The hype surrounding an anticipated highly anticipated special by Miley Cyrus titled, Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special was taken to a whole new level this week following a brief preview of the upcoming show that leaked online earlier than it was officially announced. The short video, which virally went round the social media sites, has brought back memories to old fans who have grown up watching the popular Disney Channel celebrity that made Cyrus a world wide star.
The teaser, which only lasts twelve seconds, is quite short, however, it has sufficient emotional power to ignite the discussion on a large scale. In the video that has been spread across the internet, Miley Cyrus is once again sporting the trademark blonde wig with which she was identified when the show was first aired. To most audiences, even that mere image was sufficient to evoke memories related to a time when the Hannah Montana character was ruling the television and pop culture discourse.
The shot captured in the teaser features Cyrus, walking in to the studio doors, which symbolically brings a person back to the location where her Hannah Montana career started. The shot is presented in a manner that is both joyful and introspective and indicates that the anniversary special is going to recollect the cultural influence of the series as well as recognize the personal evolution of the star who carried it.
In the next sequences of the clip, Cyrus is visible as he gets into a stage in front of what seems to be a live studio audience. The attendance of the crowd gives a clue about the format of the next special that seems to be a combination of the talk, memory lane, and real-time communication with the fans. The short video is of Cyrus receiving viewers back in the world that characterized much of her early career in a warm manner.
The other scene in the teaser shows the singer sitting somewhere to have a chat with the host Alex Cooper. The two seem to be talking about the memories of the show that Cyrus had, such as the ones that influenced not only her career but the lives of the young viewers who were watching Hannah Montana during the period of its initial broadcasting. Although the teaser provides only a hint of them talking, it gives an indication that the special will be reflective in nature, how the series contributed to pop culture and how it impacted Cyrus as an artist himself.
To most fans though, one of the most moving features in the teaser is the appearance of Billy Ray Cyrus. The country music star portrayed Robby Ray Stewart, the father of Miley Stewart, in the first series and soon became a favourite element of the show in terms of the emotional heart of the show. In the stolen video, he is seen with his daughter smiling and making a jig on camera. The scene can be described as spontaneous and loving and reminds the audience of the warm father-daughter relationship which contributed to what the original series was all about.
The reunion has even more emotional context due to the relationship between the two actors in real life. Their relationship on screen in the first show was based on their real family relationship, which made the series look more like a real one and this was very favorable to the audiences. Their reunion in the reconstructed set is a strong reminder of just how resonant the show was with its audience.
Hannah Montana was initially released in 2006 and soon emerged as one of the most successful series of Disney Channel. The plot involved a secret dual life of Miley Stewart a teenager who lived her life secretly as a famous pop star Hannah Montana. During the day she was an average high school student who had to deal with friends, family and teenage troubles. She was a world-adored chart-topping singer by night.
The idea resonated loudly with the youth audiences who were enticed by the fantasy of living a normal life and at the same time gaining fame. Simultaneously, the humor and sincere narration of the show allowed making it popular with families sitting together. During its course, the show brought about hits, shows selling out, and a huge merchandise business that engraved the show on the pop culture of the early 2000s.
Even the show owes much of its success to the individual who stated that the show was the one that helped Cyrus launch her career despite its own difficulties. Being raised as a figure of interest and playing such an iconic character molded her path to a direction that very few actors have gone. She has over the years been very vocal about the ambivalent relationship she has built with Hannah Montana persona, at times, she has taken it on and at other times she has attempted to separate herself as she progressed as an artist.
It seems the forthcoming anniversary special goes back to that complicated legacy with a truthful and a joyful one. As the initial information concerning the project has indicated, Cyrus will look back to revisit the moments of music and memories that characterized a time. Those words represent the larger intent of the program, which appears to celebrate the cultural effect of the show whilst recognizing the fact that it has taken so long to even be brought back to the air.
The special also entails musical performances by fans. The Hannah Montana phenomenon has always been about music and many of the songs featured in the show were more successful outside of the TV screen. The anniversary show would see performances of live versions as well as some never-before-seen archival material that captures the creation of the show and its influence at the height of its popularity.
The use of archival material might be really influential in developing the story of the special. The backstage shots during the first seasons could provide the audience with an idea of a young Miley Cyrus trying to find her own creativity and figure out her place in the world of fame. Those were the tender moments of childhood to her fans who traced her career as a Disney Channel star and evolved to a world-renowned pop icon.
The scheduled date of the anniversary special also indicates an increasing trend in entertainment, hooking back to popular shows that have been aired in the past few years to attract the attention of the audience who has grown up since its first aired episode. Nostalgia is also a potent tool of contemporary media, particularly where there are stories that were part of the childhood memory of millions of people who watched them.
To a large number of fans that have been watching Hannah Montana since their childhood years, the show is not merely a TV show. It captures a particular cultural time with catchy songs, colorful personalities and fantasy of living two entirely different lives simultaneously. Visiting that world even once again briefly enables the audiences to revisit a time that is less complicated and more fun.
