Disney pulls 'Montana' diabetes episode

NEW YORK, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- An episode of "Hannah Montana," featuring a story line about a teen diagnosed with diabetes, won't air as planned, a representative for the U.S. show said.

The New York Daily News said the Disney Channel decided to yank the episode, which is about Hannah's friend Oliver learning he has the disease, because of criticism from parents who previewed the show in an on-demand version. Miley Cyrus plays Hannah and Mitchell Musso plays Oliver.

"During the scriptwriting stage of the 'Hannah Montana' episode in question (entitled 'No Sugar, Sugar'), the matter of depicting a character with diabetes was reviewed by our Standards and Practices executives who consulted with medical experts to inform the story and ensure that it was told responsibly," the Daily News quoted a spokeswoman as saying Monday. "Notwithstanding the measures we took, and based on the episode's preview and early feedback from parents (who saw it on demand and/or mobile platforms,) we removed the episode from Sunday's schedule and are now re-evaluating it."