This has to be the best Disney Channel programme in English. Strictly meant for the age group 10-16, this show unearths deeply buried laughs and is highly entertaining. Firstly, let me start with the basic plot, then onto the various characters and what I think of their enactments, and to the final verdict.
Plot
The show revolves around a teen rockstar and a pop sensation, Hannah Montana(played by Miley Cyrus), who lives a double life as Miley Stewart. Fourteen year old Miley is your average girl-next-door living in Malibu(brought up in Tenessee), and her double life secret is only known by her family and her two best friends, Lilly and Oliver. Her mother passed away a few years back and she lives with her dad, who was a former rockstar and her older brother Jackson, who constantly annoys her. The plots of the episodes primarily revolve around how her secret gets almost exposed, or how she uses this advantage to get out of sticky situations.
Characters:
Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana*: Played by Miley Cyrus. She acts well, and her dialogues are witty and hilarious! It is her husky voice and Tenessee accent that lends charm to the character.
Lilly Truscott: Played by Emily Osment, this has to be one of the most wonderful characters in the show. Lilly is Miley’s best friend, and is constantly bickering with Oliver. Emily acts and fits into the skin of the tomboy/skater girl wonderfully, though slightly dramatic at times. She’s especially a delight to watch in season two, and her overacting to situations evokes laughs.
Oliver Oken: Played by Mitchel Musso. He is the utterly lovable and cute best friend of Miley and Lilly. He is always loyal to his friends and sticks by them, come what may. I personally feel the chemistry he shares with Lilly is amazing(more prominent in Season 2), though they are normally squabbling with each other. Mitchel gives out a very warm aura when he acts, and seems at ease.
Jackson Stewart: Played by a much older Jason Earles. He is Miley’s brother. Though on the surface, he always seems to make life tough for Miley, he loves Miley at the end of the day. Jason mainly appears in subplots, and tends to get annoying at times when he goes overboard with his comic scenes.
My Verdict:
This is one helluva show where you can just brush aside your worries and drown in its crazy world. Almost every dialogue is humourous and this show really dishes out a fine dose of laughter for one and all, provided you understand the cowboy accent fairly well. The plots are imaginative and subplots sometimes hysterical(like the one where Oliver has to take care of a flour baby), but one wishes slightly more attention could be paid to the sidekicks. Overall, it is a very satisfying experience watching this show. I highly recommend this to those who are in need of some no-logic laugh-a-thon, which also sometimes gets you to think deep. Also, it has a fabulous opening song’The Best of Both Worlds’, sticking true to its image.
A total thumbs-up from me!