In the world of original television, we have yet another spin-off, Hollywood Arts, the spin-off series to Nickelodeon’s hit sitcom Victorious.

The series follows struggling actress Trina Vega as she returns to her former high school, Hollywood Arts, as an unqualified substitute teacher. There, she clashes with and unexpectedly inspires a new generation of talented students as they try to find their path at Hollywood Arts.

Alexandra Jones, a graduate physics student, shared her confusion about hearing the news about the spin-off.

“I don’t think the show needed a spin-off. I think the time has passed and that TV (show should’ve) been done for. I don’t think it’ll be good because none of the original characters will be (on it), unless they’re a guest star.” She says, “I don’t think it’ll have the same effect as the original.”

Showrunners Jake Farrow and Samantha Martin wrote and executively produced the series, with Jonathan Judge directing.

In addition to Daniella Monet reprising her role as Trina Vega, Monet will also serve as an executive producer for the series.

The cast had their first table read of Hollywood Arts on Oct. 14 and its production kicked off on Oct. 22, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In recent years, studios and streaming platforms have turned to nostalgic feeling reboots and spin-offs to attract audiences. Shows like iCarly, That ‘90s Show, and Bel-Air have shown their appeal to viewers.

Now, Hollywood Arts is continuing that trend, by having both the appeal from Victorious and new stories that’ll spark interest with younger audiences.

Cameron Smith, a biology student, voiced his displeasure with studios making spin-offs instead of creating original shows.

“I think (spin-offs) limit creativity when done to a point (where) movies or (shows can’t) get back to the original material and keep making more spinoffs or mid-movie series,” he said.

“(For instance), Dexter has like 3 or 4 spinoffs, one of them being first blood and another being original sin, is that not the same thing? Two origin story spinoffs? That’s too much.”

The question being, will Hollywood Arts have its own authentic story or will it be a mimic of Victorious to a point where there shouldn’t have been a spin-off?

The cast for Hollywood Arts are no strangers to the spotlight. The up-and-coming cast includes Alyssa Miles, Martin Kamm, Emmy Liu-Wang who appeared in Disney’s Raven’s Home, Peyton Jackson, and Erika Swayze who guest starred in School Spirits on Paramount+.

In the original series Victorious, which ran from 2010 to 2013, Trina Vega was the less talented yet confident older sister to Tori Vega, played by Victoria Justice.

The hit show also helped launch the careers of stars like Ariana Grande, Leon Thomas III, Elizabeth Gillies, Avan Jogia, and Matt Bennett.

It’s unclear whether the original Victorious cast members will make an appearance on the new series, but it has been confirmed that Yvette Nicole Brown–who acted in the Nickelodeon hit Drake and Josh–will reprise her role as Principal Helen Dubois.

If any of the original cast were to return, it would give older viewers who watched Victorious a sentimental feeling. 

Merging the past with the present would represent the childhood of one generation influencing the next generation.

James Love Jr, a graduate physics student, explains how he thinks nostalgia plays a role in the success of spinoffs.

“Nostalgia plays a huge role as people remember how they felt watching the show as a younger person, so expectations are very high, but very rarely are the spinoffs just as good as the original… especially after 5-10 years after the show (has) already ended.”

The 26-episode series is expected to premiere in 2026 on Netflix, followed by releases on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon, so stay tuned!