I think I can make this comment short & sweet:
In the new Nickelodeon teen comedy show "Victorious," Tori Vega (Victoria Justice) enrolls at a prestigious performing arts school after taking her older sister's place in a singing contest and just absolutely wowing the audience, not to mention herself, with her singing abilities. Hilarity ensues as she tries to adjust to life at the school and learn to harness her talents in an artistic and professional manner. And we also get to know some of her friends and enemies at the school, all of whom are also quite likable and colorful, including a nerdy guy with a fast-talking puppet.
Series creator Dan Schneider ("All That," "Zoey 101," "Drake & Josh" and my personal favorite, "iCarly") has yet another hit on his hands with his latest, "Victorious," which is obviously meant to be the breakout role of star Victoria Justice, in her first starring role. I watched "All That" in the few precious years before Nickleodeon began its descent into idiocy in the late 1990s; I never watched "Zoey 101," but I do remember Victoria Justice from the "iCarly" movie "iFight Shelby Marx."
One of Schneider's gifts as an entertainer is that he knows his audience and stars better than anyone else in the business. Being a former child actor himself, he knows his audience and empathizes with them and knows what works and what doesn't. He knows how to make his audience laugh without pandering to them or insulting their intelligence. Someone from a vastly different background making this show couldn't do what he does in making teen comedy shows funny, compelling, and continually interesting to watch.
Being that I'm in my mid-20s, I grew up watching Nick when it was still in its prime in the mid-'90s, and many of its greatest-ever shows are no longer on the air, unfortunately, and have been relegated to mere childhood memories. Shows like "iCarly" and "Victorious," in my opinion, are able to give this fledgling network some semblance of credibility in trying to reel in lapsed viewers from better days gone by. And this is why I'm continually impressed by "iCarly" and "Victorious," because they're entertaining, sweet, innocent, and funny - just like some of the older shows no longer on the air were back in the day.
Like Miranda Cosgrove in "iCarly," Justice proves to be a spunky, fresh, and likable young talent to keep an eye on. And like some of her other peers, she can sing (how long will it be before she releases her first CD?). In my opinion, she and Miranda Cosgrove could definitely give other teen singing sensations of the moment like Miley Cyrus a run for their money.
Although I'm only two episodes in, I know that Dan Schneider has another teen comedy success on his hands. Victoria Justice is primed to become another teen star like some of her other cohorts on other popular Nick shows. What I can say about this show is that it is indeed very funny, and Schneider and company definitely better keep up the good work, or else!
10/10
In the new Nickelodeon teen comedy show "Victorious," Tori Vega (Victoria Justice) enrolls at a prestigious performing arts school after taking her older sister's place in a singing contest and just absolutely wowing the audience, not to mention herself, with her singing abilities. Hilarity ensues as she tries to adjust to life at the school and learn to harness her talents in an artistic and professional manner. And we also get to know some of her friends and enemies at the school, all of whom are also quite likable and colorful, including a nerdy guy with a fast-talking puppet.
Series creator Dan Schneider ("All That," "Zoey 101," "Drake & Josh" and my personal favorite, "iCarly") has yet another hit on his hands with his latest, "Victorious," which is obviously meant to be the breakout role of star Victoria Justice, in her first starring role. I watched "All That" in the few precious years before Nickleodeon began its descent into idiocy in the late 1990s; I never watched "Zoey 101," but I do remember Victoria Justice from the "iCarly" movie "iFight Shelby Marx."
One of Schneider's gifts as an entertainer is that he knows his audience and stars better than anyone else in the business. Being a former child actor himself, he knows his audience and empathizes with them and knows what works and what doesn't. He knows how to make his audience laugh without pandering to them or insulting their intelligence. Someone from a vastly different background making this show couldn't do what he does in making teen comedy shows funny, compelling, and continually interesting to watch.
Being that I'm in my mid-20s, I grew up watching Nick when it was still in its prime in the mid-'90s, and many of its greatest-ever shows are no longer on the air, unfortunately, and have been relegated to mere childhood memories. Shows like "iCarly" and "Victorious," in my opinion, are able to give this fledgling network some semblance of credibility in trying to reel in lapsed viewers from better days gone by. And this is why I'm continually impressed by "iCarly" and "Victorious," because they're entertaining, sweet, innocent, and funny - just like some of the older shows no longer on the air were back in the day.
Like Miranda Cosgrove in "iCarly," Justice proves to be a spunky, fresh, and likable young talent to keep an eye on. And like some of her other peers, she can sing (how long will it be before she releases her first CD?). In my opinion, she and Miranda Cosgrove could definitely give other teen singing sensations of the moment like Miley Cyrus a run for their money.
Although I'm only two episodes in, I know that Dan Schneider has another teen comedy success on his hands. Victoria Justice is primed to become another teen star like some of her other cohorts on other popular Nick shows. What I can say about this show is that it is indeed very funny, and Schneider and company definitely better keep up the good work, or else!
10/10