Television series

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

Name: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Music
Released: 2019
Cast: Joshua Bassett, Dara Reneé, Julia Lester, Frankie A. Rodriguez, Sofia Wylie

Backstage musical
Light-hearted

A meta-love letter to the original High School Musical, shot at the real East High. A new generation rehearses the movie itself, and the show-within-a-show becomes a pressure cooker for actual teenage drama: romance, ambition, friendship fractures, and genuine self-discovery. It's sweeter and more thoughtful than you'd expect, with excellent ensemble chemistry and songs that actually land.

TVMaze rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love mockumentary-style school stories where the characters sing their feelings and the drama club's chaos feels earnest rather than cynical, with a rom-com tone that never quite takes itself seriously.

Skip it if you want a sharp, grounded teen drama; the romances are sweet but predictable, and the musical numbers arrive often enough that you may tire of the camp energy.

What it asks of you: Half-hour episodes, four seasons, and a steady rhythm of rehearsal, crushes and backstage squabbles that rewards sitting with the ensemble rather than binge-skimming.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Glee2009

The closest spiritual ancestor: high school choir kids, big musical numbers, sharp comedy mixed with real emotional stakes. It nails the ensemble dynamic and that specific joy of performing together.

But The first season is nearly flawless; after that it chases spectacle and loses itself. By season three you're watching a different, messier show.

Atypical2017

Another Disney+ ensemble comedy-drama about teenagers finding themselves and each other. Character-driven, genuinely funny, with real stakes underneath the warmth. Cast chemistry that makes you believe in their friendships.

But It's primarily about an autistic protagonist; if you're looking for equal ensemble focus throughout, the structure skews differently than HSMTMTS.

The Prom2020

A movie musical about a high school production, also adapted from an existing stage work. Likewise meta, likewise about kids discovering theatre's power. Stars James Corden and Meryl Streep as Broadway actors mentoring them—pure theatrical joy.

But It's broader and glossier, less interested in real teenage awkwardness. Some find it saccharine where HSMTMTS finds genuine moments.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

tick, tick... BOOM!2021

Both are musicals about young people discovering themselves through performance, but Tick, Tick... Boom! is what happens when that youthful theater magic meets the real world's indifference. HSMTMTS is the dream; this is what comes after.

A musical about a young composer in 1990 New York, racing against a clock both literal and existential. Like HSMTMTS, it's about art as salvation and identity, but it's darker, lonelier, and asks harder questions about talent, luck, and survival. Terrifyingly mature.

But It's fundamentally about mortality and failure, not triumph. The tone is wistful and grieving rather than celebratory, and the ending offers no easy answers.

Julie and the Phantoms2020

Another Netflix/Disney+ teen music series with similar warmth. A girl finds a 90s boy band trapped in her garage; they help her find confidence. Excellent songs, genuine character arcs, very fun ensemble.

But Only got one season before cancellation, so the ending feels abrupt. Also ventures into supernatural territory if you prefer grounded stories.

Newsies1992

A musical about young people discovering their power through performance and solidarity. Real dancing, real stakes, Christian Bale before he was Batman. Captures that specific teenage energy of finding your people.

But It's a 1992 film with 90s production values and a dated look. The plot is fairly simple and the romance subplot feels thin by modern standards.

Godspeed2016

An indie dramedy about high school musicians in a jazz band. Character-focused, genuinely funny, with real insight into teenage social hierarchies and the solace music provides.

But It's deliberately low-key and small-scale; there's no big production number catharsis. And it's nearly impossible to find streaming legally.

Smash2012

Broadway performers rehearsing a new musical about Marilyn Monroe. Gorgeous songs by Sondheim and Marc Shaiman, intense character drama, and that same show-within-a-show structure you love.

But It's much darker and adult-focused, with infidelity and cutthroat competition. Also, the second season deteriorates significantly in quality.

Bunheads2012

A dance drama about teenagers at a performing arts school, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino. Whip-smart dialogue, real affection for the characters, and genuine respect for the craft they're learning.

But Only lasted one season. It's also less music-focused and more ballet-focused, with a very different tonal register than HSMTMTS.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel2017

Not about teenagers, but it has that same infectious joy in performance and ensemble storytelling. Gorgeous production, fast-paced scripts, and a cast that genuinely seems to love working together.

But It's about 1950s stand-up comedy, not high school. The tone is much faster and sharper; it can feel frenetic if you prefer gentler pacing.

A Chorus Line1985

Both are about the audition process and what performance costs. But Chorus Line is structured like a tragedy masquerading as celebration—the joy is real, but the scarcity is brutal. HSMTMTS trusts that everyone will get their moment.

The original masterpiece about dancers auditioning for a show. A single, electrifying day where 17 people bare their souls and ambitions. The emotional precision is astonishing—funny, heartbreaking, ecstatic in turn. Songs that seem to liquify on first hearing.

But It's a filmed stage play with no plot in the traditional sense. If you need narrative momentum, this is entirely about character revelation. Also, some dated attitudes toward gender and sexuality.

Carrie1976

Both are about a high school musical being performed, but Carrie asks: what if the stage became a site of real, catastrophic violence? It's HSMTMTS's dark mirror, where teenage angst becomes actual tragedy and the show becomes a curse instead of salvation.

A high school musical adaptation where the source material is actually terrifying. It's garish and strange and completely sincere about pain. The songs are genuinely unsettling. If you want to see what happens when you treat high school drama with real supernatural stakes.

But It's genuinely unpleasant and grotesque in ways HSMTMTS never is. The horror is the point. Also, 2013 Broadway film adaptations are an uneven bunch—this one swings wildly in tone.