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Sonny with a Chance
Created bySteve Marmel
StarringDemi Lovato
Tiffany Thornton
Sterling Knight
Brandon Mychal Smith
Doug Brochu
Allisyn Ashley Arm
Theme music composerJeanne Lurie, Aris Archontis
and Chen Neeman
Opening theme"So Far, So Great" performed by Demi Lovato [1]
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes47 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersBrian Robbins
Sharla Sumpter Bridgett
Michael Feldman
Steve Marmel
Production locationsNBC Studios
Burbank, California (2009)
Hollywood Center Studios
Hollywood, California (2010–11)
Camera setupVideotape (filmized);
Multi-camera
Running timeapprox. 22–23 minutes
Production companiesVarsity Pictures
It's a Laugh Productions
Disney Channel Original Productions
Entertainment Rights
Original release
NetworkDisney Channel
ReleaseFebruary 8, 2009 (2009-02-08) –
January 2, 2011 (2011-01-02)

Sonny with a Chance is an American children's sitcom which aired on Disney Channel, created by Steve Marmel, that follows the experiences of teenager Sonny Munroe, portrayed by Demi Lovato, who becomes the newest accepted cast member of her favorite live comedy TV show, So Random!.[2]

The series debuted on February 8, 2009 in the United States. This is the first Disney Channel Original Series to be shot and aired in high-definition from the beginning; like most of Disney Channel's sitcoms, it is shot on tape, but uses a "filmized" appearance. The second season, some scenes are shot on location. The series is one of three Disney Channel Original Series to feature a show-within-a-show, with the others being The Famous Jett Jackson and Shake It Up.

The series officially ended on January 2, 2011 due to Lovato's departure from her role. It was decided later that the series would continue without Lovato under the name So Random!.[3][4][5]

Characters[]

Main characters[]

SonnyWithaChaceCast

The cast of Sonny with a Chance.
(Left to right) Tiffany Thornton as Tawni Hart, Doug Brochu as Grady Mitchell, Demi Lovato as Sonny Munroe, Sterling Knight as Chad Dylan Cooper, Allisyn Ashley Arm as Zora Lancaster and Brandon Mychal Smith as Nico Harris.

Sonny is a friendly, eccentric and well-intentioned teenage girl from Appleton, Wisconsin who lands a main role on her favorite comedy sketch TV show, So Random!. She is a rising star of the ensemble cast and works hard to be the best comedian she can be. Sonny often tries to solve the ongoing feud between the Mackenzie Falls and So Random! casts, especially when she dates the star of "Mackenzie Falls," Chad Dylan Cooper. She was Chad's girlfriend as of the episode(s) "Falling for the Falls" until they split in "Sonny with a Choice." As seen in further episodes, all of her co-stars are very fond of her.

Tawni is a main cast member of "So Random!" She originally feared Sonny was moving in on her spotlight and acted meanly towards the newcomer. However, after a while, the two become best friends. Tawni is a diva; she loves mirrors, make-up and everything about herself. She is self-centered, but also talented and has a soft side. She has a similar personality as Chad. She prefers to wear "Coco Mocho Coco" lipstick, as stated in many episodes.

  • Sterling Knight as Chad Dylan Cooper

Chad is a teen heartthrob as the star on Mackenzie Falls, the rival teen TV series of So Random!. He is egotistical and quite self-centered. He has a soft side, which he usually only shows to Sonny. He was Sonny's boyfriend as of the episode(s) "Falling for the Falls" until they split in "Sonny with a Choice." As a result of this romance, he started to warm up to the So Random! cast and eventually started to "hang out" with them. It is shown that he still has feelings for Sonny in the episode after they split. In the first season, he was seen as a spoiled, vain young man, but in later episodes, he has changed to be more loving and kind. Throughout season 1 it shows he has some feelings for Sonny. For example, in the episode "Sonny with a Chance of Dating" Chad was jealous when he found out Sonny was going on a date with James. In addition, in the same episode, when Chad and Sonny were fake dating, Chad said to put her head on his shoulder hinting that he likes her. In the episode, "You've got Fan Mail", Sonny seems touched that Chad actually cared enough to dress up as Eric for her. Chad tries to cover it up by saying he just wanted to try on the beard that went along with the Eric costume. Again, in episode 16 of the first season, "Sonny in the Kitchen with Dinner", Chad shows to be jealous when he sees the news on a magazine about Sonny kissing Haden because of the kiss cam.

Nico is a cast member of So Random! who is best friends with Grady. He is always striking out with the girls and has a crush on Mackenzie Falls star Penelope, who constantly turns him down when he asks her out. A running gag throughout the series is Nico jumping into Grady's arms when he gets scared, like Scooby and Shaggy. He is said to have been discovered in a one man band.

  • Doug Brochu as Grady Mitchell

Grady is a cast member of So Random!. He is best friends with Nico who often calls him "G". Grady is always involved in strange plans with Nico. He is shown to be dull-witted, gullible and immature. He also comes up with very strange conclusions to certain situations. He loves to eat and hates exercising. He claims to be an expert lip-reader, but very often misreads his targets' mouths and comes up with non-sensical sentences. In the episode "The New Girl" he tells Nico that when he's around a girl that he believes likes him, he will turn into a Scotsman named Seamus McGregor. He has a big brother named Grant who is in college and is the leader of his own fraternity.

  • Allisyn Ashley Arm as Zora Lancaster

Zora is a cast member of So Random!. She is very smart, mysterious, crazy and clever. She is the most cunning of the 'So Random!' cast and is known as "the weird one". She often pops out of nowhere, surprising her friends. She is somewhat a detective and puts her skills to use in the "So Random" studio. She listens in on her friends' conversations and then shocks them by speaking to them about it later on. She appeared sporadically throughout Season 2.

Productions[]

The original working title for the series was Sketchpad!, and the original name for the main character was Molly Munroe. The show's title was later changed to Welcome to Mollywood. After the first publicity materials about the show were released, the lead character's name was then changed to Holli and the title changed once again to Welcome to Holliwood. The main character's name was later changed to Sonny Munroe, and the show's title was changed a final time to Sonny with a Chance. The name is a play on the words "Sunny with a chance of rain", as heard in weather forecasts, reflecting the many comical situations in which the cast find themselves in each episode.

Sonny with a Chance has a show-within-a-show, So Random!, complete with fully produced sketches. The show's executive producer Brian Robbins previously wrote for and served as an executive producer on the real-life kids sketch comedy series All That and The Amanda Show for Nickelodeon.

Gary Marsh, president of entertainment, Disney Channel Worldwide, stated "This series is rooted in one of the core thematic attributes that we stand for, which is following your dreams, there also was the opportunity to do a hybrid show."[7] The show began production on September 15, 2008 and the first season was taped at Stage 11 at NBC Studios in Burbank, California;[7] for the second season, the show's production moved to Hollywood Center Studios in Hollywood, California, where The Suite Life on Deck, Wizards of Waverly Place and Jonas L.A. are also taped.

Lovato's departure[]

It was announced on November 12, 2010 that the third season would begin production without Lovato, due to her recovering from health issues. The series would now focus on the sketch/comedy/music-variety show So Random!, centering around guest stars, sketches, digital shorts, and musical performances, a similar format to Saturday Night Live, but targeted at a much younger audience.[6][8] Production of the third season began on January 30, 2011.[9][10]

On April 19, 2011, People.com reported that Demi Lovato would not be returning for the third season.[11] As a result, the show would be renamed So Random! and focus only on the sketches rather than the behind-the-scenes antics. As a result of Lovato's departure from Sonny with a Chance, the series is the second Disney Channel original series to have its lead actor/actress leave during the series' run (after So Weird), and the fourth Disney Channel series to have a main cast member leave the series during its run (with That's So Raven and Jonas L.A. also included).[12]

The third season was then turned into its own new series based on its new format.

Shows within the show[]

So Random![]

So Random! is a comedy sketch series that employs most of the main cast. It often causes the cast of Sonny with a Chance to dress in ridiculous costumes, and act out nonsensical situations. This was spun-off to its own series after Lovato's departure.[8]

Mackenzie Falls[]

The enemies of the So Random! group, Mackenzie Falls is a tween drama series featuring comedic overacting. The show is similar to Dawson's Creek and Gossip Girl, among others. The show's name, Mackenzie Falls, comes from Chad's character's name and the name of the town (which is located near a waterfall). In the season two episode "The Legend of Candy Face", the cast of So Random! made a parody of Mackenzie Falls titled Mackenzie Stalls, which was set in a bathroom. Minisodes and promos can be seen on the Sonny with a Chance website.

Tweenage Gladiators[]

A show that features tweens competing in an obstacle course.

Episodes[]

List of Sonny with a Chance episodes

Theme song and opening sequence[]

The show's theme song "So Far, So Great", was written by Jeanne Lurie, Chen Neeman and Aristedis "Aris" Archontis, who have each written songs for several artists on Disney-owned Hollywood Records. It is performed by series actress Demi Lovato. The theme is of pop-rock style (the music cues composed by Chris Alan Lee and Scott Clausen, signaling scene changes and commercial breaks are styled similarly).

A full-length version of this theme was released via the Radio Disney network on March 31, 2009, less than two months after the show's U.S. premiere. The theme song is also featured as a track on the Disney compilation album, Disney Channel Playlist, released by Walt Disney Records on June 9, 2009. It is also available as the 14th track on Lovato's second album Here We Go Again, released by Hollywood Records on July 21, 2009.

In the Russian version of the series ("Дайте Санни шанс" aka Give Sonny a Chance), the cast member's names are rendered in Cyrillic—and the intro is performed by a different Russian girl in Russian (not by Demi Lovato). [1] Otherwise, in translation the intro music is not changed.

In the Brazilian Portuguese version ("Sunny Entre Estrelas"), the intro music is sung in translation.

Soundtrack[]

The show's soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on October 5, 2010.[13] It was preceded by the single "Me, Myself and Time", which was released on August 3.[14] This theme tune continued through the first season and second

DVD releases[]

Compilations[]

Title Release date Episodes
Sonny with a Chance: Sonny's Big Break August 25, 2009 (USA) "Sketchy Beginnings", "West Coast Story", "Sonny at the Falls", "Cheater Girls", "Sonny in the Middle" (bonus episode)
Bonus features include a never before seen season 1 episode entitled, "Sonny in the Middle". The DVD also includes a Mackenzie Falls season finale short, a collectible card and Demi Lovato's official 2007 audition tape for the series.

Season volumes[]

DVD Title Release Date Episodes Featured Bonus Features
Season 1: Volume 1: Hello, Hollywood! AUS: March 3, 2010[15]
UK: August 2, 2010[16]

First seven episodes (4:3 versions)

  • "Sketchy Beginnings"
  • "West Coast Story"
  • "Sonny At The Falls"
  • "You've got Fan Mail"
  • "Cheater Girls"
  • "Three's not Company"
  • "Poll'd Apart"
  • Mackenzie Falls Mini-Episodes
Season 1: Volume 2: So Far, So Great! AUS: June 2, 2010[17]
UK: August 23, 2010[18]

Seven episodes (4:3 versions)

  • "Fast Friends"
  • "Sonny with a Chance of Dating"
  • "Sonny And The Studio Brat"
  • "Promises, Prom-Misses"
  • "The Heartbreak Kids"
  • "Battle of the Networks' Stars"
  • "Prank'd"
  • Cast Auditions
Season 1: Volume 3: Star On The Rise! AUS: August 3, 2010
UK: September 13, 2010

Seven episodes (4:3 versions)

  • "Tales From the Prop House"
  • "Sonny in the Kitchen with Dinner"
  • "Guess Who's Coming to Guest Star?"
  • "Hart to Hart"
  • "Sonny in the Middle"
  • "Cookie Monsters"
  • "Sonny: So Far"
  • Blooper Reel
Season 2: Volume 1: Sonny With a Chance of So Random! AUS: N/A
UK: N/A

Eight episodes (4:4 versions)

  • "Walk a Mile in my Pants"
  • "Sonny With a Goat"
  • "Gassie Passes"
  • "Sonny With a Song"
  • "High School Miserable"
  • "Legend of Candy Face"
  • "Random Act of Disrespect"
  • "Gummy With a Chance"
  • Cast of Season 2 Interview
Season 2: Volume 2: Channy in Love? AUS:
UK: N/A

Ten Episodes (4:6 versions)

  • "Falling for the Falls (Part 1)
  • "Falling for the Falls (Part 2)
  • "Sonny With a Secret"
  • "The Problem with Pauly"
  • "That's So Sonny"
  • "Chad Without a Chance"
  • "My Two Chads"
  • "A So Random! Halloween Special"
  • "Sonny With a 100% Chance of Meddling"
  • "Dakota's Revenge"
  • Alternate Ending of Sonny With a Secret
Season 2: Volume 3: Up & Down AUS:
UK: N/A

Six episodes (4:2 versions)

  • "Sonny With a Kiss"
  • "A So Random! Holiday Special"
  • "Sonny With a Grant"
  • "Marshall With a Chance"
  • "Sonny With a Choice"
  • "New Girl"
  • Season 2 Wrap Party

Complete seasons[]

The complete first season was released on May 7, 2010 in Poland[19] and Mexico, and on August 26, 2010 in Germany.[20]

Awards[]

Year Award Category Recipient Result
2009 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Breakout Star Female Demi Lovato Won[21]
2009 Australian Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Comedy Show Sonny with a Chance Nominated[22]
2010 2010 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite TV Show Sonny with a Chance Nominated[23]
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Show: Comedy Sonny with a Chance Nominated[24]
Choice TV Actress: Comedy Demi Lovato Nominated[24]
Choice TV Actor: Comedy Sterling Knight Nominated[24]
Young Artist Awards Best Performance In A TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Supporting Young Actress Allisyn Ashley Arm Nominated[25]
Hollywood Teen TV Awards Teen Show Pick: Comedy Sonny with a Chance Won[26]
Teen Pick Actor: Comedy Sterling Knight Won[26]
Teen Pick Actress: Comedy Demi Lovato Won[26]
2011 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV Actress: Comedy Demi Lovato Nominated[27][28]
ALMA Awards Favorite TV Actress – Leading Role in a Comedy Demi Lovato Won[29]

International release[]

Country / Region Channel Season 1 Premiere Season 2 Premiere Title
 United States Disney Channel February 8, 2009 March 14, 2010 Sonny with a Chance
 Canada Family Channel April 5, 2010
 United Kingdom Disney Channel (UK and Ireland) April 23, 2010
 Ireland
 Australia Disney Channel Australia April 27, 2009 May 10, 2010
Seven Network (on Saturday Disney) February 13, 2010 February 12, 2011
 New Zealand Disney Channel Australia April 27, 2009 May 10, 2010
TV 2 August 15, 2010 TBA
 Israel Disney Channel Israel July 1, 2010 February 10, 2011 תנו לסוני צ'אנס
 France Disney Channel France May 13, 2009 September 8, 2010 Sonny
NRJ 12 January 10, 2010 TBA
 Chile Canal 13 (Chile) July 12, 2010 September 25, 2010 Sunny Entre Estrellas
Disney Channel Latin America May 24, 2009 (Advance)
May 29, 2009 (Premiere)
April 18, 2010
 India
 Sri Lanka
Disney Channel India May 22, 2009 November 20, 2010 Sonny with a Chance
 Paraguay Disney Channel Latin America May 24, 2009 (Advance)
May 29, 2009 (Premiere)
April 18, 2010 Sunny Entre Estrellas
 Uruguay
 Colombia
 Argentina
 Peru
 Mexico Disney Channel Latin America May 24, 2009 (Advance)
May 29, 2009 (Premiere)
April 18, 2010
Azteca 7 July 15, 2010 TBA
 Spain Disney Channel Spain June 20, 2009 June 18, 2010 Sonny Entre Estrellas
 Brazil Disney Channel Brazil May 24, 2009 (Advance)
May 29, 2009 (Premiere)
April 18, 2010 Sunny entre Estrelas
 Portugal Disney Channel Portugal June 20, 2009 (Advance)
June 27, 2009 (Premiere)
June 25, 2010
 Japan Disney Channel Japan May 28, 2009 2010 サニーwithチャンス
 Germany Disney Channel Germany May 29, 2009 September 3, 2010 Sonny Munroe
Super RTL November 8, 2009 (Advance)
February 27, 2010 (Premiere)
2010
 Italy Disney Channel Italy June 18, 2009 May 15, 2010 Sonny tra le Stelle
Italia 1 May 3, 2010 TBA
 Poland Disney Channel Poland June 20, 2009 (Advance)
September 5, 2009 (Premiere)
May 1, 2010 Słoneczna Sonny
Template:ALB Junior TV (DigitAlb) 2011 Soni mes yjesh
 Denmark Disney Channel Scandinavia August 21, 2009 2010 Sonnys Chance
 Sweden Sonnys chans
 Norway Sonnys sjanse
 Latvia Sonijas Iespēja
 Finland Sonnyn tilaisuus
 Estonia Sonny with a Chance
 South Africa Disney Channel South Africa September 5, 2009 May 1, 2010
 Turkey Disney Channel Turkey March 1, 2011 Sonny'nin Yıldızı
Template:TWN Disney Channel Taiwan September 12, 2009 加油!桑妮
Arab League Arab World Disney Channel Middle East Sonny with a Chance
 Hong Kong Disney Channel Asia October 17, 2009 April 3, 2011
Template:PAK
Template:SIN
Template:MYS
 Philippines
Template:IDN
Template:VIE
 Thailand
 South Korea Disney Channel Korea 유쾌한 써니/기회를 가진 써니
 Greece Disney Channel Greece November 7, 2009 May 1, 2010 Μια Ευκαιρία για τη Σόνυ
ERT November 11, 2010
 Romania Disney Channel Romania December 5, 2009 September 11, 2010 Sonny şi steluţa ei norocoasă
 Bulgaria Съни на алеята на славата
 Ukraine August 10, 2010 У Сонні є шанс
 Hungary Disney Channel Central and Eastern Europe December 5, 2009 Sonny, a sztárjelölt
 Czech Republic Sonny ve velkém světě
 Slovakia
 Netherlands Disney Channel Benelux January 18, 2010 August 27, 2010 Sonny with a Chance
 Belgium
 Russia Disney Channel Russia September 4, 2010 March 6, 2011 Дайте Санни шанс

References[]

  1. "So far so great". Retrieved April 21, 2010. {{cite web}}:
  2. Michael Schneider (2008-05-20). "'Mollywood' welcomed to Disney – Demi Lovato to star in live-action series". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117986208.html?categoryid=14&cs=1. Retrieved 2008-05-21. 
  3. Teen Mag 5:00 PM http://www.seventeen.com/teenmag/sonny-with-a-chance-new-name www.seventeen.com 2011-03-04
  4. http://perezhilton.com/2011-03-04-demi-lovato-sonny-with-a-chance-changes-name-to-so-random www.perezhilton.com 2011-03-04
  5. http://www.clevvertv.com/tv-show-news/22467/brandon-smith-talks-sonny-with-a-chance-name-change.html www.clevvertv.com 2011-03-01
  6. 6.0 6.1 Schneider, Michael (November 12, 2010). "Disney to rework Demi Lovato series". Variety. Retrieved November 14, 2010. {{cite web}}:
  7. 7.0 7.1 Kimberly Nordyke (May 20, 2008). "Disney greenlights 'Mollywood'". The Hollywood Reporter 404: 3. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080528095817/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0a20bf2d051d830ebe1ed2bf32e5392e. Retrieved May 20, 2008. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 Disney Channel to Revamp Demi Lovato Series Yahoo!.com
  9. Finn, Jessica (January 7, 2011). "We Know The Official Start Date For 'Sonny With A Chance' — Will Demi Make It Out In Time? Exclusive!". Hollywood Life. Retrieved January 7, 2011. {{cite web}}:
  10. Grego, Melissa (November 4, 2010). "Disney Channels Ramp Up Series Episodes By 30 Percent". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved November 5, 2010. {{cite web}}:
  11. Demi Lovato Is Leaving Sonny with a Chance – People.com
  12. Demi Lovato Exits Disney Series: 'I Don't Think It Would Be Healthy for My Recovery' – TVLine.com
  13. Sonny with a Chance Soundtrack
  14. iTunes Preview Page
  15. "From teen wizards to rock stars on Disney". Bribie Weekly: p. 12. January 8, 2010. 
  16. Sonny With A Chance: Hello Hollywood – Season 1: Volume 1
  17. "Jonas Thrice the Fun". Sunday Herald Sun: p. 4. May 30, 2010. 
  18. Sonny With A Chance: So Far, So Great – Season 1: Volume 2
  19. "łeb pełen filmów!" . Filmweb.pl. Retrieved 2010-04-21. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  20. "Fanartikel-Kalender". SaveDisneyShows.de. Retrieved 2010-04-21. {{cite web}}:
  21. "Announcing the Winners of the 2009 Teen Choice Awards!". {{cite web}}:
  22. "2009 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Australia – Winners". {{cite web}}:
  23. "2010 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards – Nominees". {{cite web}}:
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 "2010 Teen Choice Awards – Winners". {{cite web}}:
  25. "31st Annual Young Artist Awards". Young Artist Awards. {{cite web}}:
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 "Hollywood Teen TV Awards". {{cite web}}:
  27. "Nominados a los Teen Choice Awards 2011". {{cite web}}:
  28. "Teen Choice Awards 2011 winners". {{cite web}}:
  29. "The 2011 ALMA Award Winners". {{cite web}}:

External links[]

Sonny with a Chance at TVGuide.com

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