The show is so bad. All the jokes are unfunny and aimed at little kids, like 6-year-olds. Victorious and Icarly etc were aimed at teens for teens. This show completely got rid of the teen themes and made it for little kids. Also, the whole set feels cheap and small. You can tell just by watching how small all the sets are including where they have lunch to the hallway. If you compare it to original show the set was far bigger. The script is also very unfunny and not very good at all. It just feels really dumbed down.
Not once did anyone watching victorious and stuff have issues with the jokes. It's only this new cancel culture. I've seen far worse Disney channel shows than anything on Nickelodeon. Even sponge bob is 100 times more rude than this whole show. And Nickelodeon would show content that is pg 13. Fun size is far worse and so is ninja turtles movies. But they were afraid of cancel culture so made it really tame and couldn't make rude or teen jokes. Even DreamWorks animated kids movies have more mature humour.
Also lots of what happened to the characters is unrealistic and doubt would have ever happened if it was aimed at teens like the Og show was. They really ruined Sikowitz character

Getting rid of pear phones is another thing that don't make sense. Victorious is set in the same universe as Icarly. Icarly came out in 2023 and they still had pear phones. In 3 years I doubt pear company would have gone bankrupt

Also, getting rid of the slap and making them all have a live-stream, TikTok-style app instead is really bad and lazy; it's not creative.
I was really excited but unfortunately it was a big let down. If it do get a season 2 hopefully they will aim it at the target audience watching that are teens and young adults who grow up with victorious. Until then if they keep dumbing it down and making it for very very little kids then this show I don't think will work

All the cast are great and have great chemistry and some cool outfits and shoes, and fantastic voices. But besides that the show was a big letdown.

For people asking how I watched the show early, one of my family members is a journalist critic and got sent the Eps early

I never though this would have to be said, but that show was never meant for 20/30 year olds to have a nostalgia trip. Its for kids. Stop crying and move on to other shows fit for your age group.

I am only on ep1 but I’m so confused, there’s an obvious replacement for andre and beck.

Is Jen and the other girl suppose to be jade and cat?

Techie should be the Robbie “replacement”

Does Tori come back? (Although I understand Victoria as her reservations)

I guess I hope more for them to be parents and their kids came to this school or something I know we are a few years short can just do a this is 2030 or something

I was so excited for Hollywood Arts, even after the trailers didn’t seem so promising. I don’t even think I’m going to get past the first episode, here’s why.

The whole vibe of the show is completely incomparable to Victorious. I at least expected a spin-off/sequel series to have a similar style, but if you took away the set you wouldn’t be able to tell that it was even in the same universe. I understand they had to target to a younger audience, but the og show stayed within their TV-G guidelines so I see no reason for that immediately recognizable disconnect in atmosphere. The script is so typically and modernly cringey. If anyone remembers The Thundermans, it almost feels like that, which was/is not bad at all if that fits the vibe, but for a continuation of VICTORIOUS there’s no way that you can tell me that makes sense. This was disappointing because the one thing I had hope for was the writers not taking it in that direction. Victorious was cool and edgy, especially in the beginning. Given that was the source material, it makes me question if they just let anyone write Netflix shows. I think they should all be fired.

Another thing that threw me off is the main cast. What made the original show so compelling was that it was overflowing with STYLE. WHY IS THERE NO STYLE IN THIS SHOW. The actors seem like good people, I’m happy for them, and they worked with what they got, but there’s no range. They all act with that stereotypical dumbness that you would see in a drama-short ad. I couldn’t tell you the personality of any of the characters after watching the first ep, except that Jen seems like Jade if she went on to become Miss Rachel. Also, there was a vibe amongst everyone in the Victorious main cast that made it very believable that any one of them could go on to become a “star.” They were attractive, talented, and they knew who they were. I don’t feel that with this show in the slightest, and they all lack that cool Hollywood aesthetic that I was in awe over as a kid.

Talent-wise it is laughable, especially when you think about how Liz and Ariana were casted fresh off of Broadway. None of them hold a torch even to Robbie’s vocals, which says a lot. I actually couldn’t believe what I was hearing when every one of them were singing, both the production and the vocals are terrible (better than me for sure but not good enough for something like this). It sounds like they recorded the songs on Smule and threw them straight into the show. The songs are typical emotionless TikTok pop, so to be expected but I was still disappointed.

Some of these issues aren’t exclusive to this show, as I feel like everything has gone downhill since the 2010’s, but this is an abomination to the Victorious name. As much of a disgusting person Schneider is, he sure knew how to write a show, so we should’ve let it die with his name (or at least let someone with a brain write it???)

Would love to know anyone else thoughts, and just know I’m criticizing with love and my opinion obviously doesn’t matter whatsoever, just what I was thinking after watching lmao

Didnt expect their dynamic to be my favorite from the show. Theres not one scene theyre in where im not laughing. (Lowkey shipping them)

First episode was a bit off but the more the show goes on the funnier their chemistry becomes.

Theyre all growing on me except the jade clone (her over acting is throwing me off) and the red headed lead girl (feels like shes just there to build up trina).

I enjoyed it! Honestly, I was shocked to see how awful it’s been received so far in this sub. Some of the hate to me feels kinda forced/just because it’s not the same as the original, which it’s obviously not as it’s a spinoff and a different target audience. Anyway, here are my thoughts as a 20yr old who grew up on Nickelodeon:

The characters: I really like how they are actually unique and not basic, they all feel like theater kids. Sure they remind me of the Victorious cast but is that really such a bad thing? The Victorious cast dynamic and chemistry worked really well, in fact for me it’s what made the show, so it makes sense that the spinoff would take from that but still make the characters their own in terms of certain talents, background story, clothing style, and how they interact. This makes even more sense when you focus on the new target audience (who may not have watched Victorious) by giving them the chance to experience a similar dynamic and characters. Daniella still plays Trina like she never stopped and she’s doing great. Edit: Forgot to mention that to me, Trina’s storyline about how she got here makes perfect sense. I’m also glad we got to see Sikowitz and principal Helen again.

The set: I think it’s actually replicated REALLY well. It’s nostalgic for me as a major Victorious fan and the classroom and lockers especially are fantastic. Karaoke Dokie really takes me back and I love that they included that. My only critique is not having many other students in the background/extras, but I don’t think it’s that big a deal.

The music: This cast is super talented. They can all sing and dance in a way that exceeded my expectations. So far, the covers are fun and a nice touch. The Girls Just Wanna Have Fun cover already became a memorable moment for me. The theme song is great too. I’m excited to see what other music this series has in store.

The language and humor: It’s modern, which is expected. There’s gen z language but it’s better than foot jokes. I thought plenty of things were funny. For example, Qwest’s entrance into the class switching outfits in 2 seconds, his dad’s sudden reaction to the whole basketball game thing, Sikowitz going out the window like old times, Trina making everything about her and not even trying to hide it, Oscar acting as the basketball coach, Emmy’s french performance, Pepper’s voice after being poisoned, Helen pronouncing Trina’s name wrong still, Jen continuously bringing up Trina’s age, the way some phrases are repeated exactly the same by everyone separately (like the karaoke healing thing), etc. It has the randomness of Victorious which I enjoy. Edit: I do miss the dark humor a bit (not the really weird DS things though). The new app is basically a modern version of the slap. I wish they would’ve kept pear phones for sure.

Ok, it's NOT Victorious but I am kind of liking the show after watching beyond episode 1. My least favorite things about the show are still Jen Z and Pepper. Jen Z just overacts most of the time and has the delivery of a failed Disney XD show. Pepper is trying to be post-lobotomy Cat but she just simply doesn't have the standard for that is just so high that even Ariana would struggle pulling off a likable ditz again. They should've gone with another archetype for her.

Qwest and Oscar are taking it. Very refreshing secure, vibrant and goofy male relationship that is independent of the female cast!

Loving Trina still.

I judged too early I suppose...

Not SPECTACULAR but it's pretty good.

Just finished the first few episodes of Victorious’ spinoff series: Hollywood arts and to be frank, it’s terrible. I didn’t have high hopes for it but went in with an open mind and immediately I was hit with an hour of nostalgia bating and content that would appeal more to brainrotted kids that need the cocomelon-style stimulation to stay alive. Many elements that should have stayed: The Slap, Pear phones, the large and detailed sets have been removed, creating that sense of forced familiarity, while still somehow managing to half heartedly pay homage the original comedic style that relied on absurd scenarios. The cast is incredibly talented and passionate about this project which makes it especially sad to see such poor execution. Unfortunately, this show seems not to be for the audience that actually watched Victorious, but for the audience that was born after it finished airing, which is something we all must make peace with. More comments coming soon once I finish the 1st season and can give a well rounded review.

What do you guys rate it?

It's not perfect, there's a lot missing, but it was never going to be the show we grew up with. I'm having a good time watching it though, the cast is incredibly talented, I'm enjoying the old references, and new plotlines, is it an amazing show? No! But I love the direction they took with Trina, and they took a different enough direction with the new students. Things have changed a lot since the 2010's, I went to three different high schools in that time and saw nearly the same personalities in each one, so dare I say it's not unrealistic to cast similar but also different roles.

Seeing both good and bad things about it online right now, thusfar I’ve only watched the first episode and it was….rough. I wasn’t going into it thinking it was gonna be just like Victorious of course bc I feel like Victorious was such a product of its time, I went in with an open mind bc Victorious is so near and dear to me but this attempt to make it appeal to the current gen of younger kids felt way too “how do you do fellow kids” for me to enjoy it. Gonna chalk it up to it not being my thing. Maybe this does appeal to kids who are my age when I grew up with Victorious? With this first episode it felt like the humor lost so much of its edge. I sat thru the whole episode stonefaced, which is fine!! It’s for kids, not me. But also idk I’m nineteen and the jokes in victorious still to this day make me laugh as hard as I did then, this show is very obviously catering to fans of the original show and I felt like it missed the mark. I didn’t entirely hate it. My reaction was basically “Cute!! But something’s missing”

Would love to know how other ppl are feeling

I'm almost finished watching Hollywood arts but i had to take a break to get this out bc to be honest I'm not really liking it.

The tone of the show itself feels way younger than Victorious which felt pretty aimed at teens.

Then we have Trina and Emmy both kinda being the leads of the show but we haven't really learned anything about Emmy's personal life yet other than "she's stuck in her brother's shadow", haven't seen her house or her parents. For her to be the main character it doesn't really feel like it aside from her big spotlight in episode.

Pepper i find more annoying than funny and Gen is just Jade but not goth and is more of a try hard person. I'm also not a fan of them constantly fighting over Oscar it's just not funny and feels dated itself something the og show didn't even have.

I know everyone liked beck in the og show but it feels weird when it's also characters in this friendgroup doing the thirsting .

I'd say Quest is the best new character.

Then they bring back Robbie for no other reason other than to nostalgia bait so this was for OG fans but they use this to retcon and rewrite history so it makes me question why was it even the point.

I'm not mad Cat and Robbie aren't together i was never a fan of that ship but I don't like how brushed off their relationship was. Robbie going "everyone thought i liked cat but actually" felt like they were trying to gaslight me.

Robbie was obviously in love with cat (even came back in sam & cat for her) but was also a little weirdo who wanted attention from any pretty girl. I don't like how they tried to force the narrative he's also had actual feelings for Trina. Idk It was just weird to me honestly i wouldn't have a problem with him and trina if they just simply had Robbie refer to Cat as his ex girlfriend instead of pretending he didn't like her that much.

The show also feels so dated which isn't a great thing bc why are we making 6/7 jokes?? I hate when shows set themselves in a specific time bc it just comes across as cringe especially reboots i dont know why they feel the need to write like this when the og show never even dated itself like this. The slap would've been still fine to have and be relevant bc people still use twitter but they wanted to do a tiktok spoof for some reason?

I hope if more OG character's come back they've found success too and didn't end up like Robbie, Tori isn't the only one who deserved to be famous. I also hope they're all still friends since Robbie is implied to not really talk to them anymore.

At least everyone in this new show can sing. I will give them that.

I'm a longtime Victorious enjoyer even beginning my adulthood. I've seen virtually every episode multiple times. It's definitely one of the more ACTUAL teenager shows ever produced. Dan Schneider may be a freak but he knows how to make a good show!

I definitely WAS NOT excited for the reboot based on the trailers that I watched, but seeing how the iCarly reboot was so good, I decided to be open mined and give it a try... here are my thoughts:

Trina / Daniella Monet: Honestly, I do like how they've built on her character from the original series. For originally being a side character (and an amazing one at that) she has kept to her roots while adding some depth that does not feel unnatural. The only qualm I have is that her performance (at least in Ep 1) was still giving Nickelodeon; and at times it was awkward to watch because the CAMERA ANGLES IN THIS SHOW are not sit-comm'y. It's hard to describe, but Nickelodeon and its other shows at the time had such flat camera angles that made the presence of laugh tracks and the goofy acting easier to digest--but in this show it almost feels absurd watching the Nickelodeon gimmick being rehashed in a format that is more closer to a drama than a comedy. No fault to Daniella Monet at all because this IS Victorious, but the producers dropped the ball on the way this episode was filmed in some aspects. Overall, Trina's character development in just this one episode was exceptional. I am a fan of the pivot from being a self-centered brat into a mentor for the students. I do find it awkward that she thought her big break was going to come from performing as a 30 year old against teenage high school students at a talent show... Yes, shows like this require large suspension of belief but this isn't 2010 anymore. All things being said, she does hit the mark when it comes to how the comedy was originally done. Daniella Monet is a master at being Trina.

Emma / Techie?: I hate most of the acting on this show, but I hate her's the least. It didn't really make sense as to why she "didn't belong in Hollywood Arts" given that Theater Production was an actual subject area in the original show (Sinjin) If anything, she just didn't belong in Sikowitz class. I was confused as to why the exposition of her not "being a performer" was revealed as her not sitting in the class's "huddles." Then the random burst of song from her while she was talking to Trina was very, very cringeworthy. The original show did not treat the audience like idiots. Emma would've been caught singing in a bathroom or something, rather than bursting into a song in a fit of frustration like she's in Camp Rock. Whoever is producing this show is so Disney-minded it hurts. She definitely has the more believable acting in the show (besides her "I... I.. gotta go!" moment mid-episode...) and is somewhat digestible as the main character. I haven't watched any other episodes besides the first, but the "Techie" thing is another qualm I have with her storyline. Hollywood Arts is not exclusively for musicians, and technical production was considered a talent like any other. So the borderline discrimination of her for being "talentless" was not really believable for me, because we already know the only untalented person ever revealed to be going to Hollywood Arts was Trina. (Though, her Chicago performance says otherwise :) )

Performances: I really do hate the way the filmography captures the show performances, especially Emma's performance at the talent show. Watching Victorious performances felt like you were watching the actors perform TO THE audience/crowd. Now it feels like the actors are performing TO YOU and it reeks of Disney'ification. Emma's big performance felt terrible watching because the camerawork really makes you feel like you're watching a DCOM. Not to mention the vocals are just way too overproduced -- not in the sense that a lot of work is done on the voices themselves, but in the sense that it doesn't SOUND like the actors are performing to the crowd, it sounds like they are in a music video. It all sounds like you're watching a musical. Like I've said, I have not watched any episode beyond the first, but the trailers and promotional videos make it apparent that these musical performances and frequent and that is a bummer. Victorious characters sang because they had a reason to sing, not randomly bursting into song, singing conversations. (I'm looking at you, Karaoke-dokie scene; that shit was a cringe fest.)

Qwest: I actually really do like his character and I think that his subplot for the first episode was rare storytelling and good social commentary. When the promo photos came out of him holding a basketball I thought that this show would be absolutely no good. Now seeing that it was just a farce for his ability to sing, I think it is very creative. His actor, similar to Daniella Monet hits the beat pretty consistently when it comes to Nickelodeon's style of humor. The episode was so good for him that it made me forget the second-hand embarrassment I got when he showed up late to class and walked up to the piano to sing to everyone for no reason. People who call this character an Andre clone have something going on subconsciously. I have nothing bad to say about him so far.

Jen and Pepper: are the worst part of the show. It is absolutely the most forced, unbelievable way to execute this trope. "You wouldn't try to poison me to sabotage my performance because I made you late for your audition right?" "Of course not!" Made me want to cancel my Netflix subscription. Both of these characters are so unfathomably one dimensional. I don't know if they are trying to be iterations of their predecessors Jade & Cat, or if the writers were running out of time to create two more characters to fill the gang. I DID like some of their quirks and lines outside of their codependent trope; but their whole "frenemies" thing is so over the top. I sincerely hope that the show's later episodes lets go of this. I understand not wanting to write in another mean girl and a ditzy girl on the show--but good god I would've preferred it. They both do absolutely nothing for me. Also, I hate their singing.

Oscar: Is an interesting choice. I'm sure we're used to the aloof, self-centered character on the show being a female; and a lot of us went into this thinking that Oscar was going to be a Beck variant. I did enjoy when he was on screen, and I did like that like the original cast--even though they were all so different, with some having terrible or annoying qualities; they were a very tightly knit friend group still--and this is what I see with Oscar. I don't have many notes for him, the contrast between him being him obsessed with attention and detached from other peoples feelings; to him helping Qwest deal with his dad was amazing. Hope to see more of him.

After all, it was just episode one. Definitely not the strongest starter but still not terrible. I think the show would have benefitted from one more member in the gang. It is going to be weird seeing Trina go on adventures with teenagers for an entire season, especially in today's times where more intimate friendships with wide age-gaps are not as acceptable as they used to be. But Trina is the top billed character so I'm curious to see where it all goes.

edit: Those tik-tok transitions fucking suck. The show is still owned by Nickelodeon, reuse the pear phones.

What do you guys think?

It premieres in 2 hours, so I was pretty suprised that there is no discussion page. Is there a seperate sub for this?

So I absolutely hated Hollywood Arts (only watched ep. 1 so far tho), but I gotta give props to the person who came up with the Cottage Cheese guy. Don't know if it was just because the rest of the show was so bad, but I thought this was so funny.

Did anyone else find any other easter eggs like this?

I'm 7 eps in, and personally I really like the show. Daniella Monet effortlessly steps back into Trina, and she is so good in this new role for Trina. I love that being a teacher is making her a better person, and I love that the kids love her. The new cast is lovable; even when they are trying to be updated versions of the old cast, they are still their own. Emmy, Qwest, and Pepper are my favorites so far.

Robbie, Rex, Sikowitz, and Helen are delightful in the show. The Humor feels like Victorious, which is expected since Jake Farrow wrote it. It's never going to be Victorious, and I think everyone who's mad about it needs to accept that. If you want it to be Victorious, then go watch that show. It's a perfectly fine show that I'm really enjoying, and I hope it lasts past Season 1.

Sorry, y'all, I could only stomach 4 episodes of the show. Anybody who saw all 12, did we get any current status on Andre, Jade, Cat, or Beck? Or at least some mentions?

I think we all agree and saw this coming but just wanted to pointed it out, would have been crazy but nah 😂 that’s all.

So, I basically started watching Victorious (idk I'm on and off) I'm on s1 mostly and by far I'm liking it sm.

I love Tori the most. I love how she handles Jade bullying. Like the alphabet fight between them was my absolute fav. And also the fake black eye... Jade is really an interesting and complex character second fav after Tori. I'm enjoying their dynamics though ngl.

Hmm...idrc about Cat I kinda find her annoying. But she's cute 😭

So, yeah I'm watching. Any advice?

You dont realize how amazing the singers were in victorious until you have to watch hollywood arts and realize none of them compare.

Forget ariana grande and liz gillies who were just too good to ignore, but the new tori for hollywood arts just doesnt compare to victoria justice.

When tori performed at the showcase it was like, oh wait shes actually really good. But now its like ehh, shes okay when it comes to the new girl in hollywood arts.

This show has a lot if fun nuisances despite the over acting but the talent just isnt really comparing to any degree.

Victorious songs had you replaying them because they were so good, but hollywood arts has a lot to be desired when it comes to the singing.

I can see her making it big after this show

I am so pissed about Robbie's return episode. Literally the Cabbie romance had no closure, and they retcon the fact Robbie stopped liking Trina. And he said that students thought he had a crush on Cat? And in the end while he doesn't end up with Trina, and gets with another girl, that pissed me off, the ending should have be Robbie calling a number, and we hear Cat's giggle. So yea, anyone pissed Cabbie didn't get any closure?

I’m confused, he was 12 in that episode? He looks 5 or 6 in that episode.