In the world of television shows for the younger audience, the choices have become more varied than ever. You’ve got shows that revolve around a young character and his or her family or friends. Aside from this, you also have shows that aim to highlight the young stars’ musical talent. And it’s safe to say that “Victorious” falls under this category.
“Victorious” is an Emmy-nominated Nickelodeon show created by Dan Schneider. The show revolves around Tori Vega and her schoolmates at a performing arts school called Hollywood Arts. On the show, Victoria Justice plays the role of Tori. Meanwhile, she is joined by Leon Thomas III, Ariana Grande, Elizabeth Gillies, Matt Bennett, Avan Jogia, and Daniella Monet.
Despite its success, the show was eventually canceled. And as we look back, we’re pretty sure there are secrets behind the show that you didn’t know:
15 The Show’s Creator, Dan Schneider, Was A Former Teen Star Himself
If you must know, Schneider himself is no stranger to teen shows because he also happens to be a former teen star. Back in the 1980s, this show creator used to be a regular cast member of the series “Head of the Class.” It ran successfully for five seasons on ABC.
14 The Show Targeted Hannah Montana And Glee’s Audiences
Around the time that the show was coming out, Nickelodeon wanted to capture young viewers, just like “Hannah Montana” and “Glee” did. During an interview with the New York Times, Nickelodeon executive Marjorie Cohn explained, “What we really do best is to follow where kids are. Kids are into music, maybe more than ever, and we asked Dan to create a music-based show."
13 Ariana Grande Absolutely Loves Guest Star Jennette McCurdy
As you may recall, McCurdy appeared in one episode as Tori’s stalker. Of working with her, Grande told Seventeen, “I am so lucky to be working with Jennette McCurdy. She is a real, genuine, honest person, a good friend, and doesn’t care about all the superficial BS. She’s the most hilarious actress I’ve ever met and I just adore her…I used to watch iCarly and think, ‘Wow, Jennette is such a standout star and so good.’”
12 Victoria Justice Nearly Missing The Gold Microphone Tossed At Her In The Main Title Sequence, Was 100% Real
According to Schneider’s blog, “When Tori tries to catch the gold microphone, almost misses, and makes that silly, fun face... that's a 100% real reaction. When we shot this, I asked our prop guy to toss her the microphone from off-screen. And in this one take, she almost dropped it. Victoria's reaction was so cute, I had to put it in the main titles.”
11 Cat’s Hair Had To Be Red, Because There Were Too Many Brunettes In The Cast Already
Schneider explained, “When I met Ariana during the casting process for Victorious, she was a brunette. Once I'd cast the whole show, I realized I had four brunette girls, and I wanted to break it up a little. So, I asked Ariana if she'd be okay with changing her hair color. She was excited about the idea. A few weeks later, Ariana had red velvet cupcake colored hair, and "Cat" was born.”
10 Tori’s Opening Scene Was Shot During The Golden Hour, To Ensure She Looked As Gorgeous As Possible
According to Schneider, “The shots you see of Tori riding in the car (earbuds in her ears) were filmed late in the afternoon, during what is called "Golden Hour" – a time of day where lighting is particularly beautiful because of the position of the sun. That's one reason why the car shots of Tori look so gorgeous.”
9 The Stylist Responsible For Cat’s Red Hair, Is The Same Stylist That Personally Works For Dan Schneider And His Wife
On his blog, Schneider revealed, “The woman who dyes Ariana's hair that red color also happens to be the hairstylist that my wife (Lisa, aka Hungry Girl) and I use. Her name is Diana and she's one of the best hair stylists in Los Angeles. Lisa and I love her."
8 In One Scene, It Was Decided That Victoria Couldn't Say She Likes French Kissing
During an episode called “Stage Fighting,” there was a scene where Justice’s character goes on and on about French stuff that she likes. As it turns out, the mention of French kissing was considered, but it was removed in the end. Schneider explained, “But I decided that was a bit much for a Nickelodeon show, so I cut "French kissing" from the script.”
7 A Lot Of Scenes Were Actually Shot Outside Of The Studio, Since The Hollywood Sign Was Visible From The Lot
On his blog, Schneider revealed, “When Tori sings the lyric "And you don't know" – look behind her. You'll see the actual HOLLYWOOD sign. That's not fake -- it's the real deal. We shoot a lot of Victorious right outside of our studio, and we're very lucky that the HOLLYWOOD sign just happens to be right there.”
6 Writers Had A Lot Of Fun Coming Up With Lame Dialogue For The Fictional Plays In The Show
As Schneider has explained, “We writers had fun writing the lame dialogue for the play that Robbie and Trina are auditioning for. My favorite bad line is, "I am also a woman... who loves you." It's fun to intentionally write bad dialogue.” He also pointed out, “It's not so fun when you do it, but didn't mean to.”
5 After The Safeword 'Butternut' Was Used In An Episode, It Became A Backstage Safeword For Whenever Someone Got Frustrated
In the episode “Stage Fight,” the students established a safe word to stop fight scenes from getting too rough. As it turns out, however, the safe word also ended up getting used backstage. Schneider said, “Ever since we filmed this episode, everyone who works on Victorious (staff and crew) yells "Butternut" whenever they get freaked out or frustrated.”
4 In The Scene Where Jade Got Smacked By A Cane, There Was No Stunt Double
On his blog, Schneider recalled, “When we did the first take of this scene, I actually panicked for a brief second, thinking that Liz ("Jade") had actually been hit in the face with the cane. It looked so real! But that just shows you how good Victoria, Liz, our director, and our stunt coordinator (Vince Deadrick) are. It looked very real, in every take. But of course, Liz ("Jade") never got hurt.”
3 An Unidentified Cast Member Was Dissing Ariana Grande Behind The Scenes
During her interview with Seventeen, Grande revealed, “I worked with someone who told me they’d never like me. But for some reason, I just felt like I needed her approval. So I started changing myself to please her. It made me stop being social and friendly. I was so unhappy.” Grande never disclosed who the person was, but some suspected it was Justice.
2 Dan Schneider Doesn't Usually Allow Ponytails, But Made One Single Exception For Victoria Based On A Specific Scene
Schneider explained, “As everyone who works for me knows, I almost never let the girls wear ponytails on my shows. You rarely see any of the girls in ponytails. But in this scene I made an exception with Tori, because a ponytail seemed appropriate for what she was doing in the scene.”
1 Regardless Of Its Success, Nickelodeon Limited The Show To 60 Episodes
Upon the show’s cancellation, Schneider posted a message to fans on Twitter saying, “This was the network’s decision – not mine. Please understand: Almost all Nickelodeon shows have a life of about 60 episodes.” He added, “So, it’s not unusual for a Nick show to do a run of just 60 episodes. I would love to have made more than 60 of Victorious, but that’s how it usually goes.”