''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' (renamed to ''Degrassi'' for seasons
10 to
14) is a Canadian
teen drama
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
television series created by
Yan Moore
Yan Moore (born February 6, 1953) is a Canadian television writer and producer. He is best known as a writer for '' Degrassi Junior High'', ''Degrassi High'' and '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. He was also the creator and producer of the Canad ...
and
Linda Schuyler
Linda Schuyler, (; née Bawcutt; born February 12, 1948) is a Canadian television producer. She is best known for being the co-creator and producer of the ''Degrassi'' teen drama franchise, which has spanned five series over four decades. She i ...
. The fourth series in the ''
Degrassi
''Degrassi'' is a Canadian television franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler in 1979. It is centred on a multigenerational teen drama about an ensemble cast of teenagers attending the namesake Toronto school as they navigate their ad ...
'' franchise and a revival of ''
Degrassi Junior High
''Degrassi Junior High'' is a Canadian television series and the second series in the ''Degrassi'' franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler. A successor but not a direct spin-off of ''The Kids of Degrassi Street'', it debuted on CBC ...
'' and ''
Degrassi High
''Degrassi High'' is a Canadian teen drama television series and the third series in the ''Degrassi'' franchise created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood. A direct continuation of '' Degrassi Junior High'', it debuted on CBC in Canada on November ...
,'' it premiered on
CTV on October 14, 2001 and concluded on August 2, 2015 on
MTV Canada
MTV is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Bell Media with the name and branding used under a licensing agreement with Paramount Global. The channel is devoted to talk, lifestyle and documentary programming, and also airs some ...
. The series centers around a new
ensemble cast
In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that is composed of multiple principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17
Structure
In contrast to ...
of students at the fictional
Degrassi Community School who face challenges such as
sex
Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones ( ova, of ...
,
teen pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy, also known as adolescent pregnancy, is pregnancy in a female adolescent or young adult under the age of 20. This includes those who are Legal adult, legally considered adults in their country. The WHO defines adolescence as the ...
,
bullying
Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an imba ...
,
date rape
Date rape is a form of acquaintance rape and dating violence. The two phrases are often used interchangeably, but date rape specifically refers to a rape in which there has been some sort of romantic or potentially sexual relationship between ...
,
drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
,
body image
Body image is a person's thoughts, feelings and perception of the aesthetics or sexual attractiveness of their own body. The concept of body image is used in a number of disciplines, including neuroscience, psychology, medicine, psychiatry, ps ...
,
homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
,
domestic violence
Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
,
gang violence
A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...
,
self-injury
Self-harm is intentional behavior that is considered harmful to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own skin tissues usually without a suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-injury and self-mutilatio ...
,
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
,
abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
,
mental disorders
A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
and many other issues. Various characters from the previous two series also returned as adults in recurring or guest roles.
The series was created by Schuyler and Yan Moore, the head writer of ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High''. It is the first series to feature no involvement from
Kit Hood
Christopher Hood (24 March 1943 – 20 January 2020) was a Canadian television editor, director, writer and producer. He is best known as the director and co-creator of the ''Degrassi'' franchise alongside Linda Schuyler, including the series ' ...
, who was a co-creator and director of all previous ''Degrassi'' series. It was produced by
Epitome Pictures
Epitome Pictures Inc. (later known as DHX Studios Toronto and WildBrain Studios) was a Canadian film and television production company based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded by Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn in 1992, the company is best known for ...
(a subsidiary of
DHX Media
WildBrain Ltd. (formerly known as DHX Media, Ltd.) is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest library of children ...
) in association with
Bell Media
Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies.
Establishment (2011–13)
On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...
. It premiered to mixed reviews, with some critics expressing doubts about whether the show would make the same impact as its predecessors, but would ultimately garner similar critical and commercial success. It received favourable reviews from critics of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', and
AfterElton
TheBacklot.com (TheBacklot), founded in January 2005 as AfterElton.com (AfterElton), was a culture website that focused on the portrayal of gay and bisexual men in the media and was the companion site of AfterEllen.com (AfterEllen). TheBacklot was ...
. In its initial years, it was frequently the most watched domestic drama series in Canada. In the United States, it became the highest-rated show on
Noggin
Noggin may refer to:
General
* Noggin or gill (volume), a unit of volume
* Noggin (cup), a small cup
* Noggin, slang for head
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, an ...
's teen block
The N
The N (standing for Noggin) was a nighttime programming block on the Noggin television channel, aimed at preteens and teenagers. It was launched on April 1, 2002, by Viacom and Sesame Workshop. Before the block's introduction, Noggin's daytime l ...
. By 2004, the series had averaged nearly a million viewers in Canada, and half a million in the United States. In Canada, the series received awards from the
Gemini
Gemini may refer to:
Space
* Gemini (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac
** Gemini in Chinese astronomy
* Project Gemini, the second U.S. crewed spaceflight program
* Gemini Observatory, consisting of telescopes in the Northern ...
s,
Writers Guild of Canada
The Writers Guild of Canada is an organization representing more than 2,500 professional writers working in film, television, radio, and digital media production in Canada. Members of the Guild write dramatic TV series, feature films, Movies of th ...
, and
Directors Guild of Canada
The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) is a Canadian labour union representing more than 5,500 professionals from 48 different occupations in the Canadian film and television industry. Founded in 1962, the DGC represents directors, editors, assistant ...
. Internationally, it also won several
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards is an annual awards show that airs on the Fox television network. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, film, sports, television, fashion, social media, and more, voted by viewers living in the United S ...
,
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...
s, and Prix Jeunesse. The episode "
My Body Is a Cage", in which a character is outed as transgender, won a
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...
in 2011.
During its later seasons, the show's format underwent several changes after the involvement of
Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to:
* Viacom (1952–2006), a former American media conglomerate
* Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom
* Viacom18, a joint venture between Par ...
. The
tenth season's airing schedule switched to a
telenovela
A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...
format during the summer months, before returning to its standard schedule for the fall and spring. The series was also moved to
MuchMusic
Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults.
MuchMusic launched on August 31 ...
in Canada. The
thirteenth season reverted to a weekly schedule and part way through, it had moved to
MTV Canada
MTV is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Bell Media with the name and branding used under a licensing agreement with Paramount Global. The channel is devoted to talk, lifestyle and documentary programming, and also airs some ...
, where it aired until its final episode on August 2, 2015, after fourteen seasons. It was followed by ''
Degrassi: Next Class'', which followed the remaining underclassmen characters from the show's later seasons as well as introduced newer ones, in 2016.
Production
Concept
The ''Degrassi'' universe was created in 1979 by Playing With Time, a production company owned by former schoolteacher Linda Schuyler and her partner Kit Hood. The franchise began with ''
The Kids of Degrassi Street
''The Kids of Degrassi Street'' is a Canadian children's television series and the first in the ''Degrassi'' franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler. It follows the lives of a group of children living on De Grassi Street in Toronto. It ...
'', which was spawned out of three half-hour short films, and came to prominence with the critical and commercial successes of ''
Degrassi Junior High
''Degrassi Junior High'' is a Canadian television series and the second series in the ''Degrassi'' franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler. A successor but not a direct spin-off of ''The Kids of Degrassi Street'', it debuted on CBC ...
'', which debuted in 1987, and ''
Degrassi High
''Degrassi High'' is a Canadian teen drama television series and the third series in the ''Degrassi'' franchise created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood. A direct continuation of '' Degrassi Junior High'', it debuted on CBC in Canada on November ...
,'' which premiered in 1989. The two series followed an ensemble cast of students attending the titular schools as they confronted various issues. It became an international sensation, with the shows experiencing upwards of a million viewers on average in Canada, and received numerous accolades. The telemovie ''
School's Out,'' which concluded the franchise, aired in 1992.
Schuyler and original ''Degrassi'' series head writer Yan Moore began developing a new television drama in 1999, following a reunion of the original ''Degrassi'' cast on the CBC series ''
Jonovision
''Jonovision'' was a Canadian television talk show aimed toward teenagers. The show aired for five seasons, from 1996 to 2001, on CBC Television. ''Jonovision'' was nominated for 4 Gemini Awards. It reached the top of its popularity at the begi ...
''. As the months progressed, they began to think about what had happened to the original characters to develop a school-reunion theme. However, they decided that a series would not work effectively if based around adults instead of children. Moore realized that the character
Emma Nelson
'' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. The series is now considered the first incarnation and premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001, and then ended on MTV Canada and ...
, born to character
Christine "Spike" Nelson
Christine "Spike" Nelson is a fictional character from the ''Degrassi'' teen drama franchise. Portrayed by Amanda Stepto, Spike appeared throughout ''Degrassi Junior High'' (1987-89)'', Degrassi High'' (1989-91), and the first nine seasons of '' ...
at the end of ''Degrassi Junior High''s second season, would soon be entering
junior high school
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school ...
, and development for the series took a new direction by focusing on Emma and her school experiences.
Schuyler's husband
Stephen Stohn
John Stephen Stohn (born May 8, 1948) is an American-born Canadian entertainment lawyer and television producer. He is best known for his involvement with the ''Degrassi'' teen drama franchise, particularly as an executive producer on '' Degrassi: ...
suggested ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' as the name for the new sequel series, which borrowed from ''
Star Trek: The Next Generation''. The project was pitched to
CTV in May 2000, with the originally planned reunion episode serving as the pilot to the new series.
Executive producers, script-writers and directors
Produced by Epitome Pictures Inc, in association with
CTVglobemedia
Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies.
Establishment (2011–13)
On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...
, ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' received funding from the
Canadian Television Fund
The Canadian Television Fund (CTF, french: Fonds canadien de télévision - FCT) supported the production and broadcast of Canadian television programs. A non-profit corporation operating as a public-private partnership, the CTF was financed by c ...
,
BCE
Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the or ...
, the Shaw Rocket Fund, Mountain Cable Program and the
Royal Bank of Canada
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC; french: Banque royale du Canada) is a Canadian multinational financial services company and the largest bank in Canada by market capitalization. The bank serves over 17 million clients and has more than 89,000& ...
, the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, and the Cogeco Program Development Fund.
Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn served as executive producers throughout its run. Other Epitome Pictures employees and series crew members were also been credited as executive producers, including Sara Snow, Brendon Yorke, James Hurst, Aaron Martin,
and Sarah Glinski.
Story editors included Sarah Glinski and Matt Huether, Shelley Scarrow, James Hurst, Aaron Martin, and Sean Reycraft. Frequent directors included Phil Earnshaw, Stefan Scaini and
Bruce McDonald.
When production of season three began, a user on the official ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' website with the alias "ExecProducer" began a
forum
Forum or The Forum (plural forums or fora) may refer to:
Common uses
* Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States
*Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city
**Roman Forum, most famous example
*Internet ...
thread titled "Shooting Season 3", revealing production details, guest actors, scheduling information and DVD release details. He referred to himself as "Stephen Stohn" in one post, although it was not until the release of ''Degrassi: Generations – The Official 411'' in 2005, that Stohn confirmed he was the poster and it was not an imposter.
Episode format
The episodes are written following the same formula with two or three storylines (Plot A, Plot B and Plot C). The main storyline, A, opened and closed the episode, and was usually driven by a single character. Plot B was usually more comedic in tone and sometimes slightly intertwined with the other stories, often moving
story arc
A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vide ...
s forward. Plot C was usually used sporadically in a season-long arc, but would eventually settle as comedic relief.
The problems presented in the episode were not always resolved by the end of the episode, and were carried over to the next, or created a mini-arc over several episodes. The majority of the episodes were named after songs from the
1980s
File:1980s replacement montage02.PNG, 420px, From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, ''Columbia'', lifts off in 1981; US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev ease tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the ...
, and since the
tenth season, the episodes were named after songs from the 1990s to the present, which represented the entering of a new decade and a completely different cast from the earlier seasons. For the first nine seasons, ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' had been produced as a weekly half-hour
teen
Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the te ...
comedy-drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
series, with each season consisting of between fifteen and twenty-four episodes.
Due to falling viewing figures between seasons six and nine,
the series developed a daily soap opera format for the summer run of the tenth season, and increased the number of episodes to forty-four.
The tenth season also dropped the tagline "The Next Generation", with only one original cast member remaining, and due to the young audience unfamiliar with the past generation, referring to the series as "''Degrassi''". Season 13 reverted to airing episodes weekly, but still produced more episodes than prior to the soap opera format, airing a block in the summer of 2013 to the summer of 2014.
Opening sequence
The ''Degrassi'' opening sequence followed a two- to three-minute
cold open
A cold open (also called a teaser sequence) is a narrative technique used in television and films. It is the practice of jumping directly into a story at the beginning of the show before the title sequence or opening credits are shown. In Ameri ...
. During the first five seasons these credits showed the characters on the school premises and followed a mini storyline. Seasons six and seven featured titles with the actors breaking the
fourth wall
The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...
and facing the camera, over a montage of character videos from past seasons, saturated with blue colour and gold outlines. The montages behind the characters depicting a major event in that character's storyline. For the eighth season, the show abandoned the style of titles used for the previous two seasons and returned to the original form of showing the characters at school while participating in school-related activities. Season thirteen dropped the opening credits, replacing it with an eleven-second montage. This continued into season fourteen. Instead of listing every ensemble actor, after the montage, season thirteen and fourteen episodes credit only the regular actors appearing in that episode.
The
theme music
Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...
, "Whatever It Takes", was composed by Jim McGrath, with lyrics written by Jody Colero and Stephen Stohn. The song include lines such as, "Whatever it takes, I know I can make it through/Be the best, the best I can be", to convey what Colero calls, "a sense of joy and optimism."
Lisa Dalbello
Lisa Dal Bello (born 22 May 1959), also known as Dalbello, is a Canadian musician. She released three albums in the pop and pop/rock genre in her late teens, from 1977 through 1981 under her full name. In 1984, she re-emerged as Dalbello, wit ...
performed the lyrics with a children's choir over a 1980s pop music style tune during the first three seasons.
Dave Ogilvie
Dave "Rave" Ogilvie is a Canadian record producer, mixer, songwriter and musician. The former member of bands Skinny Puppy and Jakalope started his recording career in Vancouver working as an engineer at Mushroom Studios. He has been described by ...
and Anthony Valcic of Canadian
industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems
* Industrial city, a city dominate ...
-pop group
Jakalope
Jakalope is a Canadian Indie pop/ rock group, formed in 2003 and named for the mythical creature of the jackalope, and started by noted Canadian industrial musician and producer Dave "Rave" Ogilvie, most famous for his studio work with such act ...
reworked and performed the song with a heavier sound to reflect the growing maturity of the characters in season four.
For seasons six and seven, the theme—still performed by Jakalope—was remixed and stripped of vocals.
A fourth version of the theme song, with lyrics sung by
Damhnait Doyle
Damhnait Doyle (; born December 9, 1975) is a Canadian musician, singer and composer. A phonetic spelling of her first name (which is Irish) also serves as the title of her 2003 album. She was a member of Atlantic Canadian band Shaye from 2003 ...
, was introduced for the eighth season, and a fifth version of the theme, performed by the in-show band "
Stüdz" was used for the ninth and tenth seasons. For seasons eleven and twelve, a sixth version of the theme song was used, performed by
Alexz Johnson
Alexzandra Spencer Johnson (born November 4, 1986) is a Canadian musician, actress, and philanthropist. Her debut album ''Voodoo'' was independently released with her brother Brendan Johnson in 2010, followed by the demo release of ''The Basem ...
. Seasons thirteen and fourteen featured a truncated version of the Alexz Johnson theme.
Music
Jim McGrath created the musical score for each episode using an instrumental version of the theme music. He also worked with actors such as
Jake Epstein
Jacob Lee Epstein (born January 16, 1987) is a Canadian actor and singer. He played Craig Manning, a musician with bipolar disorder, on '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. He also played Will in the First National Tour of '' American Idiot'', an ...
,
Melissa McIntyre
Melissa Erin McIntyre (born May 31, 1986) is a Canadian former actress. She is best known for her role as Ashley Kerwin on the long-running CTV/The N teen drama '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''.Menon, Vinay (March 20, 2006). "Teen drama Degras ...
and
Jamie Johnston
James Michael Johnston (born July 7, 1989) is a Canadian actor and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his role as Peter Stone on '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''.
Personal life and career
Johnston was born July 7, 1989 in Toronto, Ontar ...
, when writing music for their characters
Craig Manning
Craig E. Manning is a professor of geology and geochemistry in the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he served as department chair between 2009 and 2012. Manning's research inter ...
,
Ashley Kerwin, and
Peter Stone Peter Stone may refer to:
*Pete Stone, Australian footballer in the 1956 Summer Olympics
* Peter G. Stone (born 1957), British archaeologist
*Peter Stone (cricketer) (born 1938), New Zealand cricketer
*Peter Stone (professor) (born 1971), professo ...
to perform in the bands
Downtown Sasquatch,
Paige Michalchuk and the Sexkittens (PMS),
Hell Hath No Fury
Hell Hath No Fury may refer to:
Literature
* "Hell hath no fury", an interpreted line based on a quotation from the 1697 play ''The Mourning Bride'' by William Congreve
* ''Hell Hath No Fury'', a 1951 novel by Sydney James Bounds, writing as Re ...
, and
Stüdz. In addition to being scored, ''Degrassi'' featured a mix of original
emo
Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...
,
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
and pop music. Popular songs were used sparingly in the series, mainly because of budget constraints. Usually, music supervisor Jody Colero selected songs from little-known, unsigned Canadian artists.
When these songs were included, they originated from a
diegetic
Diegesis (; from the Greek from , "to narrate") is a style of fiction storytelling that presents an interior view of a world in which:
# Details about the world itself and the experiences of its characters are revealed explicitly through narra ...
source. Examples of this could be seen in the first-season episode "Jagged Little Pill", when well-known songs were played during Ashley's house party, at the wedding reception in the fifth-season episode "Weddings, Parties, Anything", and during the party scene in the seventh-season episode "Everything She Wants".
Filming locations
The ''Degrassi'' universe was set on
De Grassi Street
De Grassi Street is a side street located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was named after Captain Filippo "Philip" De Grassi, an Italian-born soldier who immigrated to Canada with his family in 1831 and settled in York, Upper Canada. He later ...
in Toronto, Ontario. The three previous series were filmed on and near the street. However, ''The Next Generation'' was filmed at Epitome Pictures' four soundstages and backlot located at the company's production studios in Toronto.
The
facade of Degrassi Community School was the exterior of Studio C, and used the same colours and glass pattern as
Centennial College, which was used to depict the school in ''Degrassi High''. The area in front of this facade featured a "hoarding area" where students gathered, and a street and a bus stop across the road.
The studio's backlot was used for exterior shots of the characters' houses, where each unit was dressed differently for each house, and The Dot Grill.
The building for The Dot was the only one on the backlot that was large enough to allow filming inside, while scenes that took place inside the school and house interiors were filmed on one of four sound stages.
Studio A contained sets for the school's hallways, washrooms, cafeteria and classrooms.
The hallways were stenciled with phrases such as "the perfect human being is all human", which were found at the Etobicoke School for the Arts, one of the many schools that set designers used during their original research. The washroom set had graffiti on the walls to look authentic, and the urinals are installed and removed as needed. The set used for the cafeteria was designed to be "purposefully bland to take the edge off the rest of the school looking so beautiful."
It was also used as the studio's cafeteria where the cast and crew eat.
In addition to being used as the exterior of the school, Studio C held sets for the school's entrance foyer, the gymnasium, the media lab and a hallway with lockers.
As the series progressed and the budget increased, a stairway and balcony were installed in the foyer in an attempt to get characters off the floor and not all appear in the same
geometric plane. For the first few seasons, the gym floor was made of real wooden floorboards; due to warping, it was replaced by concrete painted to look like wood.
Studio B contained the sets for the characters' houses and ''The Core'' newspaper office which was introduced in season six. The fourth studio, Studio D, housed all of the production offices, dressing rooms, and make-up and hair departments. The pool hall and university campus club sets were built in Studio D for the seventh season.
York University
York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...
's Keele Campus in Toronto served as the location for various sites at Smithdale University.
Episodes
Cast
Main roles
Main
For the new generation of students, producers auditioned over six hundred school-aged children in an attempt to provide characters to which the teenaged target-audience could relate. The decision to cast age-similar actors was purposeful to contrast the series from other shows of the same period such as ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
'' and ''
Dawson's Creek
''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college that ran from 1998 to 2003. T ...
'', which had cast actors in their twenties as teenagers.
Eleven children were given star
billing in the
first season. Sarah Barrable-Tishauer portrayed the lonely high-achiever
Liberty Van Zandt.
Daniel Clark played bad-boy
Sean Cameron.
Lauren Collins
Lauren Felice Collins (born August 29, 1986) is a Canadian actress, best known for portraying Paige Michalchuk on '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. She has also had supporting roles in the films '' Take the Lead'' (2006) and ''Charlie Bartlett ...
was cast as
Paige Michalchuk
'' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. The series is now considered the first incarnation and premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001, and then ended on MTV Canada and ...
, the school's head cheerleader and
queen bee
A queen bee is typically an adult, mated female (gyne) that lives in a colony or hive of honey bees. With fully developed reproductive organs, the queen is usually the mother of most, if not all, of the bees in the beehive. Queens are developed ...
.
Ryan Cooley
Ryan Hadison Cooley (born May 18, 1988) is a Canadian consultant and former actor. He is best known for his role as James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke on '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' which he starred in from 2001 until 2007. He also studied thea ...
portrayed class clown
James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke,
with
Jake Goldsbie
Jacob Benjamin "Jake" Goldsbie (born August 8, 1988) is a Canadian actor, who is best known for playing as Toby Isaacs in the CTV television series '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' from 2001 until 2009.
Biography
Goldsbie graduated from Conc ...
cast as J.T.'s best friend,
Toby Isaacs
'' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. The series is now considered the first incarnation and premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001, and then ended on MTV Canada and ...
, a computer geek.
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
portrayed basketball star Jimmy Brooks, who came from a wealthy family.
Shane Kippel
Shane Warren Kippel (born June 4, 1986) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Gavin "Spinner" Mason on '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. In 2010, after nine years on ''Degrassi'', Kippel was written out of the program and did ...
played school bully
Gavin "Spinner" Mason.
Miriam McDonald
Miriam Katherine McDonald (born July 26, 1987) is a Canadian actress best known for playing the lead role Emma Nelson on the television series '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''.
Career
McDonald focused on acting, playing a role in the series ...
was cast as
Emma Nelson
'' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. The series is now considered the first incarnation and premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001, and then ended on MTV Canada and ...
, an environmental rights activist, with
Cassie Steele
Cassandra Rae Steele (born December 2, 1989) is a Canadian actress and singer known for portraying Manny Santos on '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' and Abby Vargas on '' The L.A. Complex''. In 2014, she played Sarah in the MTV horror televis ...
cast in the role of Emma's best friend, promiscuous high school cheerleader
Manuela "Manny" Santos.
Melissa McIntyre portrayed
Ashley Kerwin, the perfect girl who attracted the popular boys, and who the other girls are jealous of. Christina Schmidt portrayed the overweight and insecure
Terri McGreggor
''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television programme, television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. The series is now considered the first incarnation and premiered on CTV Television Network, CTV on October ...
.
Providing ties to the previous series in the ''Degrassi'' universe,
Stefan Brogren
Stefan Brogren (born 21 April 1972) is a Canadian actor, director, and producer. He is best known as Archie "Snake" Simpson in the ''Degrassi'' franchise of television shows.
Early life
Stefan Brogren was born on 21 April 1972, in Toronto, O ...
was approached to play his old character
Archie "Snake" Simpson
'' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. The series is now considered the first incarnation and premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001, and then ended on MTV Canada and ...
, now working at the school as the
media immersion teacher. Dan Woods reprised his role as English teacher
Mr. Raditch, who was promoted to school principal, and
Pat Mastroianni
Pasquale "Pat" Mastroianni (born December 22, 1971) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Joey Jeremiah in the ''Degrassi'' franchise, for which he received a Gemini Award in 1988.
Biography
Mastroianni grew up in Toronto, th ...
returned to his role as
Joey Jeremiah
Joseph "Joey" Jeremiah is a fictional character from the ''Degrassi'' teen drama franchise. He is portrayed by Pat Mastroianni. He debuted in the first episode of ''Degrassi Junior High'' and appeared throughout ''Degrassi Junior High'', ''Degra ...
.
Amanda Stepto
Amanda Felicitas Stepto (born 31 July 1970) is a Canadian former actress who gained nationwide fame for her role as teen mother Christine "Spike" Nelson in the ''Degrassi'' franchise. Having no previous acting experience, Stepto rose to natio ...
also returned to the franchise to play her character
Christine "Spike" Nelson
Christine "Spike" Nelson is a fictional character from the ''Degrassi'' teen drama franchise. Portrayed by Amanda Stepto, Spike appeared throughout ''Degrassi Junior High'' (1987-89)'', Degrassi High'' (1989-91), and the first nine seasons of '' ...
as a
recurring role
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who frequently appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in more than one episode, sometimes being the main foc ...
.
In the pilot episode, former ''
Degrassi Junior High
''Degrassi Junior High'' is a Canadian television series and the second series in the ''Degrassi'' franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler. A successor but not a direct spin-off of ''The Kids of Degrassi Street'', it debuted on CBC ...
'' and ''
Degrassi High
''Degrassi High'' is a Canadian teen drama television series and the third series in the ''Degrassi'' franchise created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood. A direct continuation of '' Degrassi Junior High'', it debuted on CBC in Canada on November ...
'' actors Danah Jean Brown (Trish Skye),
Darrin Brown (Dwayne Myers), Michael Carry (Simon Dexter), Irene Courakos (Alexa Pappadopoulos), Chrissa Erodotou (Diana Economopoulos),
Anais Granofsky
Anais Granofsky (born May 14, 1973) is a Canadian actress, screenwriter, producer and director. She is best known for portraying Lucy Fernandez in the ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'' series.
Early life
Granofsky was born in Spring ...
(
Lucy Fernandez
The following is a list of the characters from the ''Degrassi Classic'' era of the Canadian teen drama ''Degrassi'' franchise, created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979.
''Degrassi Junior High'' was the second series in the ''Degrassi'' franc ...
), Rebecca Haines (
Kathleen Mead), Sarah Holmes (Alison Hunter),
Neil Hope
Philip Neil Hope (September 24, 1972 – November 18, 2007Cited ''Toronto Star'' report states he was likely dead for more than a week prior to discovery.), better known and credited as Neil Hope, was a Canadian actor who was best known for por ...
(
Derek "Wheels" Wheeler), Kyra Levy (Maya Goldberg), Cathy Keenan (Liz O'Rourke),
Stacie Mistysyn
Stacie Mo'ana Mistysyn (; born July 23, 1971) is an American-Canadian former actress best known for her work as Caitlin Ryan on '' Degrassi Junior High/Degrassi High'', which ran from 1987 to 1991, and for reprising her role as Caitlin on '' D ...
(
Caitlin Ryan), and
Siluck Saysanasy
Siluck Saysanasy (born January 30, 1974) is a Laotian-Canadian television actor.
Saysanasy is best known for playing "Yick Yu", a character from the ''Degrassi'' series. He went to high school at Vaughan Road Academy in Toronto, Ontario, in ...
(Yick Yu) reprised their roles for the class reunion storyline.
In
season two Season 2 may refer to:
* ''Season 2'' (Infinite album)
* ''2econd Season
''2econd Season'' is the second and most recent album by Atlanta-based rapper Unk.
Release
It was released on November 4, 2008.
Guest Performers
The album features gu ...
, Mastroianni returned to the ''Degrassi'' franchise in a starring role as Joey Jeremiah, a car salesman and single father of two children. Joey's stepson, musician
Craig Manning
Craig E. Manning is a professor of geology and geochemistry in the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he served as department chair between 2009 and 2012. Manning's research inter ...
, played by
Jake Epstein
Jacob Lee Epstein (born January 16, 1987) is a Canadian actor and singer. He played Craig Manning, a musician with bipolar disorder, on '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. He also played Will in the First National Tour of '' American Idiot'', an ...
, was a new student at Degrassi Community School. Three other new characters were introduced in season two in recurring roles.
Stacey Farber played
Ellie Nash
'' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. The series is now considered the first incarnation and premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001, and then ended on MTV Canada and ...
, a goth whose home life was in turmoil,
and
Adamo Ruggiero
Adamo Angelo Ruggiero (born June 9, 1986) is a Canadian actor best known for his role as Marco Del Rossi in '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''.
Career
Ruggiero has been acting since the age of seven or eight. He has starred in many plays includ ...
portrayed
Marco Del Rossi
'' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. The series is now considered the first incarnation and premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001, and then ended on MTV Canada and ...
, who was struggling to accept the reality that he is gay.
Melissa Di Marco was cast as science and gym teacher
Daphne Hatzilakos. Mistysyn also returned to her former ''Degrassi'' role as Joey's ex-high school sweetheart, Caitlyn Ryan, who in the years following graduation had become a world-renowned journalist.
In
season three
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
, Farber, Ruggiero and Mistysyn were given regular roles, as were
Andrea Lewis
Andrea Desiree Lewis (born August 15, 1985) is a Canadian actress and singer known for her role as Hazel Aden in the long-running TV series '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''.
Television and film
Lewis appeared with Diahann Carroll in the biop ...
(
Hazel Aden
'' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. The series is now considered the first incarnation and premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001, and then ended on MTV Canada and ...
) and Stepto, who had held recurring roles since the first season.
Mike Lobel (
Jay Hogart), Deanna Casaluce (Alex Nuñez),
Ephraim Ellis
Ephraim Todd Ellis (born February 23, 1985) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for playing Rick Murray on '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' and Danny Ellis on ''Falcon Beach.''
Early life
Ephraim Ellis was born in Toronto, Ontario on Febr ...
(
Rick Murray) and
John Bregar (
Dylan Michalchuk) were introduced in recurring roles as new students. Towards the end of the season, Schmidt's character, Terri McGreggor, was written out of the show when her possessive boyfriend Rick pushed her to the ground and knocked her head against a rock, causing her to fall into a coma.
Over the course of the ten seasons of ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'', there have been several departures from the series.
Season six depicted the first death of one of the show's main characters when J.T. Yorke was stabbed and killed. Clark's character Sean Cameron has been written out of the show twice. He left the series during the fourth season in the wake of the death of
Rick Murray, and returned for the sixth season, but departed the series again at the end of the season. At the end of
season five several main characters graduated from
Degrassi Community School, and either left the series or went on to university.
Six new characters were introduced in
season seven in a storyline where nearby rival high school Lakehurst merged with Degrassi following a fire.
Season eight saw many changes when many of the existing cast members, including Collins, Farber, Graham, Stepto, Ruggiero, and DiMarco either moved to recurring status or left the series entirely. The exodus of several major cast members was reportedly an executive decision that left the actors and producers on bad terms, with Graham stating in an interview with ''
Vibe
''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...
'' that "
he producers
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
did us foul."
Thirteen actors were added to the main cast to replace them.
By
season nine
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
, Brogren, McDonald, Steele and Kippel were the only actors from season one who remained in the series as storylines began to focus on a new generation of children attending the school.
This was done to avoid moving the show to a primarily college setting, as the first generation cast aged or "graduated" out of Degrassi Community School into college.
As of season 10, none of the characters from the earlier seasons remained, with the exception of Brogren, whose character was promoted to the principal of Degrassi Community School.
Guest roles
Besides Brogren, Mistysyn, Stepto, and Mastroianni having starring roles, other actors from ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'' had returned to guest star in their old roles throughout ''Degrassi: The Next Generation''
's run. As well as the pilot episode featuring the return of many ''Degrassi'' alumni,
Granofsky made a second guest appearance during the second season in the episode "White Wedding" when her character attended the wedding of Spike and Snake.
Neil Hope
Philip Neil Hope (September 24, 1972 – November 18, 2007Cited ''Toronto Star'' report states he was likely dead for more than a week prior to discovery.), better known and credited as Neil Hope, was a Canadian actor who was best known for por ...
, who portrayed
Wheels
A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction with axles, allow heavy objects to be ...
in the original series, returned for a brief cameo in a third-season episode centered around Snake's battle with leukemia. In a fifth-season episode, Keenan guest starred when her character returned to console Spike after her marriage with Snake broke down.
Movie director
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film ''Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co ...
and actor
Jason Mewes
Jason Edward Mewes (born June 12, 1974) is an American actor, comedian, film producer, and podcaster. He is best known for playing Jay, the vocal half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, in longtime friend Kevin Smith's films.
Early life
Mewes was ...
guest starred as themselves in the final three episodes of the fourth season. The plot for these episodes involved the pair working on ''Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh!'', a fictional feature film in the
View Askewniverse
The View Askewniverse is a fictional universe created by writer/director Kevin Smith, featured in several films, comics and a television series; it is named for Smith's production company, View Askew Productions. The characters Jay and Silent ...
, using Degrassi Community School as a filming location. Singer
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...
, who had worked with Smith, also guest stars in "Going Down the Road Part One" as herself, acted as the school principal in Smith's film. Smith and Mewes also return to ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' as themselves for two episodes in season five. The storyline in the episodes was of the premiere of ''Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh!'' Smith and Mewes guest starred a third time for four episodes in season eight when many of the characters travelled to Hollywood, Los Angeles. In the episodes, Mewes was the writer-director and protagonist of ''Mewesical High'', which starred a number of Degrassi Community School students. Smith appeared in the episodes to support Mewes as he makes his directorial debut.
Other guest actors who appeared in ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' included
Jayne Eastwood
Jayne Eastwood (born December 17, 1946), also credited as Jane Easton or Jane Eastwood, is a Canadian actress and comedian. She is best known for her film roles as Anna-Marie Biddlecoff in the comedy film ''Finders Keepers'' (1984), Judy the Wai ...
as Sean Cameron's mother,
Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus (born August 25, 1961) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 16 studio albums and 53 singles since 1992, and is known for his hit single "Achy Breaky Heart", which topped the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and ...
as Duke, a limousine driver who got arrested, which resulted Jimmy, Hazel, Paige, and Spinner being left stranded in the street.
Season seven featured appearances from
Shirley Douglas
Shirley Jean Douglas (April 2, 1934 – April 5, 2020) was a Canadian actress and activist. Her acting career combined with her family name made her recognizable in Canadian film, television and national politics.
Early life
Douglas was born A ...
as a university professor,
Free The Children
WE Charity (french: Organisme UNIS), formerly known as Free the Children (French: ''Enfants Entraide''), is an international development charity and youth empowerment movement founded in 1995 by human rights advocates Marc and Craig Kielburger ...
founder
Craig Kielburger
Craig Kielburger (born December 17, 1982) is a Canadian human rights activist and social entrepreneur. He is the co-founder, with his brother Marc Kielburger, of the WE Charity, as well as We Day and the independent, social enterprise Me ...
, and English pop singer
Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British singer and songwriter. Bedingfield released her debut album, '' Unwritten'', in 2004, which contained primarily up-tempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music. It enjoyed intern ...
as themselves.
Jonathan Torrens
Jonathan Ormond Torrens (born October 2, 1972) is a Canadian actor and television personality best known for his co-hosting of '' Street Cents'', his talk show '' Jonovision'', and his role as "J-Roc" in the popular Canadian mockumentary ''Traile ...
guest starred as Emma's father, Shane, in the two-part season three premiere. The character had been played by Bill Parrott in the original series, but he decided not to return the former role.
In season 10, ballroom dancer
Jean-Marc Généreux
Jean-Marc Généreux ( /ʒɑ̃-maʁk ʒeneʁø/; born December 25, 1962) is a French Canadian ballroom dance champion, choreographer and television personality from Longueuil, Quebec, Canada. He is most prominently known for his roles as judge a ...
appeared as a teacher during the episode "
My Body Is a Cage". After the series had moved to MuchMusic cameos became more frequent;
Keke Palmer
Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer (born August 26, 1993) ( ) is an American actress, singer and television personality. Known for playing leading and character roles in comedy and drama productions, she has received a Primetime Emmy Award, five NAACP ...
,
Ben Mulroney
Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right.
Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( he ...
,
Chaz Bono
Chaz Salvatore Bono (born Chastity Sun Bono; March 4, 1969) is an American writer, musician and actor. His parents are entertainers Sonny Bono and Cher, and he became widely known in appearances as a child on their television show, ''The Sonny ...
,
Hedley, and
Fefe Dobson
Felicia Lily Dobson (born February 28, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Born in Toronto, Ontario, she began performing as a teenager, during which time she received and refused an offer from Jive Records for a recording contract. Dobso ...
also made appearances in the show.
Broadcast and distribution
First-run broadcast
While ''Degrassi'' originally aired in Canada on
CBC, ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' was broadcast on
Bell Media
Bell Media Inc. ( French: ) is a Canadian company formed by the amalgamation of several companies.
Establishment (2011–13)
On December 9, 2011, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan announced the sale of its majority stake in Maple Leaf Sports ...
-owned stations. Until mid-season 9, it aired on
CTV. It moved to sister network
MuchMusic
Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults.
MuchMusic launched on August 31 ...
in 2010.
In 2013, following a revamp of MuchMusic's schedule, the show moved to
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
in Canada. It currently airs on ABC Spark, Disney Channel, CMT and YTV as of 2020.
In the United States, it aired on
Noggin
Noggin may refer to:
General
* Noggin or gill (volume), a unit of volume
* Noggin (cup), a small cup
* Noggin, slang for head
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, an ...
's programming block for teenagers,
The N
The N (standing for Noggin) was a nighttime programming block on the Noggin television channel, aimed at preteens and teenagers. It was launched on April 1, 2002, by Viacom and Sesame Workshop. Before the block's introduction, Noggin's daytime l ...
. By 2004, it had become the highest-rated show on the block; an episode that aired July 2, 2004 was watched by a record 300,000 people, and
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
called it "the No. 1 program for Noggin viewers 12 to 17." Seasons 6 and 7 premiered on The N before they aired on CTV.
During mid-season 9, the show was carried over to
TeenNick
TeenNick is an American Pay television, pay-TV channel that is operated by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Aimed primarily at teens and tweens, its programming includes a variety of live-action series inherited from si ...
, a channel that merged the programming of two
Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to:
* Viacom (1952–2006), a former American media conglomerate
* Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom
* Viacom18, a joint venture between Par ...
-owned teen blocks (Noggin's The N and
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
's TEENick).
Before season 10, CTV executives told the production crew that they were cancelling the show due to a decline in viewing figures since season 7.
The co-creator Linda Schuyler and executive producer Stephen Stohn were unsure of the fate of the show after this meeting. At the same time, Stohn had recently been in talks with his American partners at
Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to:
* Viacom (1952–2006), a former American media conglomerate
* Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom
* Viacom18, a joint venture between Par ...
about creating a brand-new
telenovela
A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...
-style show for the TeenNick channel. Instead of making a new show, he pitched a revamp of ''Degrassi'' with a telenovela format. Combined with marketing efforts and support from Viacom, the show avoided cancellation. During this time, the show was re-titled as ''Degrassi''.
The show's cancellation was announced in June 2015. That same month, on June 9, Epitome Pictures announced that a sequel series, ''
Degrassi: Next Class'', would premiere on
Family Channel, owned by
DHX Media
WildBrain Ltd. (formerly known as DHX Media, Ltd.) is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest library of children ...
, and streamed outside of Canada on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
. Episodes became available on Netflix in Canada following the conclusion of the first season.
Post-broadcast distribution
In Canada, stripped reruns of ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' have aired on
CTV Two
CTV 2 is a Canadian English-language television system owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. The system consists of four terrestrial owned-and-operated television stations (O&Os) in Ontario, one in British Columbia and two regional ...
and
MTV2
MTV2 (formerly M2) is an American pay television Cable television, channel owned by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global.
The channel launched initially as an all-music video service, once the original MTV had started to sh ...
, which are owned by Bell Media. In the United States, independent distributor Program Partners and
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainm ...
, announced on September 24, 2006, that they acquired the syndication rights to the first 119 episodes of the show in the United States, and any subsequent new episodes.
In December 2006, Sony Pictures Television and Program Partners had reached agreements with the
Tribune Company
Tribune Media Company, also known as Tribune Company, was an American multimedia conglomerate headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Through Tribune Broadcasting, Tribune Media was one of the largest television broadcasting companies, owning 39 ...
for every station it owned,
The CW Plus
The CW Plus is a secondary national programming service feed of The CW that is fully controlled and 75% owned by Nexstar Media Group, with Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery each owning a 12.5% stake in the network. It is intended primar ...
affiliated stations, and many other stations owned by major media conglomerates. ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' was cleared in 60% of the country including all five of the top five media markets. By March 2007, Program Partners had cleared it in over 70% of the country after stations owned by
Hearst-Argyle Television
Hearst Television, Inc. (formerly Hearst-Argyle Television) is a broadcasting company in the United States owned by Hearst Communications. From 1998 to mid-2009, the company traded its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbo ...
,
Capitol Broadcasting Company
The Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. (CBC) is an American media company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Capitol owns three television stations and nine radio stations in the Raleigh–Durham and Wilmington areas of North Carolina and the Du ...
, and
ACME Communications
ACME Communications was a U.S.-based broadcasting company that was involved in operations of television stations and programming from the late 1990s to the year of 2013.
Company profile
ACME Communications was co-founded by Chairman and origina ...
purchased the syndication. The series met the US
FCC
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
's
educational and informational guidelines towards children's programming.
In October 2019, as part of a content deal struck between Viacom and
WildBrain
WildBrain Ltd. (formerly known as DHX Media, Ltd.) is a Canadian media, animation studio, production, and brand licensing company, mostly associated as an entertainment company. The company is known for owning the largest library of children' ...
, a channel dedicated to ''Degrassi'' was added to
Pluto TV
Pluto TV is a free, ad-supported video streaming service owned and operated by the Paramount Streaming division of Paramount Global. Co-founded by Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin and Nick Grouf in 2013 and based in Los Angeles, California, in the United Sta ...
on channel 172 (now channel 144) of the free, advertiser-supported streaming service's entertainment tier, offering episodes of ''Degrassi'', with a limited number of episodes—including those that consisted of portions of two-part episodes, such as "Bitter Sweet Symphony (Part 1)"—omitted from the episode rotation.
As of July 2021, reruns of ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' continue to air on certain Canadian television networks owned by
Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian mass media company. Formed in 1999 as a spin-off from Shaw Communications, it has prominent holdings in the radio, publishing, and television industries. It is headquartered at Corus Quay in Toronto, Onta ...
, including
ABC Spark
ABC Spark is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel was launched on March 26, 2012, replacing the declining channel Dusk.
ABC Spark is based on the U.S. subscription channel Freeform (previously ...
,
CMT, and
YTV.
DVD releases
The first twelve seasons of ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' have been released on DVD. The box sets are released in Canada by
Alliance Home Entertainment. In the United States,
FUNimation Entertainment
Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...
released the first six seasons and Echo Bridge Entertainment released seasons seven through twelve. Each season boxset includes extra features such as pictures,
karaoke
Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...
sessions, audition tapes,
blooper
A blooper is a short clip from a film or video production, usually a deleted scene, containing a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. It also refers to an error made during a live radio or TV broadcast or news report, usually in terms o ...
s, deleted scenes and more. In Australia, seasons 1 to 4 were released by Umbrella Entertainment in 2010 and 2011. These DVDs are compatible with the
region 4 code,
which is in use in, Oceania and Latin America.
The three-episode story arc from the fourth season in which Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes guest star has also been released as a single disc Region 1 DVD. FUNimation Entertainment released the disc on November 8, 2005, in two versions: the first subtitled as "Uncut, Uncensored and Unrated",
and the second, "Rated."
Each release has the same DVD extras, including an interview with Kevin Smith, bloopers and a ''Jay and Silent Bob'' Photo Album. The Unrated release also features episode commentaries by Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Stacie Mistysyn, the associate producer Jim Jackman and writer Aaron Martin.
Streaming
''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' has been made available over various streaming platforms over the years. During the show's original run, episodes were uploaded to
CTV and The N's websites in Canada and the United States respectively. It was also made available on
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
in North America. In 2007,
Puretracks in Canada offered episodes for download as a media file that could be only burned or copied three times.
In the US,
Zune
Zune is a discontinued line of digital media products and services marketed by Microsoft from November 2006 until its discontinuation in June 2012. Zune consisted of a line of portable media players, digital media player software for Windows Per ...
sold the full series. All 14 seasons were made available to stream on
HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Netw ...
on March 25, 2022.
Impact and reception
Critical reception
''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' has received generally positive reviews. ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' has called it "a cult hit", and ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' named it "Tha Best Teen TV N da WRLD (The best teen TV in the world)".
Of the first season, ''
The Ottawa Citizen
The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
History
Established as ''The Bytown Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris, it was renamed the ''Citizen'' in 1851. The newsp ...
'' Tony Atherton had mixed feelings of the new incarnation, saying it "has a cleaner, more polished look, has lost its edge
nd offersnothing new to viewers familiar with the groundbreaking
preceding series, nor to anyone else who has watched the deluge of teen dramas since ... there is a sense of déjà vu with regards to the plots and characters".
He did, however, praise the show for having "the same simple narrative told from a kid's viewpoint, and the same regard for unvarnished reality
s ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High''.
Before its debut in the United States, ''
The Seattle Times
''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington (s ...
'' Melanie McFarland wondered whether the series would do well, writing: "soft-pedaling through the issues might work for today's family of viewers, but what's gentle enough for Mom and Dad's peace of mind might not be enough to hook Junior or the original ''Degrassi''
's older fans". The issues that the characters experience have often been commented on in the media. It has been noted that the series never attempts to hide from depicting honest accounts of the trials and tribulations that real teenagers may often experience. Sarah Liss from
CBC News
CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca. ...
said that despite often being corny and soap opera-y, ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' tackles issues that other genre series prefer to gloss over, and was part of her essential viewing.
She named the series one of "the
enmost important television shows of the 2000s", and was the only children's series, and the only Canadian television series, to appear on the list, which included ''
Mad Men
''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its fict ...
'', ''
Lost
Lost may refer to getting lost, or to:
Geography
*Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland
* Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US
History
*Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...
'', the
CSI franchise, and ''
Sex and the City
''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy, romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City (newspaper column), newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the ...
''.
In 2008, Jeffrey Bento-Carrier described one storyline that showed a teacher being accused of sexually assaulting one of his students as "shock
ng, adding that "''Degrassi'' is not for everyone, mainly because it's an honest account what it's like to be a teen in a society which values cliques and confrontation over truth and real growth."
Brian Orloff of the ''
St. Petersburg Times
The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...
'' echoed the sentiments, and praised the series for "stay
ngin touch with teens' lives".
In spite of these comments, The N held back one of the more controversial episodes of the first season, which showed a character losing control after taking an ecstasy pill, and refused to broadcast it until it was presented with an edited copy from the producers.
The N also refused to broadcast two episodes from the second season that featured a storyline about date-rape until suitable edits could be made,
and withheld other episodes from season three that showed a fourteen-year-old character having an
abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
after having consensual
sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal penetrat ...
with her boyfriend, and feeling no regrets.
The decision caused an uproar amongst fans who organized a petition that caught the attention of the ''New York Times'', as well as CBC, the ''
National Post
The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
'' and the ''
London Free Press
''The London Free Press'' is a daily newspaper based in London, Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. It has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Southwestern Ontario.
History
''The London Free Press'' began as the ''Canadian Free Press'', ...
'' in Canada.
The episodes eventually aired three years later as part of an "every episode ever"
marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
, with very little advertisement from the network. Another storyline was featured in the media after ten children from a
Québécois school were found to have a number of cuts on their bodies. They said they had copied the show when one character began
self harming
Self-harm is intentional behavior that is considered harmful to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own skin tissues usually without a suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-injury and self-mutilatio ...
herself in an episode.
Comparisons between ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' and other genre specific series have also been made throughout the run. Jake Surette, a writer with
AfterElton.com, a website which focuses on the portrayal of homosexual and
bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
men in the media, reported on the portrayal of two ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' gay characters. "''Degrassi'' features ongoing stories of real-life teen dilemmas—including intense gay and lesbian storylines—and does it without the righteous, 'On a Very Special ''
Blossom
In botany, blossoms are the flowers of stone fruit trees (genus ''Prunus'') and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time in spring.
Colloquially, flowers of orange are referred to as such as wel ...
'' endings that many teen dramas and sitcoms thrive on."
Kevin Thompson of ''
The Palm Beach Post
''The Palm Beach Post'' is an American daily newspaper serving Palm Beach County in South Florida, and parts of the Treasure Coast. On March 18, 2018, in a deal worth US$42.35 million, ''The Palm Beach Post'' and ''The Palm Beach Daily News'' we ...
'' said the series "is told from a teenager's point of view since the writers have no interest in appealing to a broad-based demographic like the writers on, say, Fox's ''
The O.C.
''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seaso ...
'' ... it connects with teens on their level".
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
's Jodie Janella Horn also compared it with ''The O.C.'', saying that while scenes from ''Degrassi'' could be "actual scenes from my actual teenage life ... ''The O.C.'' will never remind me of anything in my life", adding that it is the most unnervingly accurate series ever of the high school genre.
The ''
San Jose Mercury News
''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidiar ...
'' has said "If they
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