So Random!

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Sonny spin-off offers family-friendly sketch comedy.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this sketch comedy spin-off of Sonny with a Chance is an excellent choice for families. The show's skits poke fun at pop culture with characters like Jack Sparrow (who's really a sparrow), rapper Footy Scent, and The Real Princesses of New Jersey. The show is targeted toward tweens, but both parents and kids will appreciate its clean humor and memorable characters, even if youngsters don't pick up on the cultural references. Expect embedded marketing connections with other Disney shows and stars, like Selena Gomez. Also, important to note: The show serves as a replacement for Sonny with a Chance after star Demi Lovato left that show for personal issues reported to be related to an eating disorder, among other issues. Most tweens won't pick up on any of this, but be prepared for a conversation with any news-savvy kids.

  • The show intends to entertain rather than to educate.
  • The show illustrates the diverse talent of its cast members and celebrates the cross-generational appeal of good, clean comedy. Mild stereotyping is a necessary part of some of the parodies, including a flamboyantly clad Spanish instructor and exaggerated impressions of media personalities like Taylor Swift, but none of it is intended harmfully.
  • Generally positive characters, with some very mild stereotyping as a basis for humor.
  • Slapstick falls and collisions are exaggerated for comedy, but no injuries result. A recurring zombie character is said to eat his classmates (illustrated by body parts like arms protruding from his clothing), but nothing remotely violent is shown.
  • Not applicable.
  • Some instances of "butt," but no cursing.
  • The show is a spin-off of another Disney offering, Sonny with a Chance, and features much of the same cast, so kids will be interested in that show after enjoying this one. Guest stars like Tony Hawk and musical guests like Selena Gomez get plenty of visibility from their involvement in the show.

What's the story?

SO RANDOM! is a sketch comedy series inspired by a show within another Disney show, Sonny with a Chance. The series features Sonny favorites like Chad Dylan Cooper (Sterling Knight), Nico Harris (Brandon Mychal Smith), and Tawni Hart (Tiffany Thornton), along with a cast of newcomers who join them for a handful of comical skits that poke fun at various aspects of modern life, from parodied reality TV shows to uncharacteristic superheroes. Existing favorites like The Real Princesses of New Jersey and Roadkill McGill are joined by new characters Zombie Man and Tantrum Girl, among others. Guest stars like Greyson Chance and Cody Simpson also drop in to give musical performances between vignettes.


Is it any good?

 

So there's one Disney show (Sonny) that centers on the lives of the actors in a fictitious sketch comedy (So Random!), which is now a real sketch comedy that stars the cast of the original series. The set-up may be confusing to those who aren't already Sonny fans, but it's not hard to get on board with the whole conglomerate once you've tuned in to So Random! The G-rated show sticks to family-safe content like grammar mishaps, safety-conscious crime-fighters, and unreasonable tantrum-throwing kids. Younger kids may not grasp the pop-culture parodies like Jack Sparrow (who's really a sparrow) and rapper Footy Scent, but at the same time, there's nothing to keep them from watching along with everyone else.

 

Of course, there's the unavoidable issue of blatant cross-advertising between the partner shows, and fans of each are bound to want to see the other, since the character pool is nearly identical (with the obvious absence of Sonny's titular star, played by Demi Lovato). The same holds true for the show's choice of guest musical stars, all of whom appeal to So Random!'s target tween audience. Expect some harmless stereotyping in parodies of stars like Taylor Swift and Willow Smith as well, but all of these are forgivable blemishes to what's otherwise a worry-free show whose talented cast gives it a cross-generational appeal that should appeal to families.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about comedy. Did you find this show funny? What were your favorite characters? Does it bother you that the characters poked fun at some real people?

  • Tweens: What have you heard about Demi Lovato's decision to leave Sonny with a Chance? What kinds of pressures do young stars face? Do you think she made a good decision to leave her TV show? Why or why not? Is Lovato a role model?

  • How do advertisers attempt to influence your likes and dislikes? What shows or movies have you seen that use product placement or other forms of advertising to change your buying habits? Should there be limits on marketing on TV or in movies? Why or why not?


This review was written by Emily Ashby
Teen, 14 years old
June 12, 2011
 
Terrible Rip-Off
This show is corny and terrible. Cheap humor and guest stars added just to make people actually watch it. It is just a rip-off from Nickelodeon hit from the 90s "All That". Don't bother watching.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
June 24, 2011
 
Just bad
There is no reason to watch this whatsoever. It seems that Disney has jumped on the "Stupidity=Comedy" bandwagon. It is nothing but awful sketches one after another.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
June 17, 2011
 
load of rubbish!!!!!!
im watching it right now and it sucks!! the humour is so immature and im 12! it has parodies about willow smith and other things that small children wont understand. my advice to everyone is to not waste their time with this cr*p. I think that it might have been able to be fuuny if demi lovato was still in it... I miss her :(

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old
June 11, 2011
 
Rip-off
This show is corny and terrible. Cheap humor and guest stars added just to make people actually watch it. It is just a rip-off from Nickelodeon hit from the 90s "All That". Don't bother watching.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent
June 15, 2011
 
so random= so pathetic
this show is not funny at all... they should of just cancelled the show completely... it makes me feel sorry for the way the actors look now... they dont even look like if they know how to act... very sad.... its pathetic!!!!!

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 10 years old
June 9, 2011
 
So Random!
Noooooooooooo!This Is Worse Than Sonny With A Chance.I Would Give It 6+.But Zombie Man Even Made Me Turn Of The T.V For A While.I Reccomend It To Basiccly Adults Only But Nice Guest Stars Come On Board And There Are Some Sketches That Are Somewhat Funny.But Other Than That No Way!

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
June 11, 2011
 
awesome!
It is the most appropriate show on disney channel .It is funny and it is a kid version of saturday night live so adults can enjoy it too!

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent
June 25, 2011
 
Walt Disney would not be proud
Blowing characters up, punching, dismemberment, poking fun at people's disfigurement, more inappropriate messages to young people. The "humor" was not funny. I've been watching Disney since the Wonderful World of Disney in the early '60's and there have been hits and misses; this is the biggest miss ever.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 18 years old
June 10, 2011
 
So Random cracked me up
I loved Sonny with a Chance so I was worried when I heard that Demi had left the show. However, Disney Channel has quieted all my fears and doubts with one episode. I absolutely loved the first episode of So Random. My throat became scratchy from my laughing so hard. Those actors are super talented. I enjoy shows like Saturday Night Live but most of the time their content and language is innapropriate. So Random is a junior version of that show and is perfect for the whole family. I am 17 and me and my 16-year old sister loved it.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old
June 23, 2011
 
O.K.
It's a show I would of loved when I was younger, but not as much now...Some of it is really funny, others are very cheesy. Overall it has nothing innapropraite and is fine for kids to watch.

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Emily Ashby
This review was written by Emily Ashby
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

vote now

Will you see So Random!?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it