Victoria Justice has worked with Dan Schneider on a couple of different shows in the past, but he really wanted to develop a show around the actress, one that would showcase all of her talents. I'm guessing that's why the series named for her character finds her singing and dancing her way through some of the episodes. On the one hand, I wasn't sure we really needed another half-hour family show that featured the lead character as a talented singer. It seems like everyone on a kid's comedy can sing now. But on the other hand, the show doesn't feature long song and dance numbers in every single episode, so at least in that respect, it works.

One of the interesting aspects of the show is the classes. Schneider models the classes his characters are in after the kinds of classes you would find at an actual performing arts school. There are the typical classes you see in movies depicting performance education, like an introductory drama (or theater) class, but there is also training in specific aspects of performance, like stage combat. That's not something you usually get to glimpse from the outside, and not something you usually see as high school drama curriculum, and it provides a very fresh take on an otherwise old idea.

Since this series was created by Dan Schneider, the same man who brought us Drake and Josh and iCarly, you can expect the show to be hallmarked with his humor and his own brand of slang. Schneider enjoys coining his own terms and phrases for his characters to use, so be prepared for a lot of words that you've never heard before to suddenly be added to your vocabulary if you start watching the show. (For instance, I'd never heard anyone I know use the term “chiz” until I watched iCarly, and since then I've even said it myself.) His humor blends the slapstick and overexaggerations that are common on programming for younger audiences with jokes that will go over the heads of your younger siblings. (The parody of a TMZ news room during the episode “Roberazzi” is pretty funny, for example.) It makes for a perfect series that can actually be enjoyed by the whole family, as long as you can get through the cheesiness.

Despite Dan Schneider's knack for casting kids with great comedic timing, I'd have to say that the two bright spots in the cast are Ariana Grande and Elizabeth Gillies. Ariana is the lovable and ditz Kat. Characters that are overly emotional and never understand what's going on don't usually get my vote for my favorite, but Ariana plays her adorably. She's just so much fun to watch. I find myself always wondering what she's going to be up to. Elizabeth's Jade is the complete opposite of Ariana. She's abrasive, manipulative, and the main character's foil. And Elizabeth plays her brilliantly. She kind of makes me think of the over-the-top malicious cartoon villains. I could see her maniacally twirling a mustache, or possibly cackling into her mirror or something like that. She's fantastic.

I had my doubts when the show made its television debut, but I have to admit that the idea has done pretty well. I've enjoyed the episodes I've seen of the first season and think it has a lot of promise for another.