Hannah Montana Forever: Going Out on a High Note
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
The fourth series of the Disney Channel's Hannah Montana Forever, which began airing in the UK at the start of October, has been confirmed as the final series in the long-running Hannah Montana show. While this news may come as an initial blow to the myriad of young fans of the talented Miley Cyrus, who has portrayed the title character since 2006, there is a degree of comfort to note that Miley's fans have plenty of options to continue their support of the singer.
There is also good news in that the Disney Channel is aiming to conclude this period of the story of Hannah Montana in a spectacular, funny and emotional fashion.
The new series welcomes back a whole host of leading characters that are familiar to fans from the first three series of the show, which started airing on the Disney Channel in the UK back in 2006. Among the returning cast are Miley Cyrus (Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana), who plays the title role of the world-famous pop star. Miley is just an ordinary girl at heart, who reverts from superstar Hannah Montana to normal student Miley Stewart, with often hilarious and unpredictable results.
Billy Ray Cyrus returns to play the role of Miley's father (Robby Stewart); a role he plays in real life as well as on screen. The softly spoken and eternally optimistic Robby is a loving father and provides a wise and competent grounding for both Hannah Montana the superstar and Miley Stewart the insecure girl.
Jason Earles (Jackson Stewart) plays the role of Miley's brother quite wonderfully. Jackson is one of the most underrated stars of the show, capable of some of the programme's finest comedy moments and yet some of the most tender and touching too. His battles with both Miley and his employer Rico often result in hilarity for the viewer.
Moses Arias (Rico) is the young entrepreneur/megalomaniacal boss who was a long-time employer of Jackson and who had a soft spot for Miley. Rico is a wonderfully over-the-top character who provides a fantastic, driven and calculated balance alongside the more disorganised and haphazard approach to life shown by other characters.
Emily Osment (Lilly/Lola) also returns as Miley's best friend, or Hannah's best friend Lola when 'in character'. She is the perfect friend for Miley, not blinded or jealous of her success as Hannah, but supportive of her whether she is the world famous pop star or the insecure young girl seeking the answers to some of life's most complex issues.
In addition to the return of five main characters, the fourth series will also boast a wealth of guest stars, including Emmy Award-winning actor Ray Liotta, singers Iyaz and Sheryl Crow, WWE wrestling superstar John Cena and American talk show legends Dr Phil McGraw and Jay Leno. A host of familiar faces from the first three series will make a return too, including Miley's former beau Jake Ryan (Cody Linley), Oliver Oken (Mitchel Musso) and another of Miley's famous crushes Jesse (Drew Roy).
The fourth series also sees a change in direction in terms of setting. The first three series were set in California; however, the new series sees the Stewarts moving into their new ranch-style home. The series begins just after the family move into their new house; Robby announced that he has a surprise for Miley and Lilly, as he has taken it upon himself to ensure that they feel right at home in their new bedroom by decorating it for them. Meanwhile, Jackson is very keen to get to know his new neighbour Siena (Tammin Sursok) a lot better, even if her annoying cousin TJ (Angus T Jones) seems keen on thwarting Jackson at every available opportunity.
As the series progresses, the show will build towards its inevitable climax when in a special hour-long finale episode, the series will culminate with Hannah making some tough decisions about her future and her life with only one thing certain: there is unlikely to be a dry eye in the house!
The new series is being well supported and promoted online, too. The Disney Channel launched a brand new Hannah Montana website on the same day that the first show of the new series was premiered in the UK. The revamped website contains a vast array of Hannah Montana inspired activities. From Hannah Montana games such as Miley and Lilly's Designer Dreams, to taking on the business acumen and drive and ambition of Rico in Rico's Surf Shop Challenge, there is a game on the site to appeal to all Hannah Montana fans.
In addition to games, there are plenty of other options available to fans of the show. A dedicated video section not only has links to several Hannah Montana videos, but also has a link to the video of Ordinary Girl, one of the featured songs from the current series and the first single to be released to accompany the show. Information on the soundtrack to the show is also provided via a link on the website, while fans can also download a myriad of Hannah Montana wallpapers, buddy icons, posters and even t-shirt transfers to use as they see fit.
Lastly, you can browse through a large selection of Hannah Montana pictures and then if the UK site does not offer enough, you can log into the US version of the webpage which offers even more activities, games and downloads for the Hannah Montana enthusiast!
Given that the fourth series has been filmed in high definition and that it will contain a plethora of special guests, a fine returning cast all backed up with considerable support via a dedicated brand new website, it seems plausible that the fourth series of the Hannah Montana Forever story will not only be the final series, it could also be the perfect way to end the Hannah Montana story on a high note!
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