Grab Your Backpack! We're Going Inside the Meta World of ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series'

The new Disney+ is a mockumentary style musical series.

What to Know

  • "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" is based on the film "High School Musical" from 15 years ago.
  • There are 10 episodes in the series.
  • It's streaming now on Disney+.

Disney+ is aiming for the tween and teen set with a meta expansion on the "High School Musical" world in "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series." Yes, that really is the full title of the show leading the viewer to believe it doesn't take itself too seriously.

But the series actually does tackle some serious issues while weaving in fun song and dance numbers.

The 10-episode scripted series, set at the real-life East High, where the original movie was filmed, follows a group of students as they countdown to opening night of their school's first-ever production of "High School Musical." The show has docu-style elements which will definitely throw viewers if they are expecting a more traditional scripted show and a lot of meta references to the show within the show.

This is a mockumentary TV show about a high school that is putting on the stage musical version of the "classic" Zac Efron-Vanessa Hudgens Disney Channel movie "High School Musical". It also happens to be set in a fictional version of East High, the real high school where they shot the film "High School Musical." Feel the meta?

Show-mances blossom; friendships are tested and new ones are made all within the first episode. Despite the similar name, the singing and love stories, the cast says their version is different from the first because of the grounded nature of the relationships the characters have. And they don't spontaneously break into song. Very often.

"High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" stars Joshua Bassett, Oliva Rodrigo, Matt Cornett, and Sofia Wylie. It was written and created by Tim Federle and is streaming now on Disney+.

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