History of Hannah Montana in Timeline

Hannah Montana is a teen sitcom about Miley Stewart, a teenager who lives a double life as the famous pop singer Hannah Montana. To maintain a normal life, Miley uses a blonde wig to conceal her identity as Hannah. The show explores Miley's struggles to balance adolescence with the complexities of her secret, focusing on themes of family, friendships, and discovering one's true self. Key relationships include her brother Jackson, father Robby Ray, and best friends Lilly and Oliver, all of whom are aware of her dual identity. The show emphasizes the importance of music in Miley's life.

2004: Disney Considers Hannah Montana

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

2004: Hannah Montana Publicly Announced

In 2004, the project for Hannah Montana was publicly announced by Disney.

January 2005: Casting Advertisements Published

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

August 2005: Hannah Montana 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, with six extra episodes later added.

August 2005: Miley Cyrus Cast as Miley Stewart

In August 2005, it was announced that Miley Cyrus would portray the central character, Miley Stewart, in Hannah Montana.

November 2005: Filming Scheduled to Begin

In November 2005, filming for the remainder of the first season of Hannah Montana was scheduled to begin after the full main cast was attached to the project in August.

March 2006: Hannah Montana Series Launch

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 series revolves around Miley Stewart, who leads 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. This followed the commissioning of the series by The Walt Disney Company after the success of High School Musical.

April 2006: Soundtrack Release Scheduled

By April 2006, a soundtrack for Hannah Montana was scheduled for release in the latter half of the year, with a studio album by Miley Cyrus planned for the following year.

April 2006: Hannah Montana Viewership Numbers

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 Crossover

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

Loading Video...

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

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

Loading Video...

October 2006: Hannah Montana Soundtrack Album Released

In October 2006, the soundtrack album Hannah Montana was released.

November 2006: Production of Second Season Begins

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

December 2006: First Line of Hannah Montana Merchandise Released

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

2006: High School Musical Influence

In 2006, Disney's television film High School Musical was a success and Hollywood.com noted that Hannah Montana could build on this success. The sitcom premiered two months after High School Musical.

Loading Video...

2006: Time Comments on Miley Cyrus' Potential

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

August 2007: Lawsuit Filed Against Disney Channel

In August 2007, Buddy Sheffield filed a lawsuit against Disney Channel, alleging similarities between his television series pitch, 'Rock and Roland', from 2001 and Hannah Montana, claiming he was owed millions in damages.

August 17, 2007: Most-Viewed Episode Airs

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

Loading Video...

September 2007: Production of Second Season Concludes

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

2007: Release of Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus

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

2007: Primetime Emmy Award Nomination

In 2007, Hannah Montana was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program. This was the first of four nominations the show received between 2007 and 2010.

February 2008: Disney Convenes Meeting to Discuss Future of Hannah Montana

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: Hannah Montana Renewed for Third Season

In April 2008, Hannah Montana was renewed for a third season, with production commencing by August.

April 2008: Production Begins for Hannah Montana: The Movie

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

Loading Video...

April 2008: Best of Both Worlds Concert Soundtrack Released

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

August 2008: Trial Scheduled for Lawsuit

A trial was scheduled to begin in August 2008 regarding the lawsuit filed by Buddy Sheffield against Disney Channel over similarities between his pitch and Hannah Montana, but the case was resolved privately beforehand.

October 2008: Poryes Files Lawsuit

In October 2008, Poryes filed a similar lawsuit, regarding profits from the show, which was ultimately settled.

November 2, 2008: "No Sugar, Sugar" Episode Removed From Schedule

On November 2, 2008, the Hannah Montana episode titled "No Sugar, Sugar" was planned to air in the United States but was removed from the schedule due to complaints about its subject matter.

2008: Cyrus' Public Image Concerns

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

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

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.

Loading Video...

March 2009: Soundtrack for Hannah Montana: The Movie Released

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

Loading Video...

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

May 1, 2009, was the original scheduled release date for 'Hannah Montana: The Movie'. However, the release was preponed to April 10 that year.

Loading Video...

June 1, 2009: Hannah Montana Renewed for Fourth Season

On June 1, 2009, Hannah Montana was renewed for a fourth season. The new set of episodes had a new setting, with the Stewart family moving out of their Malibu home to a nearby ranch.

July 17, 2009: Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana Crossover

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

Loading Video...

September 20, 2009: "Uptight (Oliver's Alright)" Episode Aired

On September 20, 2009, an updated version of the episode, titled "Uptight (Oliver's Alright)", was aired during the program's third season after revisions were made in consultation with JDRF.

2009: Release of Hannah Montana 3

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

2009: Filming for Third Season Concludes

In mid-2009, filming for the third season of Hannah Montana concluded.

January 2010: Disney Confirms Program Conclusion

In January 2010, Disney confirmed that Hannah Montana would be officially concluding.

April 2010: Lawsuit Filed Against Disney Channel for Profits

In April 2010, Correll and O'Brien filed a lawsuit against Disney Channel for $5 million, alleging they were denied their share of profits from the Hannah Montana program.

July 11, 2010: Premiere of the Final Season

On July 11, 2010, the final season of Hannah Montana premiered.

2010: Release of Hannah Montana Forever

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

2010: Primetime Emmy Award Nomination

In 2010, Hannah Montana received its fourth Primetime Emmy Awards nomination for Outstanding Children's Program, marking the last of its nominations between 2007 and 2010.

2010: Miley Cyrus "Can't Be Tamed" Music Video Release

In 2010, Miley Cyrus continued developing her suggestive persona with the music video for "Can't Be Tamed".

Loading Video...

January 2011: End of Hannah Montana series

In January 2011, the teen sitcom Hannah Montana series came to an end after four seasons.

January 16, 2011: Hannah Montana Series Finale

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

2011: Billy Ray Cyrus Expresses Interest in Producing a Prequel Series

In 2011, Billy Ray Cyrus expressed his interest in producing a prequel series to Hannah Montana.

2011: Series Finale Scheduled to Air

In early 2011, the series finale of Hannah Montana was scheduled to air.

2013: Controversial Performance at the MTV Video Music Awards

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 Expresses Annoyance with Hannah Montana

In 2013, Billy Ray Cyrus blamed Hannah Montana for damaging his family. Also in 2013, Miley Cyrus expressed her annoyance at her history with the program, stating she wanted to suppress her previous music and re-establish her career as a mature artist.

2016: Arbitrator Finds Under-Reported Amounts

In 2016, the arbitrator found $18 million in under-reported amounts, but the Hannah Montana franchise was still operating at a $24 million deficit, so no compensation was owed.

2018: Request to Overturn Ruling Refused

In 2018, Correll and O'Brien's request to overturn the ruling was refused. This was after they took their case to open court, claiming they were prejudiced by their arbitrator.

2019: Cyrus Reflects on Her Pride in the Series

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

2020: Discussion of a Potential Prequel Series

In 2020, Hollywood Life reported that a potential prequel about Miley Stewart's rise to fame as a pop singer was being discussed for Disney+. Billy Ray Cyrus again expressed his interest in being involved, while reports said Miley Cyrus would not be.

2021: Cyrus Finds It Difficult to Separate 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 anniversary television special 'Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special' was announced to debut on Disney+ on March 24, 2026.

Loading Video...

March 24, 2026: Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special Debut

The 'Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special' is announced to debut on Disney+ on March 24, 2026. It is set to be filmed in front of a live studio audience and to feature an interview with Miley Cyrus hosted by Alex Cooper.

Loading Video...