History of Hannah Montana in Timeline

Hannah Montana, a Disney Channel teen sitcom (2006-2011), follows Miley Stewart, a teenager leading a double life. By day, she's an ordinary student; by night, she transforms into pop sensation Hannah Montana using a blonde wig to conceal her identity. The show explores Miley's struggles to balance adolescence with the complexities of fame, all while keeping her secret. Key relationships with her brother Jackson, father Robby Ray, and best friends Lilly and Oliver are central to the narrative. Themes of family, friendship, music, and self-discovery are prominent throughout the series.

2004: Disney Considered Hannah Montana Pilot

During the 2004-05 pilot season, Disney considered the Hannah Montana pilot, against a potential spin-off of Lizzie McGuire.

2004: Hannah Montana Project Publicly Announced

In 2004, The Hannah Montana project was publicly announced and in January 2005, casting advertisements for filming the pilot were published.

January 2005: Casting Advertisements for Hannah Montana Pilot Published

In January 2005, casting advertisements for the filming of a pilot episode of Hannah Montana were published. The project had been publicly announced in 2004.

August 2005: Hannah Montana Officially Greenlit by Disney Channel

In August 2005, Disney Channel officially greenlit Hannah Montana as a new, half-hour sitcom. Twenty episodes were initially ordered for the first season.

August 2005: Miley Cyrus Cast as Miley Stewart

In August 2005, Miley Cyrus was announced to be portraying the central character of Miley Stewart in Hannah Montana.

November 2005: Filming for Hannah Montana's First Season Scheduled to Begin

In November 2005, filming for the remainder of Hannah Montana's first season was scheduled to begin.

March 2006: Hannah Montana Started Airing

In March 2006, Hannah Montana, a teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll, and Barry O'Brien, began airing on the Disney Channel. The show revolves around Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), a teenage girl leading a double life as pop star Hannah Montana.

March 24, 2006: Hannah Montana Premieres on Disney Channel

On March 24, 2006, Hannah Montana premiered on the Disney Channel. The series was commissioned after the success of Disney Channel's previous music-based franchises.

April 2006: Hannah Montana Soundtrack Scheduled for Release

In April 2006, it was announced that a soundtrack for Hannah Montana would be released later in the year, with a studio album by Miley Cyrus to follow the next year.

April 2006: Hannah Montana Averaged 3.5 Million Viewers Per Episode

By April 2006, Hannah Montana had an average of more than 3.5 million viewers for each episode, many of whom were aged between six and fourteen.

July 28, 2006: That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana Special Aired

On July 28, 2006, the special That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana aired, featuring a crossover with That's So Raven and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

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October 5, 2006: Release of Hannah Montana Nintendo DS Video Game

On October 5, 2006, the first Hannah Montana video game was released on the Nintendo DS.

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October 2006: Hannah Montana Soundtrack Album Released

In October 2006, the soundtrack album Hannah Montana was released; many of the song's lyrics allude to the show's premise and Miley Stewart's secret identity.

November 2006: Production of Hannah Montana Season 2 Begins

In November 2006, production of the second season of Hannah Montana began in Los Angeles, California.

December 2006: Disney Releases First Line of Hannah Montana Merchandise

In December 2006, Disney released its first line of merchandise linked to Hannah Montana, which included clothing, jewelry, toys, and dolls.

2006: Disney's High School Musical's Success

In 2006, Hollywood.com suggested that Hannah Montana could build upon the success of Disney's television film High School Musical.

2006: Time Comments on Disney's Selection of Miley Cyrus

In 2006, Time commented that Disney typically selected actors who had the potential to become popular celebrity figures, suggesting Miley Cyrus would likely experience the same.

August 2007: Sheffield Files Lawsuit Against Disney

In August 2007, Buddy Sheffield filed a lawsuit against Disney Channel, alleging similarities between his pitch for a television series titled "Rock and Roland" in 2001 and Hannah Montana, seeking millions in damages.

August 17, 2007: Most Viewed Episode of Hannah Montana Airs

On August 17, 2007, the most-viewed episode of Hannah Montana, "Me and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas and Mr. Jonas", aired as a lead-out to the premiere of High School Musical 2, and was watched by 10.7 million people.

September 2007: Production of Hannah Montana Season 2 Concludes

In September 2007, production of the second season of Hannah Montana concluded.

2007: Hannah Montana nominated for Primetime Emmy Award

In 2007, Hannah Montana was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program.

2007: Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus Released

In 2007, the soundtrack album Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus was released to coincide with the show's season.

February 2008: Disney Convenes International Meeting to Discuss Hannah Montana's Future

By February 2008, the Hannah Montana franchise had become so profitable that Disney convened an "80-person, all-platform international meeting" to discuss its future.

April 2008: Production Begins for Hannah Montana: The Movie

In April 2008, production began in Los Angeles and Nashville for "Hannah Montana: The Movie".

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April 2008: Hannah Montana Renewed for a Third Season

In April 2008, the Hannah Montana program was renewed for a third season, with production commencing by August of that year.

April 2008: Soundtrack Album Release: Best of Both Worlds Concert

In April 2008, the soundtrack album "Best of Both Worlds Concert", featuring live performances from the Best of Both Worlds Tour, was released.

August 2008: Trial Scheduled for Sheffield Lawsuit

In August 2008, a trial was scheduled to begin regarding Buddy Sheffield's lawsuit against Disney Channel, which was filed in August 2007, but the case was resolved privately beforehand.

October 2008: Poryes Files Lawsuit Against Disney

In October 2008, Poryes filed a lawsuit against Disney, similar to the one filed by Correll and O'Brien, which was ultimately settled.

November 2, 2008: Hannah Montana Episode Removed From Schedule

On November 2, 2008, the Hannah Montana episode "No Sugar, Sugar" was planned to air in the United States but was removed from the schedule due to complaints about its inaccurate portrayal of type 1 diabetes.

2008: Marsh Comments on Cyrus' Public Image

In 2008, Marsh commented on the importance of Miley Cyrus maintaining a wholesome public image while starring on Hannah Montana.

2008: Cyrus Wins Young Artist Award

In 2008, Miley Cyrus won a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series, Leading Young Actress for her role in Hannah Montana.

2008: Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Released

In 2008, the concert film, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, was released, featuring Miley Cyrus performing as both Hannah Montana and herself.

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March 2009: Release of Hannah Montana: The Movie Soundtrack

In March 2009, the soundtrack album for "Hannah Montana: The Movie" was released.

May 1, 2009: Original Release Date of Hannah Montana: The Movie

Originally scheduled for release on May 1, 2009, "Hannah Montana: The Movie" was preponed to April 10th that year.

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June 1, 2009: Hannah Montana Renewed for Fourth Season

On June 1, 2009, Hannah Montana was renewed for a fourth season.

July 17, 2009: Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana Special Aired

On July 17, 2009, the special Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana aired, featuring episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place and The Suite Life on Deck.

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September 20, 2009: Revised Hannah Montana Episode Airs

On September 20, 2009, an updated version of the Hannah Montana episode about type 1 diabetes, titled "Uptight (Oliver's Alright)", aired during the program's third season after revisions and consultations with JDRF.

2009: Hannah Montana 3 Released

In 2009, the soundtrack album Hannah Montana 3 was released to coincide with the show's season.

2009: Filming for Hannah Montana's Third Season Concludes

In mid-2009, filming for the third season of Hannah Montana concluded, after the network extended the season to 30 episodes.

January 2010: Production for Hannah Montana's Final Season Begins

In January 2010, production for the final season of Hannah Montana began, with Disney confirming the program would officially conclude. The series finale was scheduled for early 2011.

April 2010: Correll and O'Brien File Lawsuit Against Disney

In April 2010, Correll and O'Brien filed a lawsuit against Disney Channel for $5 million over profits from the Hannah Montana program.

July 11, 2010: Final Season of Hannah Montana Premieres

On July 11, 2010, the final season of Hannah Montana premiered, featuring a new setting with the Stewart family moving to a ranch.

2010: Hannah Montana nominated for Primetime Emmy Award

In 2010, Hannah Montana was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program.

2010: Cyrus' Suggestive Persona Continues

In 2010, Miley Cyrus' suggestive persona continued with the music video for "Can't Be Tamed", amid growing criticism that she was appearing to be a negative influence on her younger audience.

2010: Hannah Montana Forever Released

In 2010, the soundtrack album Hannah Montana Forever was released to coincide with the show's season.

January 16, 2011: Hannah Montana Series Concludes

On January 16, 2011, Hannah Montana concluded as a result of Miley Cyrus's growing popularity and music career, and her desire to move into more mature acting roles.

2011: Planned Airing of Hannah Montana Series Finale

In early 2011, the series finale of Hannah Montana was scheduled to air, marking the official conclusion of the program.

2013: Parents Television Council Responds to Cyrus' 2013 MTV Performance

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.

2013: Cyrus Expressed Annoyance With Hannah Montana

In 2013, Miley Cyrus expressed annoyance at her history with the Hannah Montana program, stating she wanted to suppress her previous music and re-establish her career as a mature artist.

2019: Cyrus Reflects on Her Time with Disney

By 2019, Miley Cyrus said she was proud of her work on the Hannah Montana series. She also said she would like to play the character of Hannah Montana again.

2019: Cyrus Reflects on Hannah Montana

In 2019, Miley Cyrus said she felt she had matured beyond working on the Hannah Montana series and dressing up as Hannah Montana, but also expressed pride in her work on the series.

2021: Cyrus Reflects on Separating Herself From Hannah Montana

In 2021, Miley Cyrus explained that she found it difficult to separate herself from the persona of Hannah Montana.

February 17, 2026: Announcement of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special

On February 17, 2026, the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special was announced to premiere on Disney+ on March 24. The special is filmed in front of a live studio audience and features an interview with Cyrus hosted by Alex Cooper.