Friday was a pretty good day. The cast of So Random including Tiffany Thornton, Sterling Knight, Doug Brochou, Allisyn Ashley Arm, Shayne Topp, Matthew Scott Montgomery, and Damien Haas.
Doesn’t Tiff look pretty? (As always. xD )
Missing where Brandon Smith and Audrey Whitby. I really wanted to meet her. Oh well. I was able to finish my existing Sonny with a Chance autograph though – I just needed Sterling and Doug. =]
I also got my So Random Main cast autographs…
… and another of the “new” Randoms.
I had also wanted to see the Lemonade Mouth cast, Hayley Kiyoko in particular, but they cut the line before I got there. Damn.
You can click any pic for a larger version (as usual) and be sure to visit SoCal Disney on Monday for more in-depth analysis of the D23 Expo (not just DC) and follow @socaldisney on twitter for live news from the Expo floor.
Disney’s new Sonny with a Chance spinoff series So Random is set to premiere next week! As I mentioned before, the new series focuses entirely on the comedy with pretty much no connection to Sonny‘s plot what so ever. Still, it’s got a good cast (<3 U Tiff) and it’s pretty well written. As you may recall, I went to the filming for the 5th episode (Guest staring my love Selena Gomez) and while a few sketches fell flat it was pretty damn funny overall. Plus Demi said to watch it in her live chat on Friday, so all you Demi lovers better do what she says.
Disney’s official press releases follow…
THE TWEEN COMEDY SERIES “SO RANDOM!,”
FIRST MADE POPULAR IN “SONNY WITH A CHANCE,”
BEGINS TO AIR SUNDAY, JUNE 5 (8:30 P.M., ET/PT) ON DISNEY CHANNEL
Featuring an ensemble of talented young actors, the comedy series “So Random!,” first introduced in “Sonny With A Chance,” will air SUNDAY, JUNE 5 (8:30 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel. The series will feature original comedic vignettes parodying pop culture and a wide variety of everyday life, big and small.
The series brings viewers into the audience of “So Random!,” the hit comedy TV show for kids and tweens on “Sonny With A Chance,” where popular characters Tawni, Grady, Nico, Zora and rival Chad Dylan Cooper are joined by new repertory players in original comedy sketches.
Each episode showcases a performance by a special guest or recording artist, including Cody Simpson, Selena Gomez and The Scene, Far East Movement, Colbie Caillat, Mitchel Musso, Mindless Behavior, Coco Jones, Jacob Latimore, The Ready Set, Kicking Daisies, Greyson Chance and Tony Hawk, among others.
Sketches will introduce new comedic characters including Zombie Man, Roadkill Reba, Tantrum Girl, Jack Sparrow, MC Grammar and Bracey Girrlz. Returning will be favorites RoadKill McGill, The Real Princesses of New Jersey and Sally Jensen: Kid Lawyer.
Starring are Tiffany Thornton as Tawni Hart, Sterling Knight as Chad Dylan Cooper, Brandon Mychal Smith as Nico Harris, Doug Brochu as Grady Mitchell, and Allisyn Ashley Arm as Zora Lancaster. Recurring players are Matthew Scott Montgomery, Shayne Topp, Damien Haas, Grace Bannon, Bridgett Shergalis and Audrey Whitby.
The series is executive-produced by Steve Marmel, Michael Feldman, Brian Robbins and Sharla Sumpter Bridgett. “So Random!” is a production of Varsity Pictures and It’s A Laugh Productions, Inc. It carries a TV-G parental guideline.
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SKETCH COMEDY SERIES “SO RANDOM!,” FIRST INTRODUCED IN “SONNY WITH A CHANCE,” BEGINS TO AIR SUNDAY, JUNE 5 ON DISNEY CHANNEL
Australian Musical Sensation Cody Simpson Performs “All Day”
“So Random!” features an ensemble of talented young actors portraying an array of characters in comedy sketches. In the episode, viewers meet “Helmet Ninjas” who fight crime, but not before putting on their headgear, “Zombie Man,” who helps Andy get a date for the school dance, and “Tantrum Girl,” who loses her mind over a glass of crushed ice. Also featured is a parody of “Wheel of Fortune,” in the series debut of “So Random!,” airing SUNDAY, JUNE 5 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel.
The episode features a rocking performance of the hit “All Day” by Australian music sensation, Cody Simpson.
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COMEDY ENSUES IN AN ALL NEW EPISODE OF “SO RANDOM!”
AIRING SUNDAY, JUNE 12 ON DISNEY CHANNEL
Teen Sensation Greyson Chance Performs
Rapper Footy Scent raps about a new fashion trend in “Socks with Sandals,” Reynaldo Rivera teaches Spanish in an unconventional way in “Spanish with Reynaldo” and Jack Sparrow ventures outside the nest in “Jack Sparrow.” The cast performs these skits and more in an all new episode of “So Random!,” airing SUNDAY, JUNE 12 (9:00- 9:30 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel.
The episode includes a special appearance by Greyson Chance performing his song “Waiting Outside the Lines.”
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AN ALL NEW EPISODE OF “SO RANDOM!”
AIRS SUNDAY, JUNE 19 ON DISNEY CHANNEL
Special Musical Guest Selena Gomez and The Scene Perform
MC Grammar makes grammatical corrections during a rap battle in “MC Grammar”; “L’il Texters” are the new “it” dolls and a rock band looks for a new member in “Teen Rage”; also, boys at school compete to have the lowest riding pants in “Sag Down Smackdown,” in a new episode of the sketch comedy series “So Random!,” airing SUNDAY, JUNE 19 (8:30–9:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel,
Musical guest Selena Gomez and The Scene perform their smash hit “Who Says.”
I would just like to say that “MC Grammar” was hilarious. Please, if you only watch one episode, make it this one!
AN ALL NEW EPISODE OF “SO RANDOM!”
AIRS SATURDAY, JUNE 25 ON DISNEY CHANNEL
Mitchel Musso Performs “Get Away”
Strawberry Shortbread defends Strawberryland from attacking aliens in “Strawberry Shortbread,” Prince Carmine recounts how Fairy Godfather gets Cindy to the ball in “Princesses,” and “Roadkill Reba” serves up possum in a new episode of the sketch comedy series, “So Random!,” airing SATURDAY, JUNE 25 (8:00 – 8:30 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel.
It’s important to remember that paper letters are the key to our efforts, and events are spaced out so you have at least a week to prepare as many as you can. Please refer to our how to help section for addresses and more information.
Then on the day of the event, you can also send faxes, make phone calls, and use our email program at SDSmail.org
Save I’m in the Band
Wow! Our first Save I’m in the Band Day got our movement off to a great start. We lit up twitter and sent over a thousand emails to Disney! Of course, we still have a lot of work to do.
As mentioned above, our second Save I’m in the Band Day will be this Friday May 6th 2011. You should use the next few days to help us get the word out to more fans. And please be sure to send paper letters as well! Depending on where you live, you should start sending them in today.
And don’t forget about the Save I’m in the Band email program to make it easier for you to email Disney. Please customize the included template letter as it’s only intended as a guide if you’re unsure of what to say.
May Disney Channel Highlights
The May Disney schedule looks quite bizarre There are no new episodes for anything scheduled for the second half of the month. Are they just not ready to announce their plans that far in advance? If not, is there any particular reason? At SDS we’re puzzled, but we will find out in time.
This month will include the final episode of The Suite Life on Deck and the first episode of Disney’s new series ANT Farm.
Disney’s new plan for ABC Family channel includes a new president for the network, Michael G. Riley. In this new article and interview, he discusses the changes at the channel and their plans gong forward.
Mr. Riley was deeply involved with the casting and scheduling of the new shows and will start wooing advertisers this week in New York. In addition to “The Nine Lives of Chloe King,” the new dramas Mr. Riley will be promoting this week include “Switched at Birth,” the story of two teenage girls who were mixed up as newborns. “The Lying Game,” meantime, is a mystery about twin sisters.
The goal for “The Great State of Georgia,” in which Raven-Symoné stars as an aspiring actress with a larger-than-life personality, is to create a comedy block on Wednesday nights. It will be paired with “Melissa & Joey,” a successful returning series starring Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence.
A lot of our readers no doubt remember Aly Michalka from Phil of the Future and Ashley Tisdale from The Suite Life and High School Musical. And of course, they have a new series together on the CW network called Hellcats. Unfortunately, the ratings have been dropping at a rather alarming rate and some of us are worried the show won’t be renewed. It’s not a Disney show, but given it’s Disney connections, I’m assuming many of you may be interested. What do you think? Drop us a like at webmasters@savedisneyshows.org or find us on twitter or facebook.
Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure DVD Signing
SDS Webmaster Greg, after many years of trying, finally met High School Musical actress Ashley Tisdale two weeks ago in LA at a DVD signing for her new movie Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure. Unfortunately, this was before we realized that Hellcats might be in trouble (as mentioned above) so he didn’t mention anything about it. Oops! Be sure to check out her new movie, though.
Webmaster Greg also attended Debby Ryan’s Meet and Greet in Long Beach CA on May 1st 2011. He briefly spoke with Debby and wished her luck with her new show. Perhaps more importantly, we also had the chance to speak with her mom and to let her know about both Greg’s Debby fansite Debby-Ryan.com and Save Disney Shows, should her new series Jessie ever need any help.
Sonny With a Chance holds, well, no chance. Demi Lovato announced in People Magazine that she will NOT be returning to filming Disney’s Sonny With a Chance, or it’s remake, So Random!
Demi Lovato is taking a chance.
The teen star – who entered treatment for “physical and emotional issues” last October – will not be returning to her hit Disney Channel series, Sonny with a Chance.
“It made sense for me to go ahead and leave the show to focus on my music,”Lovato, 18, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “It’s kind of sad for me that a chapter of my life has ended but there couldn’t be a better time for me to move on.”
“I don’t think going back to Sonny would be healthy for my recovery,” says Lovato, who returned to Los Angeles in January after completing three months of in-patient treatment. “Being in front of a camera would make me nervous.”
And she has the support of the Disney Channel.
“We respect Demi’s decision to focus fulltime on her music and not immediately return to her acting career,” a rep for the Disney Channel said in a statement. “She is a talented young woman and our hearts are with her as she continues to take action to improve her health and bounce back from adversity.”
Lovato’s career took off after starring in the Disney Channel’s 2008 original movie Camp Rock, opposite the Jonas Brothers. Next came Sonny with a Chance, which debuted in 2010.
But even without its main star, the show will still go on: the series is being reinvented as a sketch comedy program called So Random!, which will debut in June.
Lovato, who will continue to record under Disney’s label Hollywood Records, calls her decision to walk away from her TV gig “nerve-racking.” But, she says, “I’m really excited to see where everything goes.”
As a reminder, this is Demi Lovato in Disney’s former hit show, Sonny With a Chance. (Click to enlarge.)
We all know that Demi’s back in LA and looking forward to getting back to work. Will she be returning to Sonny with a Chance? Well… maybe.
The third season of Sonny isn’t really a third season of anything. It’s really a spin off of the Show within a show, So Random. Or should I say, “SO R@n:D0?!” It’s basically kid friendly Saturday Night Live, without the “live” part.
I was lucky enough to be able to attend the live audience filming of the fifth SR episode and it was pretty good. There’s no plot, like the Halloween and Christmas specials, it’s all sketches. Sonny is just gone and Chad is a regular on so Random. There’s no explanation given in the show itself, but it’s obviously because Demi’s not there and because they want to keep Sterling. Better to have chad out of character than to not have him at all, I suppose.
Demi is welcome to come back if she wants, but it sounds like they have the whole season planned out based on the assumption that she will not be there. I wouldn’t hold my breath for Sonny’s return. Even is she did, they’d probably just add her into the sketches and not address the plot points of the first and second seasons.
Also, Selena Gomez was this week’s musical guest. <3 I love her new song “Who Says,” but I think you could all guess I would say that.
I really hope you all give So Random a fair shake. It’s not the Sonny we know and love, but you guys didn’t see how hard they were working on this show. It really touched me and I’m so afraid that it’s gonna fall flat just because Demi’s not there.
It’s important to remember that paper letters are the key to our efforts, and events are spaced out so you have at least a week to prepare as many as you can. Please refer to our how to help section for addresses and more information.
Then on the day of the event, you can also send faxes, make phone calls, and use our email program atSDSmail.org
February Disney Channel Highlights
This month kicks off with a new Wizards of Waverly Place three part special, “Wizards vs. Angels.”Later in the month, there are a couple new Good Luck Charlie (Season Two!) and Shake it Up episodes. And as usual, a bunch of random Fish Hooks episodes scattered about. Meanwhile, Hannah Montana is finished and The Suite Life on Deck is almost finished with it’s run. Sonny with a Chance has just begun filming Season 3 which should begin airing later this year (more on that below).
Lilo returns to Stitch! the Japanese animated series! The new series has been controversial from the start because Lilo supposedly “ditched” Stitch for her new BF. On the upcoming season 3 episode “Zutto Saiko no Tomodachi”, Lilo makes her way overseas for a reunion with Stitch. And Jess Winfield himself tells us that Save Disney Shows played a part in making it happen!
Disney executives announced today that the hit Disney Channel series Phineas and Ferb is being developed for a new theatrical movie. Disney’s head of production and Tron: Legacy producer Sean Bailey is developing the project.
The project is still in early stages of development, although it was said to be a combination of live-action and animated elements. No story details were given.
By now, most people should already know that Camp Rock & Sonny with a Chance star Demi Lovato is out of treatment and back in LA. With any luck, she should be getting back to work on Sonny within the next few weeks. Meanwhile, the taping for the first episode of Season 3 “So Random Style” took place this past Tuesday February 1st in Hollywood without Demi present.
Read more about the SWAC Filming on the SWAC Forum.
New DCOM: Lemonade Mouth
Disney is clearly hoping to find a new High School Musical…
Themes of believing in yourself, following your dreams, celebrating family and staying true to yourself are explored in the triumphant, music-driven “Lemonade Mouth,” a Disney Channel Original Movie based on the book of the same name, set to premiere FRIDAY, MARCH 25 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel.
Geared towards kids, tweens and families, “Lemonade Mouth” tells the story of how a powerhouse band came to be after five uncelebrated students with a passion for music find each other and ultimately become the voice of their generation.
Robin Agranoff has been promoted to vice president, Programming, Disney Channels, it was announced [this month] by Paul DeBenedittis, senior vice president, Programming Strategy, Disney Channels Worldwide, to whom she will report. She continues to be responsible for managing programming planning and scheduling for ratings leader Disney Channel, its learning-focused block for preschoolers, Playhouse Disney (soon to be rebranded Disney Junior) and ABC Kids.
If you were on twitter yesterday, you probably saw that “#WelcomeBackDemi” was a trending topic.
Demi was spotted in Santa Monica yesterday and I have to say that she’s looking really good. I for one really have missed her.
According to various sources, it sounds like Demi actually left treatment earlier this week but hadn’t been spotted until Friday. Another souse possibly places her at the studio where they film Sonny and Wizards (I’ve been to both, as you may recall ) although that’s still unconfirmed. Still, one way or another I would hope she’s gonna get back to Sonny with a Chance within the next few weeks.
I’ve also head that Demi’s new Album will be named “Best Days Of my Life.” No word on when she’ll get back to working on that project though.
Anyway, it’s great to see Demi again. And if you agree, you might want to click any pic to see the full set of new pics.
) although that’s still unconfirmed. Still, one way or another I would hope she’s gonna get back to Sonny with a Chance within the next few weeks.
