Hollywood Arts Review: Nostalgia Isn't Enough for This New Generation

I watched 12 of the 26 episodes of Hollywood Arts, and I’m not gonna lie, this show got off to a pretty slow start for me. Bringing back a show like Victorious is always going to be a challenge because the original cast had a certain chemistry that made the show work. Now we’re back at Hollywood Arts with a new group of students, some familiar faces, and a whole lot of callbacks to the original series. The question is, can this new generation make the school their own?

Let’s start with the returning characters and character mentions. Tori is now a pop star, which makes sense considering where we left her. Erwin Sikowitz is still teaching at Hollywood Arts, but he’s planning to retire and head to Japan. He also has a family, and I’m not gonna lie, seeing how much his family looks like him is pretty funny. Helen Dubois, yes, the same Helen from Drake & Josh, is now the principal of Hollywood Arts. And then we have Danielle Monet returning as Trina Vega, who comes back as a substitute teacher.

Of course, Trina is still Trina. She still has absolutely no talent, and she’s only supposed to be there for a week. Helen can barely even remember her name, which honestly feels like the kind of joke the original show would have made. The problem is that the show sometimes feels like it’s trying too hard to fill the shoes of the original cast. The pilot is literally setting up a showcase, just like the original Victorious, and almost everybody at this school is talented. Even Helen has talent! Everybody except Trina, of course. I understand wanting to bring back familiar elements, but I wanted to see the show establish its own identity instead of immediately reminding us of what came before but I do understand why.

One of the biggest changes is the introduction of the new cast. We have Emmy, played by Alyssa Miles, who is nicknamed Techy because she’s a technology genius. She’s also a talented singer, although she keeps that side of herself under wraps. Her brother Oscar, played by Martin Kamm, is talented too. Then we have Qwest, played by Peyton Jackson, Pepper, played by Emmy Liu-Wang, and Jen Z, played by Erika Swayde.

I’ll let you figure out which characters remind you of people from the original series, because there are definitely some similarities. The show also introduces “The Dap,” its own social media platform, which feels like the new version of “The Slap” from Victorious. It’s a clever way to bring that element back for a new generation, but once again, I wish the series had taken a few more chances instead of leaning so heavily on what worked before. Emmy also created “The Dap”.

The pilot is rough because it has a lot of work to do. It needs to introduce a whole new cast, establish the new status quo for the returning characters, and get viewers comfortable with the changes at Hollywood Arts. That’s a lot to accomplish in one episode. On top of that, trying to recapture the humor of the original show is not easy. I didn’t find myself laughing nearly as much as I do when I go back and watch Victorious.

I also think some of the character choices are questionable. Pepper, for example, seems to take on the role of the new Cat, but she becomes extremely dumb almost immediately after seeming to be your normal teenager for the majority of the first 2 episodes.  I get that Nickelodeon has certain character types it likes to use, but I would have preferred to see her develop into her own character instead of feeling like a replacement for somebody we already know.

And something else that stood out to me is that the show doesn't really have a Robbie equivalent. There isn't that extra character filling the same kind of role, but honestly, I'm okay with that. Not every character from the original series needs a direct replacement.

Now, despite my issues with the beginning, there are things I really like about Hollywood Arts. First of all, Alyssa Miles is an incredible singer. Out of the cast I've seen so far, she is easily the best singer on the show. Every time she gets a chance to show off her voice, she stands out. Emmy could end up being one of the strongest parts of this new series, and I'm interested to see where they take her character.

I also love the theme song, “Here to Stay.” It's catchy, and it fits the idea of introducing a new generation while keeping the spirit of the original alive. The production team also brought back some familiar sets, including the karaoke bar where Jade and Tori performed together. Seeing those locations again is a nice little dose of nostalgia for longtime fans.

As the season goes on, the show does start to pick up for me. A lot of the episodes take ideas or situations from the original series and put a different spin on them. Some of those callbacks work better than others, but I found myself getting more comfortable with the new cast as I continued watching.

My biggest issue is that I wanted more originality. I don't mind references to Victorious, and I certainly don't mind seeing familiar faces return. That's part of the appeal of bringing this world back. But if Hollywood Arts is going to last, it needs to give these new characters their own stories, personalities, and moments that fans will remember for years to come.

Overall, Hollywood Arts had a slow start for me, and the pilot definitely has some growing pains. The humor hasn't completely clicked yet, some of the characters feel too familiar, and the show relies heavily on nostalgia. However, the cast has potential, Alyssa Miles is a standout, and I really enjoy the theme song.

After watching 12 episodes, I'm more interested in the show than I was when I started. It hasn't reached the level of the original Victorious for me, but I'm not ready to write it off either.

I'm open to seeing where the second half of the season goes when it airs. Hopefully, the show takes more chances, lets these characters stand on their own, and gives us a reason to love Hollywood Arts for something beyond the memories of the original series.