So Random!

**So Random!** is an American television series created by Steve Marmel. It is a spin-off to the series Sonny with a Chance.

The series aired on Disney Channel from June 5, 2011 to March 25, 2012.

## 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 Ronald Mitchell
* Allisyn Ashley Arm as Zora Lancaster

### Recurring

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

### Guest Stars

#### Performers

* Cody Simpson - "All Day"
* Greyson Chance - "Waiting Outside the Lines"
* Selena Gomez & the Scene - "Who Says"
* Mitchel Musso - "Get Away"
* Jacob Latimore - "Like 'Em All"
* Mindless Behavior - "My Girl"
* Colbie Caillat - "Brighter Than the Sun"
* Kicking Daisies - "Keeping Secrets"
* Dave Days - "What Does it Take"
* Fast East Movement - "Rocketeer"
* Hot Chelle Rae - "Tonight Tonight"
* Iyaz and Mann - "Pretty Girls"
* Lemonade Mouth - "Determinate"
* Pia Toscano - "This Time"
* Justin Bieber - "Mistletoe"
* Christina Grimmie - "Advice"
* Andy Grammer - "Keep Your Head Up"
* The Ready Set - "Young Forever"
* China Anne McClain - "Unstoppable"
* New Boyz - "Meet My Mom"
* Shane Harper - "One Step Closer"
* Destinee & Paris - "True Love"

#### Participators

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

## Release

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).

## Reception

### Critical Response

The series' 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".