So Random! is an American sketch comedy television series created by Steve Marmel and developed by Michael Feldman that aired on Disney Channel from June 5, 2011, to March 25, 2012. It was announced as an independent series after Demi Lovato left the parent series, Sonny with a Chance, created by Marmel. The series features the actors from Sonny with a Chance, besides Lovato: Tiffany Thornton, Sterling Knight, Brandon Mychal Smith, Doug Brochu, and Allisyn Ashley Arm along with other featured actors who recur in the series. The series premiere was watched by 4.07 million viewers.
On May 2, 2012, Tiffany Thornton announced that the series had not been renewed for a second season and the show was cancelled after only one season.
Contents
Concept, production and premise
In Sonny with a Chance, Demi Lovato plays the title character, Sonny Munroe, 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, Lovato confirmed that she would not be returning to Sonny with a Chance for its third season, and stated that returning to acting immediately would be unhealthy 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 performance by a music artist. 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. Although 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 is doing, and he tells her that he always has a pickle before the show and cannot open the jar. Zora opens the jar without difficulty, horrifying Grady. However, the episode "Miss Piggy" would be the only episode to feature backstage scenes where Grady, Zora, and several other cast members visit Miss Piggy in her dressing room.
Each episode was 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).
Cast
Main
Except for Demi Lovato, the main cast of So Random! is identical to that of its parent series, Sonny with a Chance.
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
Grace Bannon as Grace Wetzel
Bridget Shergalis as Bridget Cook
Audrey Whitby as Audrey Vale
Guest stars and artists
Cody Simpson, performing "All Day"
Greyson Chance, performing "Waiting Outside the Lines"
Selena Gomez & the Scene, performing "Who Says"
Mitchel Musso, performing "Get Away", and participating in a sketch
Jacob Latimore, performing "Like 'Em All"
Mindless Behavior, performing "My Girl"
Colbie Caillat, performing "Brighter Than the Sun"
Kicking Daisies, performing "Keeping Secrets"
Dave Days, performing "What Does it Take"
Far East Movement and Miguel, performing "Rocketeer", and participating in a sketch
Hot Chelle Rae, performing "Tonight Tonight"
Iyaz and Mann, performing "Pretty Girls"
Lemonade Mouth, performing "Determinate" (with Bridgit Mendler and Adam Hicks also participating in sketches)
Pia Toscano, performing "This Time"
Justin Bieber, performing "Mistletoe"
Christina Grimmie, performing "Advice"
Andy Grammer, performing "Keep Your Head Up"
The Ready Set, performing "Young Forever"
Recurring sketches
Angus: Supermodel from Down Under – An Australian Shin Model who gets into people's personal spaces.
Braggy Benson – A segment about a kid who brags about something bad happening to him.
Chilly Slab Ice Cream Shop – Chilly Slab Ice-Cream Shop is the ice cream shop that celebrates whenever a customer leaves a tip.
Crazy Carson's Lost and Found – A student called Crazy Carson makes advertisements about everything being free at the lost and found.
Dr. Goldstein – A segment about a dentist.
Harry Potter in the Real World – After saving the world many times (but it also states that it's because they ran out of movies), Harry Potter takes on the challenges of the Real World by trying to get a job and pulling off magic spells that don't work.
M.C. Grammar – A rapper who rhymes grammatically corrects people while he raps while he is chased by two gang members. He is a spoof of MC Hammer.
Nolan – A French-speaking hand who gives advice.
Puppy Playdate – Two dimwitted girls named Victoria and Lyla go on a playdate with their dogs with conversations between them end up insulting other people.
Rufus: Kid with Excuses – A boy named Rufus tends to come up with different excuses to evade getting into trouble much to the chagrin of Principal Zaniya and Teacher Joanne. Some of these excuses end up being true.
Raised by Beavers – A buck-toothed girl named Becky was raised by Beavers and tries to hide the fact from anyone she meets.
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).
Video on demand
The series became available to stream on Disney+ on April 3, 2020, however it was listed as season 3 of Sonny with a Chance, instead of as a separate series. On July 14, 2021, both series were separated on the platform.
Critical reception
The series's premiere had 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".
Music
So Random! – Brandon Mychal Smith
"Socks with Sandals" by Footy Scent featuring Hush Puppy – Doug Brochu featuring Brandon Mychal Smith
"Schooled by Grammar" by MC Grammar – Brandon Mychal Smith featuring Tiffany Thornton, Shayne Topp and Sterling Knight
"Bracey Girrlz Rap" by Bracey Girrlz – Allisyn Ashley Arm and Grace Bannon featuring Brandon Mychal Smith and Damien Haas with a voice by Audrey Whitby
"Ketchup on Everything" by Tomatow Sue and the Posse – Allisyn Ashley Arm featuring Brandon Mychal Smith and Doug Brochu
"Candy Pants" by Footy Scent featuring Hush Puppy – Doug Brochu featuring Brandon Mychal Smith
"The Gift of Grammar" by MC Grammar feat. Typo and Dr. Dreidel – Brandon Mychal Smith feat. Shayne Topp, Sterling Knight, Tiffany Thornton and Allisyn Ashley Arm
"Do the Angus" by Angus feat. Gila – Matthew Scott Montgomery feat. Tiffany Thornton
"I'm Your Jamtron" by Jamtron – Damien Haas