenage daughter, Riley as she navigates the challenges of life and being a teenager) which are all fairly popular with teenage audiences, as well as older children and young adults. Disney Channel's comedy series, while not exclusively targeted for that audience, are geared more towards teen and preteen girls; in contrast,

11446-495: The various hijinks of teenage campers at Camp Anawanna and Welcome Freshmen , a subversive take on the high school sitcom which featured a mix of comedy skits, a glaring lack of educational and moral lessons, sexual innuendo and cynical main characters. However, neither managed to reach the success of Clarissa which outlived both series by a year. The year 1992 saw the introduction of the network's popular long-running primetime block SNICK (contraction of Saturday Night Nick) and

11564-432: The way best-friendship is an important element of childhood. In the early 2000s, The Walt Disney Company found success with its pay television network Disney Channel , which had a pattern of original programming for a preadolescent audience that featured music. The girl group The Cheetah Girls was made popular by the eponymous television film and found commercial success outside the movie, and Hilary Duff 's music

11682-529: Was a primetime and weekend block hosted by animated teenage cyber -creatures called "Zoogs" and featured original series and films , live concerts and music videos of current teen pop artists, exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of upcoming Disney films, extreme sports clips and interstitials that promoted usage of the internet. These new original series included: Flash Forward (a coming-of-age comedy about two best friends in their last year of middle school), The Jersey (a sports-themed comedy about

11800-475: Was a risk of uninformed children following the episode's health information, while others commended the episode's themes of acceptance and support for diabetics. The network revised the episode after consulting diabetes research-funding organization JDRF and filming new scenes; an updated version of the episode titled "Uptight (Oliver's Alright)" was aired during the program's third season on September 20, 2009. Television writer Buddy Sheffield alleged he pitched

11918-418: Was aimed squarely at children, MMC' s demographic skewed towards older children and teenagers. It was not only a huge success for the premium channel but served as a testing ground for the channel's earliest attempts at creating a brand of teen pop stars. Two pop groups were spawned from the variety show: The Party and MMC, both contained the most popular cast members at the time. A few years after MMC ended,

12036-407: Was another hit for the network and focuses on a teenage girl who tries to navigate through adolescence after the circumstances of a bathroom accident after reading an anonymous letter written about her, result in her notoriety once her high school classmates believe she attempted suicide. Children's cable channel Nickelodeon had begun its own trend of producing teen sitcoms in the late 1980s; one of

12154-421: Was cast, the character's name was changed to Miley Stewart in an attempt to limit confusion about the show's characters and premise. Network executives cited her confidence, comic timing , and "husky" singing voice as reasons for her casting on the series. In 2006, Time commented that Disney typically selected actors who had the potential to become popular celebrity figures and that Cyrus would likely experience

12272-509: Was developed for the sister channel Disney XD . Guest stars including Vicki Lawrence , Jesse McCartney , and the Jonas Brothers appear throughout the series. Brooke Shields portrays Miley's deceased mother in dream sequences, through which she typically offers advice. Singer Dolly Parton , Cyrus's real life godmother , had a recurring role as Miley's godmother, Aunt Dolly. Parton stated Cyrus persuaded executives to write her into

12390-454: Was followed two years later (in 2003) by That's So Raven , a comedy which mixed fantasy and real-life issues (centering on a girl who has psychic abilities that are only known by her friends and family), this also became a major hit for Disney Channel; it was also the first Disney Channel series both to last four seasons and to reach 100 episodes. The success of That's So Raven ultimately led to more " high concept " series to be produced for

12508-422: Was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Children's Program between 2007 and 2010; Cyrus won a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series, Leading Young Actress in 2008. Miley Stewart is a fourteen-year-old middle school student who appears to live a normal life but has a secret identity, pop singer Hannah Montana, an alias she chose so she could have a private life away from

12626-407: Was not to focus on the gimmick but to write about characters and relationships, exploring the real issues Miley faces and how they would be affected by her celebrity lifestyle. While Miley discloses her secret to her close friends, she largely continues to hide her identity because the loss of the anonymity would, to her, represent a loss of her youth. When she reveals her true identity to the world, it

12744-554: Was originally scheduled for release on May 1, 2009, but its release was preponed to April 10 that year. The film, directed by Peter Chelsom , follows Miley as the popularity of Hannah Montana begins to take control of her life. It grossed $ 169.2 million worldwide. A soundtrack album, Hannah Montana: The Movie , was released in March   2009. In December 2006, Disney released its first line of merchandise linked to Hannah Montana , which included clothing, jewelry, toys, and dolls;

12862-540: Was popular with younger audiences, especially pre-teens and younger teenagers, as was its competitor The Partridge Family , which premiered in 1970. These shows are similar to the "tween" orientated shows that have aired in more recent years such as Hannah Montana . The 1970s also featured teen sitcoms such as What's Happening!! , Happy Days and Welcome Back, Kotter . During the 1980s, television series such as The Facts of Life , Silver Spoons , Square Pegs , Family Ties , The Hogan Family , Who's

12980-442: Was released in 2008. The following year, the feature film Hannah Montana: The Movie was released. The series concluded on January 16, 2011, as a result of Cyrus's growing popularity and music career, and her desire to move into more mature acting roles. 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

13098-484: Was renewed for a fourth season on June 1, 2009. The new set of episodes has a new setting; the Stewart family move out of their Malibu home to a nearby ranch. Billy Ray Cyrus stated this would be the final season and that Miley Cyrus hoped there would be a conclusion to the show's story. Production for the season began in January   2010, when Disney confirmed the program would be officially concluding. The series finale

13216-542: Was scheduled to air in early 2011. As the final season was filmed, Cyrus said she wanted to move on from the series, stating, "I can't base my career off of the six-year-olds". She became increasingly uncomfortable wearing the extravagant, colorful costumes associated with Hannah and stated she had "grown out of it". In 2019, Cyrus said at the time she felt she had matured beyond working on the series and dressing up as Hannah Montana. The final season premiered on July 11, 2010. Bickford said Hannah Montana helped Disney return to

13334-491: Was scheduled to begin in August   2008, but the case was resolved privately beforehand. In April   2010, Correll and O'Brien filed a lawsuit against Disney Channel for $ 5 million over profits from the program. The pair alleged they were denied their share of profits based on requirements for creators from the Writers Guild of America West . Correll, who also directed a number of episodes, further alleged he

13452-478: Was targeted towards teenagers. The block also featured comedies such as California Dreams (focusing on an aspiring band), Hang Time (centering on the players and cheerleaders of a high school basketball team), City Guys (centering on the developing friendship of two New York City high school students of different backgrounds and races) and One World (focusing on a family in which all six children are adopted from different backgrounds). The vast majority of

13570-410: Was the highest-rating premiere episode in the history of Disney Channel as of 2006. By April   2006, Hannah Montana had an average of more than 3.5 million viewers for each episode, many whom were aged between six and fourteen. The show's most-viewed episode, " Me and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas ", was aired on August 17, 2007, as a lead-out to the premiere of High School Musical 2 and

13688-407: Was unfairly terminated by Disney in response to giving testimony within the arbitration . By 2016, it was reported the arbitrator found $ 18 million in under-reported amounts, but the franchise was still operating at a $ 24 million deficit so no compensation was owed. The pair took their case to open court and claimed they were prejudiced by their arbitrator; in 2018, however, the request to overturn

13806-514: Was used to cross-promote the series Lizzie McGuire . Disney sponsored concerts featuring music from the network and used their talent to build on the brands; Gary Marsh , the president of Disney Channels Worldwide , cited Lizzie McGuire as its "first success". The network believed the new series Hannah Montana could be marketed in a similar manner. Disney Channel had also found success with musical episodes of its earlier comedy series Even Stevens and That's So Raven . Hollywood.com said

13924-400: Was viewed by 10.7 million people. In 2008, Marsh commented on the importance of Cyrus maintaining a wholesome public image while starring on the network. He said, "for Miley Cyrus to be a 'good girl' is now a business decision for her". Cyrus, however, continued to develop an increasingly provocative image as Hannah Montana progressed and the series received criticism for appearing to be

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