High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series launched on November 12th on Disney+. It has nothing to do with the original movie or sequels and is not serving the purpose as a reboot or revival. Instead it is set as a mockumentary comedy about students that attend the high school where the franchise was filmed at. They are tasked with putting on their own version of the musical.
In comparison with many teen dramas such as Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series avoids dark storylines and supernatural presences. It presents cheerfulness and irony to its audiences. The show is refreshing for teens in a period where teen shows contain actors well above the high school age and intense unrealistic storylines. HSM is a wholesome and entertaining take on high school with many musical moments.
The series follows high schoolers staging a production of High School Musical with a meta-layer added by the kids attending the school the movie was filmed at. The eccentric drama teacher, Miss. Jenn, further fuels it by claiming to have been in the cast and by buying props from the original movie to use on the production. There are a lot of jokes referencing the original production sprinkled throughout the episodes. The show centers on finding supportive friends and being able to express yourself as the movie also focuses on.
The show has characters that have some elements of the original characters like Ricky who mirrors Troy's frustration with his secret musical talent. There is also Nini who mirrors Gabriella's sweetness and determination to be a singer. These two characters are exes on the show and Nini is currently in a relationship with senior E.J. Ricky joins the musical to attempt to win Nini back. They are the Troy and Gabriella of the show with no real relationship foundation to make audiences root for Ricky and Nini to get back together. The show makes some adjustments with E.J. being a jock with no toxic masculinity, Sharpay being portrayed by a boy and Nini having two mothers. The show has elements of being two dimensional which is frustrating to the audience. There is a lot of potential set up for characters to grow and develop over the course of the series.
In a way, it feels like a toned-down version of Glee than High School Musical. It is geared towards teens and avoids conflict and twists. It focuses on determination and teens performing. It is simple for the audiences and doesn't try too hard. The cast enjoys the roles they are playing and have fun with it. The show is self-aware of its meta-humor with many zingers thrown around between characters. It is fun, it is original, it is Disney. Everything you expect from a Disney show from the polished teens to the singing fully embodies the elements of a Disney Channel Show.