So Random!

**So Random!** is an American teen sitcom television series created by Steve Marmel. The series aired on Disney Channel from June 5, 2011 to March 25, 2012 and had a total of one season. It is also the spin-off to the 2009 series Sonny with a Chance.

## Cast and Characters

### Main

* Tiffany Thornton as Tawni Hart
* Sterling Knight as Chad Dylan Cooper
* Brandon Mychal Smith as Nico Harris
* Doug Brochu as Grady Mitchell
* Allisyn Ashley Arm as Zora Lancaster

### Recurring

* Matthew Scott Montgomery as Matthew Bailey
* Shayne Topp as Shayne Zabo
* Damien Haas as Damien Johanssen
* Bridget Shergalis as Bridget Cook
* Audrey Whitby as Audrey Vale

### Notable Appearances

#### Performers

* Cody Simpson
* Greyson Chance
* Selena Gomez & The Scene
* Mitchel Musso
* Jacob Latimore
* Mindless Behavior
* Colbie Caillat
* Kicking Daisies
* Dave Days
* Far East Movement
* Hot Chelle Rae
* Iyaz and Mann
* Leomande Mouth
* Pia Toscano
* Justin Bieber
* Christina Grimmie
* Andy Grammer
* The Ready Set
* China Anne McClain
* New Boyz
* Shane Harper
* Destinee & Paris

#### Participators (in Sketches)

* Tony Hawk
* Eric Jacobson
* Chelsea Kane
* Leigh-Allyn Baker and Mia Talerico
* Dylan Sprouse, Cole Sprouse and Debby Ryan

#### Performers and Participators

* Bridgit Mendler and Adam Hicks
* Mitchel Musso
* Far East Movement and Miguel
* China Anne McClain
* Coco Jones

## Production

In Sonny with a Chance, Demi Lovato plays the title character, Sonny Monroe, a new member of the cast of the sketch comedy show So Random!, which is presented as a show-within-a-show. The series follows the experiences of Sonny and the rest of the cast. The full length sketch comedy episode format was played within Sonny with a Chance during Season 2 of the series for the Christmas and Halloween episodes. In November 2010, Lovato underwent treatment for "physical and emotional issues," and in April 2011, she confirmed that she would not be returning to Sonny with a Chance for its third season. She stated that returning to acting immediately wouldn't be healthy for her recovery.

Following Lovato's departure from the series, So Random! was introduced as its own series that will focus more on comedy skits than Sonny with a Chance. Filming for the season began on January 30, 2011. Each episode features sketch comedy skits with the So Random! cast, as well as a musical performance by a guest star. Originally intended to be a third season of Sonny with a Chance, Disney began to describe the show as a separate series following Lovato's confirmed departure.

Each episode typically consists of five or six sketches. Though it is formatted as a sketch comedy series, So Random! retains the fictional universe style of the sitcom it spun off from, with the main cast members playing both the characters they originated on Sonny with a Chance, in addition to playing the characters appearing in each of the sketches. Such a reference to Sonny with a Chance was made when Grady kept hitting the applause button while trying to open a pickle jar and Zora goes offstage to tell him to stop. She asks what he's doing, and he tells her that he always has a pickle before the show and can't open the jar. Zora opens the jar without difficulty, horrifying Grady. However, the episode "Miss Piggy" would be the first and only episode to feature backstage scenes where Grady, Zora and a couple other cast members visit Miss Piggy in her dressing room.

Each episode is typically written by two writers (whereas opening segments and sketches in a traditional sketch comedy series are written by a team of up to twelve writers).

## Broadcast

The series premiered on Disney Channel on June 5, 2011 and on Family Channel on June 10, 2011. It premiered on July 27, 2011 on Disney Channel (Australia and New Zealand) and on October 31, 2011 on Disney Channel (UK and Ireland).

The show became available to stream on Disney+ on April 3, 2020, however it's listed as "Season 3" of Sonny with a Chance, instead of as a separate series.

## Reception

### Critical Response

The series's premiere earned mixed reviews. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media gave the series four out of five stars, writing, "Sonny spin-off offers family-friendly sketch comedy, an excellent choice for families".

**Seasons:** Season 1
**Episodes:** List of So Random! Episodes