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One of the reasons why so many people were shocked by Miley Cyrus in her “Wrecking Ball” stage wasn’t just because she’s the child of the talented Billie Ray Cyrus — it’s because most of her fans had known her as being Miley Stewart. And yes, the two had plenty of differences.
For one, Miley Stewart was living a double life. By day, she was a standard teenager. By night, she was a musical icon named Hannah Montana. She kept that a secret from the rest of the world, even going to far as to shove a pie in her face to keep it hidden from her best friends. Living two lives is, as expected, pretty difficult for a teen. One life is hard enough in that age range.
Hannah Montana was an instant hit for The Disney Channel, and helped make Miley Cyrus a household name. The show also lasted much longer than standard Disney Channel shows, airing for 98 episodes and four seasons. Even though Cyrus was likely ready to call it quits and focus on her solo career, she’s probably thankful that the series, while at times difficult, was ultimately a smart move for building her fanbase.
If you’re curious to see the humble beginnings of Cyrus, Hannah Montana is streaming on Disney+. Here’s how to watch every episode.
How to Stream ‘Hannah Montana’ – Exclusively on Disney+
Hannah Montana is one of the fan-favorite Disney original TV shows that will be streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.
You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Disney+ HERE, which will allow you to stream Hannah Montana and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
- 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
- 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
- 3. Log in using your information
- 4. Search for “Hannah Montana”
- 5. Tap on “Hannah Montana”
- 6. Tap the PLAY button
- 7. Enjoy!
Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes iPads, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.
‘Hannah Montana’: Overview
When Was It On TV: March 2006 – January 2011
Creators: Michael Poryes, Rich Correll, and Barry O’Brien
Starring: Miley Cyrus, Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jason Earles
Rating: TV-G
Synopsis: Miley Stewart is holding a big secret — she’s also international pop star Hannah Montana. Wearing wigs and a ton of makeup to transform into her famous alter ego, her friends and schoolmates have no idea.
‘Hannah Montana’ Plot
Nobody suspects that Miley Stewart is actually a well-known pop star in disguise. Due to wearing a costume, nobody suspects that she’s living a double life as Hannah Montana — not even her closest friends.
How Many Seasons of ‘Hannah Montana’ Are There?
Hannah Montana ran for an impressive four seasons, with just under 100 episodes total. Here’s what happened in each season.
Hannah Montana Season 1
26 Episodes | March 2006 – March 2007
The very first episode, “Lilly, Do You Want to Know a Secret?” reveals Miley telling the truth about her hidden persona to her best friend Lilly (played by Emily Osment.) Later on, her friend Oliver also learns — and admits that the crush he had on Hannah Montana ended right after learning she was his friend all along. When Miley catches the attention of a ninth-grader, she’s pained to realize that he isn’t a big fan of her rock star alter ego. Miley and Lilly try to make more time to see each other and choose to try out for the cheerleading squad. Sadly, only Lilly makes it — and Miley ends up just being the mascot. Cyrus ends up playing a third character this season — her cousin Luann from Tennessee, who first appears in the episode “Torn Between Two Hannahs.”
Hannah Montana Season 2
30 Episodes | April 2007 – October 2008
Miley, Lilly, and Oliver start high school in the second season of the show. Still performing as Hannah Montana, Miley learns she’ll need surgery to help fix a problem with her throat after singing too much, which makes her nervous about the consequences if something went wrong. Miley also gets back together with Jake and lets him in on the big secret — but then fears him exposing her if they ever broke up. In “You Didn’t Say It Was Your Birthday,” Miley and her brother Jackson completely forget about their dad’s 40th birthday, while Lily and Oliver try to cash in on a chip that looks like Darth Vader.
Hannah Montana Season 3
30 Episodes | November 2008 – March 2010
After getting her license, Miley gets embarrassed when she gets pulled over and accidentally presents Hannah Montana’s license as her own. She also learns more about debt and budgeting, when she opens her own bank account in “You Never Give Me My Money.” “Cheat It” features Hannah pretending to date a celebrity named Austin Rain as a publicity stunt. If she didn’t hate him, it may have actually worked out. She eventually gets back together with Jake, even though she has a hard time telling her father about the relationship. The episode “Uptight (Oliver’s Alright)” focuses on Oliver’s recent diagnosis with diabetes. The episode was initially called “No Sugar Sugar” in season 2, but before it aired, parents complained about its medical accuracy. Thus, the Hannah Montana staff pulled it and reworked it for the show’s third season. In a two-part closer, Miley decides that it’s best if she moved back to Tennessee.
Hannah Montana Season 4
13 Episodes | July 2010 – January 2011
The Disney Channel chose to market the fourth and final season of Hannah Montana as Hannah Montana Forever. This season, Miley tries hard to adjust to her new school. When Oliver visits in the episode titled “It’s the End of the Jake as We Know It,” he tells Miley that Jake cheated on her and has a photo to provide proof. When she prepares new music that Hannah fans don’t openly like, she presses hard to record it anyway due to her own personal feelings about it. In the episode titled “Can You See the Real Me?,” Miley decides to reveal to the world via interview that she’s been living a double life as a pop star. In the series finale, Miley is offered a movie role and needs to decide between that and the chance to go to college and live with Lilly.
The Best “Hannah Montana” Episodes
Hannah Montana had several strong episodes throughout its run, which is why it’s such a Disney classic. Here’s a list of the best Hannah Montana episodes:
Season 1, Episode 8: “Mascot Love”
What started as a great attempt to strengthen a friendship turned into somewhat of a silly mess. When Miley becomes the school mascot, everything changes. Even though you want Miley to succeed and get the spot she wants on the squad, you can’t help but laugh when she wears the gigantic pirate head and tells the cheerleading coach that “I put this on my head and it smells like a litter box.”
Season 1, Episode 18: “People Who Use People”
For fans of Miley and Jake, this was one of the best episodes. The two of them tried to date other people until they realize that they both have crushes on each other.
Season 4, Episode 9: “I’ll Always Remember You
Fans have an emotional attachment to this episode for two reasons. Not only is it the episode where Miley admits that she’s Hannah Montana to the world, but it’s actually the last time that Hannah Montana, as a character, is mentioned. Throughout the remaining episodes of the series, Miley Stewart is the key focus. The episode is also named after a key Hannah Montana song — “I’ll Always Remember You” is Miley’s goodbye song to her character of Hannah.
‘Hannah Montana’ Cast
Hannah Montana wasn’t just an important show for Miley Cyrus’s career — it was huge for her co-stars, including her own dad.
Miley Cyrus as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana
Miley Stewart was initially a farm girl from Tennessee who moved to California in hopes of making it big as a star. Nevertheless, she succeeded. Her alter ego was her attempt to still live out a normal teenage life, but keeping the secret made it difficult no matter what. Cyrus went on to have both a lucrative acting and singing career, even though she mentioned that being on such a big Disney show at such a young age (alongside her dad) was hard to manage.
Emily Osment as Lilly Truscott
Lilly was Miley’s best friend. She was let in on the secret early on (back in episode one) but was a trustworthy companion throughout the run of the series, even if the two had their fair share of competitive moments. Emily Osment played the character, who appeared in every episode. She’s had several long-term gigs since most recently appearing in The Kominsky Method.
Jason Earles as Jackson Stewart
Every Disney sitcom needs to have “the brother” — and for Miley, that was Jackson. Jackson moved with Miley and her father after the death of their mother and is an average student at best. Jason Earles, who plays the role, was actually in his late 20’s when the show started. Since his character is just 16, it’s a surprising age gap.
Billy Ray Cyrus as Robby Ray Stewart
Not too many actresses have their father on set with them, but singer Billy Ray was reportedly the reason why Miley’s character named “Miley” and not “Chloe” or “Kiley.” Robby serves as his daughter’s manager and often wears a fake mustache as a disguise. Billy Ray Cyrus spoke up against the show after it aired, even blaming it for “destroying his family.” But as he stated that back in 2011, when Miley was trying to form her own identity, it’s likely that his opinions may have changed since.
Mitchel Musso as Oliver Oken
Not only was Oliver a close friend of Miley’s, but he was also Lilly’s boyfriend later in the series. While out with Hannah Montana, he uses the moniker of Mike Standley III to keep himself out of the spotlight. Mitchel Musso, who plays Oliver, also tried to balance a music career around his time of Disney fame. He’s still acting but has found the most success with voice-overs.
Who Are the Top Guest Stars on “Hannah Montana”?
In comparison to other Disney sitcoms, this series had an impressive amount of guest stars. Here’s a list of the most important people who appeared on Hannah Montana.
Dolly Parton as Aunt Dolly
Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus are pretty close — and that may be why the legendary singer chose to appear on multiple episodes of Hannah Montana as Miley’s aunt.
The Jonas Brothers as themselves
The Jonas Brothers, who were also important to the Disney Channel, were featured in the season two episode “Me and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas.” However, this episode of the show predates their own show, Jonas. In the episode, Robby Ray writes a song for the group titled “We Got the Party,” which makes Miley slightly jealous.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as himself
In the episode “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get the Phone,” Miley tries to play a prank on The Rock in order to avoid an identity-revealing photo of herself to be made public. The two end up forming a friendship after Miley realizes she made a mistake.
Selena Gomez as Mikayla
Selena Gomez made a few appearances as Mikayla, one of Hannah Montana’s musical rivals. Gomez first appeared in the episode “I Want You to Want Me…to Go to Florida,” where her character meets Hannah Montana on a talk show prior to working a benefit together.
Who Are the Writers &Creators Behind “Hannah Montana”?
The show had three creators, all who also served as writers on the show; Rich Correll, Barry O’Brien, and Michael Poryes. Poryes went on to help create the show Raven’s Home, while Correll worked on Fuller House. O’Brien has since served as an executive producer on shows like Castle. Here’s what some of the other Hannah Montana writers and directors are up to today.
Heather Wordham: ‘Hannah Montana’ Writer and Co-Producer
Heather Wordham wrote 14 episodes of Hannah Montana. She is also credited for creating and writing on the show Alexa & Katie, and wrote six episodes of The Haunted Hathaways.
Douglas Lieblein: ‘Hannah Montana’ Writer and Producer
Douglad Lieblein also worked on 14 episodes of the series, and also served as a producer. Since, he has produced shows such as Life with Boys and, most recently, Raven’s Home.
Roger Christiansen: ‘Hannah Montana’ Director
Roger Christiansen worked on the majority of Hannah Montana episodes, directing over 30 within the show’s four seasons. His last directing credit was a short titled Tango Down back in 2019.
‘Hannah Montana’ Reviews – What the Critics Said
Hannah Montana was a big hit for preteen girls. Not only was Miley Cyrus a likable character onscreen, but she was living the fantasy that many Hannah Montana viewers craved — secret fame and popularity. Most adults also seemed to welcome Cyrus in during the time the show aired, especially since Hannah Montana went well-beyond a television show. There was also a tour and a movie. “Ms. Cyrus, who turned 15 last month, comes across as a hard-working, sweet-natured troublemaker,” the New York Times states about Cyrus’s stage performance. “There’s something slightly disruptive about her bright smile, accented by round cheeks that gleam like an extra pair of eyes. And she brings a welcome hint of chaos to everything she does.”
Where ‘Hannah Montana’ Ranks in the Television Pantheon
According to Time, the premiere episode of Hannah Montana gained 54 million viewers, and the popularity of the show never waned. “Hannah Montana has become the most popular show on television among pre-teen girls ages 9 to 14 and is consistently watched by more kids ages 6 to 11 than any other TV series,” the publication states. That said, Hannah Montana was one of the most popular series for The Disney Channel, and still holds a place in many people’s hearts.
‘Hannah Montana’ Trailer
‘Hannah Montana’ Theme Song
The Hannah Montana theme song is titled “The Best of Both Worlds,” and it’s sung by Cyrus. Matthew Gerrard and Robbie Nevil are credited for writing it.
‘Hannah Montana’ Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
1. ‘Hannah Montana’ Was Originally Called Alexis Texas, But That Changed For a Scandalous Reason
Turns out, “Alexis Texas” is a popular porn star. Rumor has it that Disney was concerned that the star would show up in Google searches when fans would look up Cyrus’s character, so the change in name made complete sense.
2. Supposedly, Mitchel Musso’s Character Had Long Hair as a Cover-up
It’s been reported that the Disney execs preferred Musso to have long hair to cover up his pierced ears. Musso seemed happy when he was able to chop it off, telling Lehigh Valley Music that “I was playing a character; my whole life I could never chop off my hair.”
3. Miley and Emily Weren’t as Close as Miley and Lilly
Cyrus stated in her biography that it took her and co-star Emily Osment some time to warm up to each other, mentioning that they were very competitive. Even though their friendship improved throughout the series, Elle states that it didn’t last.
4. That May Be Why Emily Needed to Have the Last Word
It may have been a slight towards Miley, but Osment admitted that she ad-libbed the last words, which were “I know.” The reason being, she wanted to be the last one to speak on the series.
5. Cody Linley, Who Played Miley’s Love Interest Jake Ryan, Had a Fun Hobby Between Takes
Who knows? If you were a guest star on the show, he might have challenged you at ping pong. That’s reportedly what he did with Emily. “There was a ping pong table on set, so Emily and I bonded over ping pong games,” he told Teen Vogue.
“Whenever Miley or anyone else was doing scenes, we would battle one another in ping pong.”