ABC Tunes Into 'High School Musical'

Zap2It.com | March 3, 2008

The cast of 'High School Musical 2'

Network working on 'HSM'-based competition series

The phenomenon that is "High School Musical" is making its way to ABC.

The network is developing a competition series tied to the Disney Channel's boffo movie franchise, which would feature contestants studying at a music conservatory after being chosen for the final rounds. It's on track to air in the summer, according to Variety.

Just what the contestants will be vying for is a secret at the moment. The show will, however, be strongly tied to "High School Musical," and will likely feature appearances by the movie's cast. "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" is set for a theatrical release this fall.

ABC's show will be the first time another member of the Disney family has been given access to the lucrative "HSM" franchise. The two movies, which shattered ratings records for the Disney Channel, have spawned a host of spin-off products (generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue), and Disney has also licensed the show to schools across the nation for live performances.

The Disney Channel will probably still have a stake in the ABC show. The trade paper says the cable network will probably take a second run of the show after episodes air on the broadcast network.