I do not remember the first time I caught an entire episode of the series (I am almost positive it must have been prior to December), but I do remember not being all that impressed with Miley Cyrus’s acting abilities. I was under whelmed and did not understand the growing of the rabid fan base until I was bored one night after my college graduation and there was nothing on T.V. I happened to put the remote down after having settled on the Disney Channel, and I sat through a re-run of the first episode “Lilly, Do You Want to Know a Secret”. My interest was piqued, not by little Miss Cyrus, but by her costars, Emily Osment and Mitchel Musso, who play her best friends. As soon as Oliver (Musso) let Lilly (Osment) stand on his head to sneak through a window into Hannah Montana’s dressing room, I was hooked.

Since that night, I have managed to watch every episode of the popular children’s show. Despite still not being thrilled with Cyrus as the lead, I have to admit she has grown tremendously since the beginning of the series. I happen to find her most believable when she turns on the sarcasm. In fact, all of the characters are their most believable when at their most sarcastic. The writers of the show have a particular knack for penning tongue in cheek banter for their stars.

Not only does the series have a flair for the sarcastic, but it holds a seriously impressive list of guest stars, including some of the best adult actors around, as well as a ton of up and comers in the tween (target audience 9 to 14) world. Some of the young stars who have shown up on episodes of the show include Aimee Teegarden (of NBC’s Friday Night Lights), Cobin Bleu (of Disney’s High School Musical franchise), Tiffany Thornton (of Disney’s new comedy series Sonny with a Chance), Selena Gomez (of Wizards of Waverly Place), and Ashley Tisdale (of High School Musical and The Suite Life). The laundry list of adult guest stars includes Dolly Parton, Vicki Lawrence, Brooke Shields, Larry David, Camryn Manheim, Joey Fatone, and more recently, Rob Reiner. My personal favorite would have to be Vicki Lawrence as Mamaw Stewart, Miley’s grandmother. The woman has always been comedy gold (ask your parents about The Carol Burnett Show for more information), but her repeated guest spots demonstrate she has just improved with age. I can only hope that the young stars who steadily improved in their acting abilities picked up some tips from their more experienced guest stars.

The only cast member who does not seem to show signs of improvement is Billy Ray Cyrus who plays his daughter’s father. Almost every scene he is involved feels like it falls flat. The only time he seems comfortable on camera is when the scenes are one-on-one with either of his onscreen children. Although, Jason Earles portraying the eldest Stewart child could probably make a sheet of notebook paper entertaining. He steals any scene he is in, and he definitely deserves a chance to stretch his comedic wings in more mature roles once the series comes to an end.

In terms of an ending, Hannah Montana is likely speedily approaching one. The major motion picture looms on the horizon, and Disney rarely invests in shows passed a third season. If the show runners decide to give it another go, I would be all for a fourth season. While aging the characters another year may risk the alienation of some of the youngest audience members, it would also provide for an exploration of new and possibly more interesting storylines. I know I am interested in seeing Miley’s two best friends get jobs since they always seem to be hurting for money, and it could be funny to see how Jackson fares if he makes it to college.

If you are interested in dipping your toe into the Hannah Montana waters despite my mixed review of the show, I would recommend starting at the beginning (always a very good place to start). While the Disney Channel does air older episodes now and then, the episodes are never really shown in any semblance of their original order. The first season is currently available on DVD in the United States. If you do not want to shell out the $40.00 to purchase the complete first season (and who could blame you), find a friend to borrow it from, or rent the discs at your local video store. The second season, which outshines the first by far, is not yet available.

At this point you may be wondering whether I actually like the show or not. After starting off despising everything even remotely connected to the world of Hannah Montana, I have found myself sucked in to the story lines and actually caring about the characters. The truth is, I have no idea what makes the show so appealing. There are story lines that are simply dropped for no apparent reason, and some of the plot lines are just so ridiculous, even for a kid’s show. Underneath all of the things I might find to complain about though, there is a spark of that good old Disney magic. The three main cast members have chemistry that is palpable. I love watching the subplots centered around Lilly and Oliver. I actually find the Stewart family to have a believable dynamic. As much as I may find Miley Stewart to be a spoiled brat, and as hard as it seems for her to learn to not be selfish (over and over), I still find myself rooting for her. Hannah Montana just seems to have whatever that intangible quality is that leaves you coming back for more.