Three days. That's how long until Trina Vega walks back into Hollywood Arts High School, and this time she's the one holding the attendance sheet.
Hollywood Arts arrives with no reviews I could find, and I haven't watched any of it, so this is a pre-watch guide rather than a review: the date, who's in it, who isn't, what's confirmed about the people behind it, and whether the original series is required viewing.
Most outlets are framing this as a reunion. I think the more interesting angle is who's missing: of the seven original main stars, only two are confirmed in everything Netflix and the trades have announced so far, and I'd call that the show's smartest decision. Below I do the reunion headcount myself, then grade six choices the show has already made.
The Essentials
- Hollywood Arts premieres Thursday, Oct. 15, on Netflix. Netflix ordered 26 episodes, and Wikipedia lists the first 13 for premiere day. I couldn't find Netflix itself spelling out that split.
- Daniella Monet returns as Trina Vega and is an executive producer. Matt Bennett is set to appear as Robbie, and Yvette Nicole Brown is set to guest star as Principal Helen. It's rated TV-G.
- My take: a spin-off that doesn't try to be a full reunion has more room to become its own show. Whether it's funny enough is a question only the episodes can answer.
When does Hollywood Arts come out on Netflix, and how many episodes are there?
It arrives Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, on Netflix. A weekly premiere roundup from Entertainment Now lists the drop at 3:00 a.m. ET, which is midnight Pacific. Netflix ordered the show in October 2025, after it started life at Nickelodeon, and it will reach Nickelodeon and Paramount+ after its Netflix run, according to Variety.
One detail I find quietly encouraging: Netflix didn't order a short trial run. It ordered 26 episodes. Wikipedia's entry lists the first 13 for Oct. 15, and I'd treat that as the working assumption until Netflix says otherwise. Whatever the split turns out to be, a 26-episode order is a real vote of confidence in a show nobody has reviewed yet.
What is Hollywood Arts about? Trina Vega as an unqualified substitute teacher
Netflix's description is simple. Trina is back at Hollywood Arts High School, and this time she's stepping behind the desk. She's a struggling performer filling in as a substitute teacher at the prestigious school, and she surprises herself by inspiring a group of ambitious teens. Variety's version of the official logline is a little sharper: she's an unqualified substitute who clashes with her students and then unexpectedly inspires them.
Here's the part I like. In Victorious, the engine was a talented newcomer, Tori, at a school full of talented people. Her older sister Trina was the comic foil, a character Wikipedia characterizes by vanity and self-confidence despite limited talent. Hollywood Arts flips that structure. Now the unqualified one is the adult in the room, and the talented ones are the kids. Same school, same comic flaw, turned inside out.
A sitcom has to run on a reliable engine for 26 episodes, and "a very confident person who isn't qualified, surrounded by people who are" is about as dependable as sitcom engines get. It also gives Trina something she never had in the original: a reason to grow without having to stop being Trina.
Period 3 · Roll CallWho is in the Hollywood Arts cast? The full roll call
Netflix's Tudum page lists the cast, and I've split it into three groups so you can see at a glance who's a returning face and who's new. The new students' names come from Netflix and TV Insider.
Netflix's page doesn't say who the last four play, so I won't guess.
Period 4 · AttendanceWhich Victorious stars are in Hollywood Arts, and which are not? My reunion count
The original Victorious had seven main stars, according to Wikipedia. Here's where each one stands in the announcements I could find. "Not announced" only means I couldn't find a confirmation in Netflix's cast list or the trade coverage I read. It does not mean they won't appear.
So it's two of seven, and one of those two is a guest spot. Matt Bennett's Robbie will be the first appearance of that character since Sam & Cat in 2014, according to NickALive. That's a nice detail for longtime fans.
Here's my honest read: two of seven is a feature, not a bug. A spin-off that arrived with all seven would be a reunion special that has to keep the reunion going for 26 episodes. This one arrives with a lead and a few familiar faces and has to make you care about a new group of kids. That's riskier, and it's the only version I think can actually last. Daniella Monet said in Netflix's announcement that Victorious was in a lot of ways life-changing for all of them, and I take that as a sign she knows what she's stewarding. The way the show handles its guests, and what the new students do when Robbie walks into the room, will tell me more than any cameo.
Period 5 · The Faculty RoomIs Dan Schneider involved in Hollywood Arts? Who actually made it
This is one of the most common questions about the show, so here's what's on the record. Deadline reported in 2025 that Dan Schneider, the creator of Victorious, who parted ways with Nickelodeon in 2018, has no involvement in Hollywood Arts. The show is created and run by Jake Farrow and Samantha Martin. Netflix credits Farrow with Victorious and iCarly, and TV Insider notes he voiced Rex in the original. Martin's credits include Henry Danger and Danger Force. The pilot was directed by Jonathan Judge, and Nathan Kress, the iCarly actor, is directing a couple of episodes, according to NickALive.
My read, and it's only a read: the show is keeping the school, the characters and the music-driven comedy, and building them with people who have worked in this world, around a lead who has been part of it from the first season. That's a reasonable way to bring a show back. Whether it works comes down to the writing, and I can't judge the writing until I can watch it.
Period 6 · Study HallDo you need to watch Victorious before Hollywood Arts? My guide by how much you remember
Netflix's own Tudum page says Victorious Seasons 1 to 3 are streaming on Netflix. The original ran for four seasons and 57 episodes between 2010 and 2013, according to Wikipedia, and I couldn't confirm where Season 4 is streaming. Here's my guide, by how much you remember:
You've watched Victorious more than once
You already know the school, the characters and the jokes. Skip the rewatch and go in fresh. You'll catch the nods without a refresher.
Skip the rewatchYou watched it years ago and remember the vibe
Watch the pilot, which aired March 27, 2010. It introduces Tori, Trina and the school, and it's the quickest way to remember why Trina is Trina. One episode is enough.
One episodeYou never watched Victorious
From how Netflix describes the setup, with Trina as a substitute teacher and a new class of students, I'd expect Hollywood Arts to work as a starting point. I can't confirm that until the episodes are out, and the in-jokes will land harder if you've seen the original.
Start cold, or start with the pilotYou're watching with a kid
The show is rated TV-G, which means it's aimed at all ages. Victorious Seasons 1 to 3 are on Netflix too, so a family watch of both is possible.
Family nightHollywood Arts by the numbers: 26 episodes, 57 original episodes and 45 million Netflix views
A few numbers that explain why this show exists:
The 45 million figure is Netflix's own claim, as reported by Variety and Deadline in October 2025, so treat it as the streamer's number, not an independent one. Still, it explains the whole decision: the audience for this show is already sitting on Netflix, rewatching the original. Putting the spin-off on the same service, ahead of Nickelodeon, is a very practical bet. My read is that this isn't nostalgia for its own sake. It's a show that noticed people never stopped watching.
Period 8 · Report CardMy report card: grading six decisions Hollywood Arts has already made
Making Trina the lead
Her defining trait, confidence far beyond her talent, creates conflict the moment she stands in front of talented teenagers. The risk is that she turns into a one-note joke over 26 episodes. The upside is a lead who can be funny and slowly human.
Flipping the premise
The unqualified one is now the adult and the talented ones are the kids. It reuses what people loved without repeating the same story.
A small, selective return of the old cast
Robbie, Sikowitz and Principal Helen are the right kind of familiar. But a one-episode guest spot can't carry the nostalgia, and I'd like the new kids to carry the show on their own.
Netflix first, Nickelodeon later
Victorious is already on Netflix and Netflix says it has been watched 45 million times since 2024. The audience is already there.
A TV-G, all-ages tone
It makes the show something a family can press play on together. The trade-off is that it can read as too safe if the jokes don't have a little bite.
The 26-episode order
It's a big vote of confidence, and it gives the new characters time to grow. It also means the new kids have to stay interesting for a long time, and there are no early reviews to tell us whether they do.
Put together, my pre-watch grade is a B+. That isn't a prediction about the show. It's a grade for the thinking behind it, and the thinking looks careful to me.
Period 9 · Final BellShould you watch Hollywood Arts? My honest take
Not having seen it, all I can responsibly say is who I think this show is for, going by what's been announced.
- You grew up with Victorious, or still rewatch it, and want to see what Trina does with a classroom
- You want something bright and easy that a whole family can watch together
- You like multi-camera sitcoms and a cast of new young performers
- You're hoping for a full reunion of the original seven, because that's not what's been announced
- You want reviews before you commit, which is fair, since none exist yet
- You prefer darker, more serious shows
My Quick Take
I'm hopeful, and in a calm way, not a loud way. The best version of this show is one where the new kids are funny enough that you stop waiting for the old ones to walk in. The worst version is a 26-episode scavenger hunt for cameos. Nothing I've found tells me which one it is, and that's fine. I'd rather go into Thursday curious than certain.
Hollywood Arts questions, answered fast
When does Hollywood Arts come out on Netflix?
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. A weekly premiere roundup from Entertainment Now lists the release at 3:00 a.m. ET, which is midnight Pacific.
How many episodes does Hollywood Arts have?
Netflix ordered 26 episodes. Wikipedia lists the first 13 for Oct. 15, and I couldn't find Netflix itself confirming how the 26 will be split.
Who is in the Hollywood Arts cast?
Daniella Monet stars as Trina Vega, with Alyssa Miles, Emmy Liu-Wang, Peyton Jackson, Erika Swayze and Martin Kamm as the new students. Kira Kosarin, Lexi Rivera, Sofie Dossi and Taylen Biggs are also listed. Matt Bennett, Eric Lange and Yvette Nicole Brown are the returning faces.
Is Victoria Justice in Hollywood Arts?
I couldn't find any announcement that she appears. She isn't on Netflix's cast list.
Is Ariana Grande in Hollywood Arts?
I couldn't find an announcement that she appears. She isn't on Netflix's cast list.
Is Dan Schneider involved in Hollywood Arts?
No. Deadline reported that the creator of Victorious has no involvement in the spin-off. It's created and run by Jake Farrow and Samantha Martin.
Is Matt Bennett back as Robbie?
Yes. NickALive reports he's set to appear as Robbie Shapiro in an episode, his first appearance as the character since Sam & Cat in 2014.
What is Hollywood Arts about?
Trina Vega returns to her old school as an unqualified substitute teacher and ends up clashing with, and then inspiring, a new group of performing arts students.
What is Hollywood Arts rated?
Netflix's Tudum page lists it as TV-G.
Will Hollywood Arts air on Nickelodeon?
Yes, eventually. Variety reports it will come to Nickelodeon and Paramount+ after its Netflix debut.
Where can I watch Victorious?
Netflix's Tudum page says Seasons 1 to 3 are streaming on Netflix. I couldn't confirm where Season 4 is available.
Are there reviews of Hollywood Arts yet?
I couldn't find any as of Oct. 12, 2026.
