6 Things to Watch Before (or After) the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special
The Hannah Montana: 20th Anniversary Special is almost here, and based on the recent trailer, it’s going to be bursting with nostalgia.
Miley Cyrus is reuniting not just with her father, Billy Ray, but also with her iconic blonde wig. Led by ‘Call Her Daddy’ podcaster Alex Cooper, this special, which will be available on Disney+, is really going to bring a lot of us back to the simpler days of childhood. In the spirit of this, we’ve collated a few shows and movies that we think could be a fun watch ahead of the special.
This one is kind of a no-brainer. To fully celebrate the show, it’s a good idea to refresh your memory and remind yourself what makes Hannah Montana such a special watch. With its banging tunes, quirky humour, and plenty of heart, it has actually aged pretty well.
Of course, it might be a bit tricky to watch all four seasons in this timeframe. Some of the best episodes to watch include
Season 1, Episode 1
Season 1, Episode 14
Season 1, Episode 16
Season 2, Episode 13
Season 2, Episodes 9-10
Season 2, Episode 16
Season 3, Episodes 18-19
Season 4, Episode 9
Season 4, Episode 13
This selection encompasses key Hannah Montana moments like the pilot, the infamous ‘He Could Be The One’ storyline, Miley telling the world her secret and the appearance of special guest stars like Dolly Parton and the Jonas Brothers.
‘That’s So Suite Life of Hannah Montana,’ which technically counts as a Suite Life of Zack and Cody episode, was essentially Avengers: Endgame for teenage girls. It involved a major crossover event between three of the Disney Channel’s biggest shows at the time, and naturally, Hannah Montana was one of the shows at the forefront of it all.
It’s available on Disney+ if you want to see if it still holds up, along with the subsequent Wizards of Waverly Place crossover episode ‘Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana,’ which came out three years later.
Released at the height of her Hannah Montana fame, The Last Song is a schmaltzy romance featuring a rebellious Miley (who we know is rebellious because she has a nose ring) and Liam Hemsworth.
It was here that the pair’s on-off relationship began, so while it isn’t directly related to Hannah Montana, it is pretty essential Miley Cyrus lore. It also spawned the equally schmaltzy ballad ‘When I Look At You.’
Another fun (and perhaps the most unlikely) addition to your Hannah Montana watchlist is Black Mirror's ‘Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too’ from 2019. In this episode of Black Mirror's fifth season, Miley really channels her inner Hannah Montana as Ashley O — a pop star who lives under the thumb of her controlling aunt. But this episode is more than just what some consider to be a thinly-veiled jibe at Disney. As one would expect from a Black Mirror episode, things get pretty dark. Ashley’s own consciousness is cloned in robot toys known as Ashley Toos, and without spoiling anything, finds herself in grave danger because of her aunt.
In some ways, with its overlapping themes, one might consider this a more mature version of Hannah Montana, and as Miley comes full circle, this episode is worth checking out because it shows the darker side of fame.
