Demi Lovato, a 16-Year-Old Tina Fey

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Disney Channel's latest sitcom, Sonny with a Chance, which stars Camp Rock's Demi Lovato is being called the tween version of 30 Rock. After having watched the first two episodes (which premiere tomorrow, Sunday, February 8 at 8pm) I'd say it depends on which episode you saw.

The first episode, titled Sketchy Beginnings, could be called Tina Fey's Mean Girls if it took place at the AV club. In the episode, Sonny Munroe (Lovato) is the latest cast member on a tween sketch comedy show called So Random. She's accepted with open arms by everyone except the female lead, Tawni Hart (Tiffany Thornton). Hart is the "queen bee" of the show and won't accept anyone taking the spotlight away from her. And she will go to great lengths to prevent that...even if she has to kick the new girl in the face.

The second episode, interesting enough, takes a different approach. The episode, titled West Coast Story, introduces the cast of Mackenzie Falls. Mackenzie Falls is a tween drama that shoots next door to So Random. The casts of both shows are in a feud because apparently dramatic and comedic actors can't get along. That's Disney Channel logic, folks. However, instead of the episode revolving around the two casts spreading rumors and giving each other angry stares, which is typical tween behavior, they spent all of it pulling pranks on each other. So, I guess this isn't a serious feud after all. It is a child-ish one. And that's the charm of this episode. Unlike the first episode, which could be called your typical Disney Channel tween show, this episode is more like a kids show. That makes sense if you realize that the show's creator/writer/executive producer had previously worked as a writer-producer on Fairly Oddparents and Danny Phantom. His name is Steve Marmel.

So...right now it's difficult to say if this is a good or bad show or even where exactly it's going. The first two episodes were different from each other. And it's wise for Disney Channel to be airing both episodes tomorrow. It'll guarantee that those viewers will be back next week.