Sonny with a Chance

Sonny with a Chance
Official logo art
Created by	Steve Marmel
Directed by	David Trainer Eric Dean Seaton
Starring	Demi Lovato Tiffany Thornton Sterling Knight Brandon Mychal Smith Doug Brochu Allisyn Ashley Arm
Opening theme	"So Far, So Great" Performed by Demi Lovato
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	12 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Brian Robbins Sharla Sumpter Bridgett Michael Feldman Steve Marmel
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	23 minutes
Production companies	Varsity Pictures It's a Laugh Productions
Original release
Network	Disney Channel
Release	February 8, 2009 – present

Sonny With a Chance is a Disney Channel Original Comedy Series that debuted on February 8, 2009.

The series is the first Disney Channel Original Series to be produced in High Definition, though like previous sitcoms produced for the channel, it is shot on videotape; but utilizes a 'filmed' appearance, instead of the simulated film look of past shows.

About the Show

The series features a girl named Sonny Munroe (Demi Lovato) from Wisconsin, who moves with her mother to shoot a sketch comedy So Random!. The series follows Sonny, her family and new friends in Hollywood and at the studio as Sonny will do her best to make new friends with the cast of the show, who all seem to like with Sonny except for Tawni, because she does not want to share the spotlight. It is also about So Random's feud with Mackenzie Falls, a popular tween drama show which stars Chad Dylan Cooper, So Random's enemy.

Production

Sonny With a Chance has a show-within-a-show, So Random!, complete with fully-produced comedy sketches. Sonny is executive produced by Brian Robbins who previously produced and created the real-life kids sketch comedy series All That 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 dream, there also was the opportunity to do a hybrid show." The show began production on September 19, 2008.

Characters

Main

• Allison "Sonny" Munroe (Demi Lovato) is the newest cast member and a main character of So Random!. She is nice, caring and often a little goofy. She is also from Wisconsin. Sonny is friends with Nico, Grady and Zora. She has an off and on friendship with Tawni, and Chad Dylan Cooper (whom she has a love/hate relationship with).
• Tawni Hart (Tiffany Thornton) is a snobby cast member of So Random!. She dislikes Sonny at first because she doesn't want to share her spotlight, but later accepts her. In an episode, Tawni reveals that she does like Sonny, but never expexted that Sonny would be good at the show. Deep down, Tawni is really jealous of Sonny, but will never admit it.
• Chad Dylan Cooper (Sterling Knight) stars as MacKenzie in MacKenzie Falls a TV drama and a rival show of So Random!, which he often refers to as "Chuckle City." He is a rival to all the cast members of So Random! although he has a love/hate relationship with Sonny.He has a banned wall outside of MacKenzie Falls, which includes "banned members of So Random!" and Zac Efron.
• Nico Harris (Brandon Mychal Smith) is a cast member of So Random! and is best friends with Grady. He is side-tracked by girls easily and is very smooth. He is usually seen with a hat on that matches his outfit.He and Grady are often up to schemes
• Grady Mitchell (Doug Brochu) is a cast member of So Random! and best friends with Nico. In most of the sketches on So Random he "Always plays the thing that comes out of Nico" (i.e. in a sketch where Nico has to play a chicken, Grady ends up playing the egg). However, Nico seems to state at one point in the pilot, the situation had been vice versa.
• Zora Lancaster (Allisyn Ashley Arm) is the youngest cast member of So Random!. She has a very weird and quirky personality, and always seems to be up to a suspicious scheme or project. She is a prankster as well. She also has a grandma who sends her home-baked chocolate chip cookies.

Recurring

• Connie Munroe (Nancy McKeon) is Sonny's mother. She is a bit strange, but she gives good advice. She obviously cares for Sonny and wants her to get good grades.
• Marshall Pike (Michael Kostroff) is the executive producer of So Random!.
• Portlyn (Jillian Murray) is a cast member of MacKenzie Falls. She is Chad's love interest on the show of MacKenzie Falls and she is often proven to be dumb.

Shows within the show

So Random!

So Random! is the TV sketch comedy show featured in Sonny With a Chance. Throughout the show, several mini-skits, often focusing on absurd situations, are filmed. Everyone plays different roles, but the roles are different in each sketch. This is similiar to 'The Amanda Show', or is like a kid-friendly version of 'Saturday Night Live'.

Sketches performed on So Random! by episode:

"Sketchy Beginnings":

• "Dolphin Boy"- Grady is the main character who is "half-boy, half-dolphin". The sketch's tagline is "Who da mammal?".
• "One Bad Bee"- Sonny writes this sketch which is spoken in rap form.

"West Coast Story":

• "Fasty's Really Fast Food"- A restaurant-based sketch where the food items ordered are thrown abruptly at the customers.

"Sonny at the Falls":

• "Loser Force Five"- Sonny wrote this sketch about five pathetic superheroes, but it was rejected by the others.

"You've Got Fan Mail":

• "So You Think You Can PP Dance?"- Name is a parody on So You Think You Can Dance?. Features contestants who have full bladders while dancing.
• "Baby Waa Waa"

"Cheater Girls":

• "Check It Out Girls"-this is a sketch located in a grocery store where Tawni and Sonny use the phrase "Check out his/her..." to insult various people.

MacKenzie Falls

MacKenzie Falls is a popular teen drama- starring Chad Dylan Cooper that films on an adjacent stage to So Random!. There is a longstanding rivalry between the two casts because the cast of MacKenzie Falls thinks that the cast of So Random aren't real actors.On their set they have a chocolate fountain, various snacks, massage room, and a meditation room. "MacKenzie Falls" is like "Gossip Girls".

Episodes

Main article: List of Sonny With a Chance episodes

Seasons	Episodes	First Air Date	Last Air Date
Season 1	20	February 8, 2009	2009

Reception

The show premiered with two back-to-back episodes, the first episode drew a total of 4.1 million viewers, the second 4.0 million viewers.

International release

Country / Region	Network(s)	Series premiere
Canada	Family Channel	March 16, 2009
United States	Disney Channel	February 8, 2009
United Kingdom	Disney Channel	March 20, 2009
Spain	Disney Channel	April 2, 2009
Australia	Seven Network	April 4, 2009
India	Disney Channel India	December, 2009

Sonny With a Chance will premiere in Canada on Family Channel during the March Break from Monday March 16, 2009 to Friday March 20 2009 at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT. It will premiere during its regular timeslot Fridays at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT beginning Friday March 27 2009.

References

• Michael Schneider (2008-05-20). "'Hollywood' welcomed to Disney - Demi Lovato to star in live-action series". Variety. Retrieved 2008-05-21.

External links

• Sonny With a Chance Official site
• Sonny With a Chance at TV.com
• Sonny With a Chance Wiki at Wikia
• IMDb profile