Sonny with a Chance

### Producers

Brian Robbins, Sharla Sumpter Bridgett, Michael Feldman, Steve Marmel and Peter Gary Cox

### Production Companies

Varsity Pictures
 It's a Laugh Productions

### Followed By

So Random!

**Sonny with a Chance** is an American television series created by Steve Marmel.

The series aired on Disney Channel from February 8, 2009 to January 2, 2011.

## Cast and Characters

### Main

* Demi Lovato as Allison "Sonny" Munroe
* Tiffany Thornton as Tawni Hart
* Sterling Knight as Chad Dylan Cooper
* Brandon Mychal Smith as Nico Harris
* Doug Brochu as Grady Ronald Mitchell
* Allisyn Ashley Arm as Zora Lancaster

### Recurring

* Michael Kostroff as Marshall Pike
* Nancy McKeon as Connie Munroe
* Dan Roebuck as Mr. Condor
* G. Hannelius as Dakota Condor
* Vicki Lewis as Joy Bitterman
* Steve Hytner as Murphy
* Devaughn Nixon as Trevor
* Ashley Jackson as Chloe
* Leslie-Anne Huff as Penelope
* William Georges as Devin
* Jullian Murray as Portlyn Maddison
* Andrew Parker as Bart
* Gassie as Gassie the Toot'n Pooch
* Lanny Horn as Howie
* Preston Jones as Grant Mitchell
* Skyler Day as Mel Winters

## Episodes

See Also: List of Sonny with a Chance Episodes

 2 | 26

## Spin-offs

### 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 a spin-off to its own series after Lovato's departure.

## Music

See Also: Sonny with a Chance (Soundtrack)

The soundtrack was released on October 5, 2010 by Walt Disney Records.

## Production

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 for 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. Bridgit Mendler was among many actresses whom auditioned for the title role, but Lovato was eventually cast.

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 were also filmed.

## Release

The series originally premiered on February 8, 2009 on Disney Channel, Family Channel, and Disney Channel (UK and Ireland). In Australia it premiered on April 27, 2009 on Disney Channel and on February 13, 2010 on Seven Network. In New Zealand the series premiered on April 27, 2009 on Disney Channel and on August 15, 2010 on TV2. The series started airing on May 22, 2009 on Disney Channel (India), on September 5, 2009 on Disney Channel (Europe, Middle East and Africa), and on October 17, 2009 on Disney Channel (Southeast Asia).

The second season originally premiered on March 14, 2010. It premiered on April 5, 2010 in Canada and on April 23, 2010 in the UK and Ireland. In New Zealand it premiered on May 10, 2010 on Disney Channel. In Australia it started on the same date on Disney Channel and on February 12, 2011 on Seven Network. It premiered on November 20, 2010 in India, on May 1, 2010 in the EMEA region and on April 3, 2011 in Southeast Asia.

## Reception

### Critical Response

Currently the most watched episode of the series is "Walk a Mile in My Pants" with 6.3 million viewers. The episode "Gassie Passes" is the least watched episode, scoring 2.9 million viewers.

### Demi 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. Instead, the series focused on the sketch/comedy/music-variety show So Random!, centering on 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 was renamed So Random! and focused on the sketches rather than the behind-the-scenes antics. As a result of Lovato's departure from Sonny with a Chance, the series became 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 also included).

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

## Home Media

The complete first season, containing all three volume, was released in Poland on May 7, 2010, in Czech Republic on June 9, 2010, and in Spain on November 10, 2010.

## Merchandise

### Video Games

Sonny with a Chance is a video game published by Disney Interactive Studios for the Nintendo DS. It was released on March 16, 2010 in America.