Sonny with a Chance Information

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!.

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!.

Characters

Main characters

• Demi Lovato as Allison "Sonny" Munroe

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.

• Tiffany Thornton as Tawni Hart

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 is 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 Sunny 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 enought 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.

• Brandon Mychal Smith as Nico Harris

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." The show began production on September 15, 2008 and the first season was taped at Stage 11 at NBC Studios in Burbank, California; 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. Production of the third season began on January 30, 2011.

On April 19, 2011, People.com reported that Demi Lovato would not be returning for the third season. 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).

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

Shows within the show

So Random!

See List of So Random! sketches for more information 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.

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.

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 Scott Clausen and Christopher Lee, 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 (""???"?? ????? ????" 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). 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

See Sonny with a Chance (soundtrack) for more information The show's soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records on October 5, 2010. It was preceded by the single "Me, Myself and Time", which was released on August 3. 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 UK: August 2, 2010	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 UK: August 23, 2010	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 and Mexico, and on August 26, 2010 in Germany.

Awards

Year	Award	Category	Recipient	Result
2009	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV: Breakout Star Female	Demi Lovato
	2009 Australian Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite Comedy Show	Sonny with a Chance
2010	2010 Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite TV Show	Sonny with a Chance
	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Show: Comedy	Sonny with a Chance
		Choice TV Actress: Comedy	Demi Lovato
		Choice TV Actor: Comedy	Sterling Knight
	Young Artist Awards	Best Performance In A TV Series (Comedy or Drama) " Supporting Young Actress	Allisyn Ashley Arm
	Hollywood Teen TV Awards	Teen Show Pick: Comedy	Sonny with a Chance
		Teen Pick Actor: Comedy	Sterling Knight
		Teen Pick Actress: Comedy	Demi Lovato
2011	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Actress: Comedy	Demi Lovato
	ALMA Awards	Favorite TV Actress " Leading Role in a Comedy	Demi Lovato

International release

Country / Region	Channel	Season 1 Premiere	Season 2 Premiere	Title
	Disney Channel	February 8, 2009	March 14, 2010	Sonny with a Chance
	Family Channel		April 5, 2010
	Disney Channel (UK and Ireland)		April 23, 2010
	Disney Channel Australia	April 27, 2009	May 10, 2010
	Seven Network (on Saturday Disney)	February 13, 2010	February 12, 2011
	Disney Channel Australia	April 27, 2009	May 10, 2010
	TV 2	August 15, 2010	TBA
	Disney Channel Israel	July 1, 2010	February 10, 2011	??"? ??"??? ?'???
	Disney Channel France	May 13, 2009	September 8, 2010	Sonny
	NRJ 12	January 10, 2010	TBA
	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
	Disney Channel India	May 22, 2009	November 20, 2010	Sonny with a Chance
	Disney Channel Latin America	May 24, 2009 (Advance) May 29, 2009 (Premiere)	April 18, 2010	Sunny Entre Estrellas
	Disney Channel Latin America	May 24, 2009 (Advance) May 29, 2009 (Premiere)	April 18, 2010
	Azteca 7	July 15, 2010	TBA
	Disney Channel Spain	June 20, 2009	June 18, 2010	Sonny Entre Estrellas
	Disney Channel Brazil	May 24, 2009 (Advance) May 29, 2009 (Premiere)	April 18, 2010	Sunny entre Estrelas
	Disney Channel Portugal	June 20, 2009 (Advance) June 27, 2009 (Premiere)	June 25, 2010
	Disney Channel Japan	May 28, 2009	2010	"?"??with???"?
	Disney Channel Germany	May 29, 2009	September 3, 2010	Sonny Munroe
	Super RTL	November 8, 2009 (Advance) February 27, 2010 (Premiere)	2010
	Disney Channel Italy	June 18, 2009	May 15, 2010	Sonny tra le Stelle
	Italia 1	May 3, 2010	TBA
	Disney Channel Poland	June 20, 2009 (Advance) September 5, 2009 (Premiere)	May 1, 2010	S"?oneczna Sonny
	Junior TV (DigitAlb)	2011		Soni mes yjesh
	Disney Channel Scandinavia	August 21, 2009	2010	Sonnys Chance
				Sonnys chans
				Sonnys sjanse
				Sonijas Iesp"ja
				Sonnyn tilaisuus
				Sonny with a Chance
	Disney Channel South Africa	September 5, 2009	May 1, 2010
	Disney Channel Turkey		March 1, 2011	Sonny'nin Y?ld?z?
	Disney Channel Taiwan	September 12, 2009		???"??
Arab World	Disney Channel Middle East			Sonny with a Chance
	Disney Channel Asia	October 17, 2009	April 3, 2011
	Disney Channel Korea			??"? ?"?/??? ?"? ?"?
	Disney Channel Greece	November 7, 2009	May 1, 2010	??? "?"??????? ??? "?? ???"?
	ERT	November 11, 2010
	Disney Channel Romania	December 5, 2009	September 11, 2010	Sonny ?i stelu?a ei norocoas?
				???? ?? ????"?? ?? ?????"??
		August 10, 2010		? ????- "? ????
	Disney Channel Central and Eastern Europe	December 5, 2009		Sonny, a sztárjelölt
				Sonny ve velkém sv"?t"?
	Disney Channel Benelux	January 18, 2010	August 27, 2010	Sonny with a Chance
	Disney Channel Russia	September 4, 2010	March 6, 2011	"???"?? ????? ????