Sonny With a Chance

Sonny with a Chance is an American teen sitcom created by Steve Marmel that aired on Disney Channel for two seasons between February 2009 and January 2011. The series centers on Sonny Munroe, portrayed by Demi Lovato, a teenage comedian from Wisconsin who joins the cast of a sketch comedy television series titled So Random! after moving to Hollywood, Los Angeles. Episodes deal with Sonny's attempts to develop relationships with her castmates and establish her role within the group, focusing on her life working on the show's set, as well as coming to terms with her newfound fame. The main themes depicted include the focus on friendships and adolescence. The series also stars Tiffany Thornton, Sterling Knight, Brandon Mychal Smith, Doug Brochu and Allisyn Ashley Arm. Sonny with a Chance also contains fully produced comedy sketches from the show-within-a-show. These elements draw inspiration from the Nickelodeon series All That, which executive producers Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett previously worked on, as well as 30 Rock.

The Walt Disney Company commissioned the series to follow its successful comedy programs of the 2000s, including Hannah Montana and Wizards of Waverly Place, starring Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez respectively. Lovato was cast to continue heraffiliation with the network after her role in the television film Camp Rock and the release of music through Disney-owned label Hollywood Records. This cross-promotion was intended to mirror that of Cyrus and Gomez. Varsity Pictures and It's a Laugh Productions produced the program, and it premiered on Disney Channel on February 8, 2009. Sonny with a Chance experienced high viewership in the United States on broadcast television. The series did not receive wide critical coverage. It last aired on January 2, 2011; both seasons have been distributed through digital download and on the Disney+ streaming service.

Initially renewed for a third season, the series' future became uncertain when Lovato underwent treatment for personal struggles in November 2010 and was unable to continue filming for the show. The season entered production without Lovato, with a focus on the elements of the show-within-a-show (sketches, musical performances, and guest stars) as a temporary solution until her return. After it was reported that Lovato would not return to the series in April 2011, the episodes which had been produced were rebranded as the spin-off series So Random!, which aired for one season from 2011 to 2012.

Storyline

Sonny Munroe is a cheerful and ambitious fifteen-year-old from Wisconsin who has experienced success by uploading comedic videos to the internet. After she is discovered in a nationwide casting call, she moves to Hollywood, Los Angeles, to join the cast of a popular sketch comedy series for teenagers titled So Random!. The series centers on Sonny's life working on the program as well as her home life. She comes to terms with the difficulties of working on a television set alongside her castmates, in particular the self-centered Tawni Hart, who is unkind to Sonny. The So Random! cast also includes the suave Nico Harris and his best friend Grady Mitchell, as well as the cunning Zora Lancaster. Comedy sketches from So Random! are included within the series. The cast of So Random! work at the same television studio as their rival television program, Mackenzie Falls, a drama series which stars the teen idol Chad Dylan Cooper. Sonny with a Chance explores the portrayal of a teenager with an ambitious dream, in the same style as other teen series such as Hannah Montana and iCarly. The theme of following dreams is recognized as a prominent attribute of shows produced by Disney Channel.