On March 24, 2006, a cultural phenomenon was born on the air of Disney Channel, when tens of thousands of little girls met Hannah Montana for the first time. This was a show about a teenage girl from Texas, living a double life. By day, she was the ordinary teenager Miley Stewart, but by night, she was the famous star, Hannah Montana. Instantly, she was more than just a show about a fabulous popstar; she was a real-life fabulous superstar who was taking the world by storm.

At its peak, Hannah was reaching up to 10.7 million viewers per episode, further showing how popular a show it truly was. Pahal Shukla (10) watched Hannah Montana as a little girl and writes, “I remember being almost mesmerized by Hannah because she was so funny and her style was the coolest in the eyes of a little girl.” Who knew an 11-year-old girl could make such an impact on pop culture in so little time? 

Since the show and movies were so popular, it felt right to do some kind of special to celebrate such a momentous occasion. Alexandra, or Alex Cooper, who has her own podcast, “Call Her Daddy,” led the interview as she mentioned being a big fan of Hannah as a little girl. Alex asks her why she wanted to do this special in the first place, and Miley responds by saying, “It’s really for the fans that grew up with me, our kind of moment of just looking at each other, of how much growth, how much evolution, and how much they’ve really supported and followed me.” Despite how revisiting the show may have been emotional and likely complicated for Miley, she wanted to come back for her fans, who always showed her support and love.

She talked about her experience on set, what she missed, fun memories, but most notably, she talked about how Hannah affected her life as a young teenager. Miley mentions that the transition into Hannah was not always easy, and that as a teenage girl, it felt like Hannah was just a face and wig she put on to film. She then mentions that, as she has gotten older, and through coming back for the anniversary, she has accepted that Hannah and Miley are both part of her, even now that she doesn’t necessarily play Hannah Montana anymore.

As Miley said, coming back on set after 20 years was hard, but luckily, she was not alone. In addition to Alex Cooper, 5 other guests were invited: her parents, Tish-Cyrus Purcell, and Billy Ray Cyrus, Gary Marsh, Selena Gomez, and Chappell Roan. 

At the end of the day, Hannah Montana was just a teenage girl who got lucky, so what makes her so special? Well, aside from her personality and dedication to her role, Miley successfully created the perfect character for millions of girls around the world to look up to. She created catchphrases, iconic moments, but most importantly, exposed kids to important themes of friendship and growing. Emily Rojo (10) was one of the many people who grew up watching Hannah Montana, and says, “I loved watching Hannah Montana because I was always inspired by her style and I thought the show was so fun to watch.” Watching Miley made many people feel as if they were growing up alongside her, only strengthening their admiration.

Hannah Montana is an icon for millions, including me. Though I started watching a little later than most, the entire franchise and Hannah as a girl mean so much to me. Overall, I really enjoyed the special. I think there were definitely some minor details that could have been better, but in general, I really enjoyed it. 

I found it sweet that they invited her parents back, as it felt like a full-circle moment; however, I do think Disney should have thought to include some of the other cast, such as Emily Osment or Jason Earles. Chappell Roan was a fun guest; it did feel rather random since some of the old cast felt like the more obvious and meaningful choice. 

I will say, a big pro from the special was the nostalgia factor, especially when Miley first walks into the old set. Immediately, it felt surreal to see Miley all grown up, standing in what was once like a home for her, a place that many viewers knew very well, just through watching. In addition to this, Miley spends some time showing off her iconic closet, where she shows off some of her even more iconic outfits from live shows and film days. 

The show aired for roughly five years, and plenty of work was put into it. It was so nice to see Miley back on the set of Hannah Montana and hear about some of the behind-the-scenes when filming. This was great, and I highly recommend that Hannah Montana fans give it a watch; it will definitely be worth it.