As a girl born in the 2000s, Victorious was one of my favorite shows growing up. I loved the unrealistic plotlines, the songs, and most of all the characters. When I found out that Netflix was coming out with a new show called Hollywood Arts based on the OG school setting, I knew they had a lot to deliver.
Based on the trailer, I spotted some differences that definitely stood out from the original. It’s still a kids show, so I knew that the humor wouldn’t be catering to that of the early 2010s. I’m just praying there’s no 67 references in the new show. The first thing that stood out to me when researching the new show were the names of the characters. Emmy seems to be one of the protagonists of the show, along with her brother named Oscar. Either their parents are famous or are putting that pressure on them—or both. Ironically, Trina is, of course, our returning woman from the original show, now working as a substitute teacher. However, It still seems that she’s got a little bit of a spotlight complex. One of the lines spoken by one of her students is,“A teacher doesn’t chase a spotlight, they help their students find it.” Based on this, my assumption is that Trina isn’t only teaching these kids, but is learning more about herself and trying to be a less arrogant and egotistical version than we saw in the original show.
The biggest difference I noticed, however, is that Hollywood Arts seems to be taking its characters more seriously. The new show seems to be injecting more meaning into the new characters and their plotlines. Meanwhile, Victorious was primarily a comedy. While it occasionally touched on real issues, serious lessons were rarely the main focus. Although we don’t know exactly what the episodes have in store from the trailer, I have a feeling that this show may be a little more involved with emotional connections and reality of teenage problems, even if those teenagers are getting acting and singing jobs at sixteen.
This may be an over analysis, but based on the trailer, I didn’t see a stark difference in the style or uniqueness of the characters. Yes, It’s hard to judge without watching yet, but I’m hoping that they become more distinguishable and develop individual personalities like the old cast. The original characters had their own creative identities—Beck with acting, Andre with songwriting, Tori with singing, and so on. Hollywood Arts seems to be lacking individual styles with the new generation. Speaking of generations, there is one more character that I absolutely need to acknowledge.
Jen Z.
Yes, there’s literally a character named Jen Z.
It’s a reference so obvious that I almost have to respect it. It also makes it clear that this show knows that it’s no longer 2010.
As someone who grew up watching Victorious, I will always have a soft spot for the original. Hollywood Arts doesn’t need to re-create it completely. If it keeps up with the humor of the original while exploring more on those important lessons, it could be something different while still feeling familiar.
