| Sonny with a Chance | |
|---|---|
| Format | Teen sitcom Children's/family |
| Created by | Steve Marmel |
| Starring | Demi Lovato Tiffany Thornton Sterling Knight Brandon Mychal Smith Doug Brochu Allisyn Ashley Arm |
| Theme music composer | Jeanne Lurie, Aris Archontis and Chen Neeman |
| Opening theme | "So Far, So Great",[1] performed by Demi Lovato |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 46 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Brian Robbins Sharla Sumpter Bridgett Michael Feldman Steve Marmel |
| Location(s) | NBC Studios Burbank, California (season 1) Hollywood Center Studios Hollywood, California (season 2) |
| Camera setup | Videotape (filmized); Multi-camera |
| Running time | approx. 22-23 and ½ minutes |
| Production company(s) | Varsity Pictures It's a Laugh Productions Disney Channel |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Disney Channel |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original run | February 8, 2009 – January 2, 2011 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | So Random! (2011-Present) |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
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 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 show ended on January 2, 2011 due to Demi Lovato leaving, and is followed by So Random!.[3][4][5]
Contents |
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 on-going feud between the Mackenzie Falls and So Random! casts, especially when she dates the star of "Makenzie 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."
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 only wears Coco Mocho Coco lipstick, as stated in many episodes.
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.
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.
Grady is a cast member of So Random!. He is best friends with Nico. 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.
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. Her infamous hiding spot is the airvent of Sonny and Tawni's dressing room.
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, and then an article in Tiger Beat stated Lovato would be starring in "Mollywood". 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.
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 will 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.
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]
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 Degrassi, 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 seson 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.
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired (U.S. dates) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | |||
| 1 | 21 | February 8, 2009 | November 22, 2009 | |
| 2 | 25 | March 14, 2010 | January 2, 2011 | |
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.
The Sonny with a Chance soundtrack was released on October 5, 2010 via Walt Disney Records.[13] It was preceded by the single "Me, Myself and Time", which was released on August 3.[14]
| 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. | ||
| 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)
|
|
| Season 1: Volume 2: So Far, So Great! | AUS: June 2, 2010[17] UK: August 23, 2010[18] |
Seven episodes (4:3 versions)
|
|
| Season 1: Volume 3: Star On The Rise! | AUS: August 3, 2010 UK: September 13, 2010 |
Seven episodes (4:3 versions)
|
|
| Season 2: Volume 1: Sonny With a Chance of So Random! | AUS: June 2011 UK: N/A |
Eight episodes (4:4 versions)
|
|
| Season 2: Volume 2: Channy in Love? | AUS: UK: N/A |
Ten Episodes (4:6 versions)
|
|
| Season 2: Volume 3: Up & Down | AUS: UK: N/A |
Six episodes (4:2 versions)
|
|
The complete first season was released on May 7, 2010 in Poland[19] and Mexico, and on August 26, 2010 in Germany.[20]
| Year | Award | Category | By | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Teen Choice Awards | "Choice TV - Breakout Star Female" | Demi Lovato | Won |
| Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards | "Favorite Comedy Show" | Sonny with a Chance | Nominated | |
| 2010 | Nickelodeon 2010 Kids' Choice Awards | "Favorite TV Show" | Sonny with a Chance | Nominated |
| Young Artist Awards 2010 | "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Comedy or Drama)" | Allisyn Ashley Arm | Nominated | |
| Teen Choice Awards | "Choice TV Show: Comedy" | Sonny with a Chance | Nominated | |
| "Choice TV Actress: Comedy" | Demi Lovato | Nominated | ||
| "Choice TV Actor: Comedy" | Sterling Knight | Nominated | ||
| Hollywood Teen TV Awards[21] | "Teen Show Pick: Comedy" | Sonny with a Chance | Won | |
| "Teen Pick Actor: Comedy" | Sterling Knight | Won | ||
| "Teen Pick Actress: Comedy" | Demi Lovato | Won | ||
| 2011 | Teen Choice Awards | "Choice TV - Comedy Actress" | Demi Lovato | Nominated |
| Do Something | "TV Star" | Demi Lovato | Won | |
| Alma Awards | "Favorite TV Actress – Leading Role in a Comedy" | Demi Lovato | Won |
| 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 New Zealand | 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 | |
| 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 |
| Albania | 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 | |
| Taiwan | Disney Channel Taiwan | September 12, 2009 | 加油！桑妮 | |
| Arab World | Disney Channel Middle East | Sonny with a Chance | ||
| Hong Kong | Disney Channel Asia | October 17, 2009 | April 3, 2011 | |
| Pakistan | ||||
| Singapore | ||||
| Malaysia | ||||
| Philippines | ||||
| Indonesia | ||||
| Vietnam | ||||
| 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 | Disney Channel Bulgaria | Съни на алеята на славата | ||
| Hungary | Disney Channel Central and Eastern Europe | 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 |
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