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| network = {{plainlist|
| network = {{plainlist|
* [[CTV Television Network|CTV]] (2001–09)
* [[CTV Television Network|CTV]] (2001–09)
* [[TeenNick]] (2010–15)
* [[Much (TV channel)|MuchMusic]] (2010–13)
* [[Much (TV channel)|MuchMusic]] (2010–13)
* [[MTV (Canada)|MTV Canada]] (2013–15)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.actratoronto.com/whats-shooting/|title=What's Shooting?}}</ref>}}
* [[MTV (Canada)|MTV Canada]] (2013–15) (Canada)<br/>
[[The N]] (2002-2009)
[[TeenNick]] (2009–15) (U.S.)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.actratoronto.com/whats-shooting/|title=What's Shooting?}}</ref>}}
| first_aired = {{Start date|2001|10|14}}
| first_aired = {{Start date|2001|10|14}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2015|8|2}}
| last_aired = {{End date|2015|8|2}}
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| list_episodes = List of Degrassi: The Next Generation episodes
| list_episodes = List of Degrassi: The Next Generation episodes
| picture_format = {{plainlist|
| picture_format = {{plainlist|
* [[NTSC]] [[4:3]] (Seasons 1–3, 2001–2003)
* [[NTSC]] [[4:3]] (Seasons 1–8, 2001–2009)
* [[HDTV]] [[1080i]] (Season 4–14 2004–2015)}}
* [[HDTV]] [[1080i]] (Season 9–14 2009–2015)}}
| preceded_by = {{plainlist|
| preceded_by = {{plainlist|
* ''[[School's Out (1992 film)|School's Out]]''
* ''[[School's Out (1992 film)|School's Out]]''
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The format of the series underwent several changes during its later seasons after increased involvement of [[TeenNick]] support. The series moved to [[Much (TV channel)|MuchMusic]] for season ten for Canadian viewership in 2010. In the US, the [[Degrassi (season 10)|tenth season]] with [[TeenNick]] promotional involvement marked a change in production style to a [[telenovela]] format during the summer months, before returning to its standard fall-spring schedule until its end in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 4, 2015|title=Degrassi: The Next Generation: TeenNick Series Ending; No Season 15|url=https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/degrassi-the-next-generation-teennick-series-ending-no-season-15-37034/|access-date=February 3, 2022|website=canceled + renewed TV shows – TV Series Finale|language=en-US}}</ref> In Canada the thirteenth season reverted to a weekly schedule and part way through moved to [[MTV (Canada)|MTV Canada]], where it aired until its final episode on August 2, 2015, after fourteen seasons. It was followed by ''[[Degrassi: Next Class]]'', which followed characters from the show's later seasons as well as introducing newer ones, in 2016.
The format of the series underwent several changes during its later seasons after increased involvement of [[TeenNick]] support. The series moved to [[Much (TV channel)|MuchMusic]] for season ten for Canadian viewership in 2010. In the US, the [[Degrassi (season 10)|tenth season]] with [[TeenNick]] promotional involvement marked a change in production style to a [[telenovela]] format during the summer months, before returning to its standard fall-spring schedule until its end in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 4, 2015|title=Degrassi: The Next Generation: TeenNick Series Ending; No Season 15|url=https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/degrassi-the-next-generation-teennick-series-ending-no-season-15-37034/|access-date=February 3, 2022|website=canceled + renewed TV shows – TV Series Finale|language=en-US}}</ref> In Canada the thirteenth season reverted to a weekly schedule and part way through moved to [[MTV (Canada)|MTV Canada]], where it aired until its final episode on August 2, 2015, after fourteen seasons. It was followed by ''[[Degrassi: Next Class]]'', which followed characters from the show's later seasons as well as introducing newer ones, in 2016.

==Production==

===Concept===
{{further-text|[[Mother and Child Reunion (Degrassi: The Next Generation)#Production|Production of pilot episode "Mother and Child Reunion"]]}}
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]]'', which was spawned out of three half-hour short films, and came to prominence with the critical and commercial successes of ''[[Degrassi Junior High]]'', which debuted in 1987, and ''[[Degrassi High]],'' 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 (1992 film)|School's Out]],'' which concluded the franchise, aired in 1992.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=8–13}}</ref>

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]]. 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]], born to character [[Christine "Spike" Nelson]] at the end of ''Degrassi Junior High''{{'}}s second season, would soon be entering [[middle school|junior high school]], and development for the series took a new direction by focusing on Emma and her school experiences.<ref>{{Harvnb |Ellis|2005|p=12}}</ref><ref name="how it all happened">{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/rollercoaster/degrassi/bts/happened.htm |title=How It All Happened |access-date=October 21, 2007 |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021124401/http://abc.net.au/rollercoaster/degrassi/bts/happened.htm |archive-date=October 21, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Schuyler's husband [[Stephen Stohn]] suggested ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' as the name for the new sequel series, borrowing the concept from ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', of which he was a fan.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.degrassi.tv/view.jsp?MID=1426265#MID_1426265 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729044107/http://www.degrassi.tv/view.jsp?MID=1426265%23MID_1426265|archive-date=July 29, 2012 |url-status=dead|title=Shooting Season 3 |access-date=February 8, 2008 |last=Stohn |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Stohn |date=March 11, 2003 |format=Note: Requires registration |publisher=[[Epitome Pictures]]}}</ref> The project was pitched to [[CTV Television|CTV]] in May 2000, with the originally planned reunion episode serving as the pilot to the new series.<ref name="how it all happened"/>

===Executive producers, script-writers and directors===
Produced by Epitome Pictures Inc, in association with CTVglobemedia, later renamed [[Bell Media]] in 2011, ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' received funding from [[Canadian Television Fund]] and [[Bell Canada|BCE]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/BCASTING/ann_rep/ctv_a3.pdf |title=BCE-CTV Benefits |access-date=October 21, 2007 |year=2003 |publisher=[[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] |page=12}}</ref> the Shaw Rocket Fund,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rocketfund.ca/en/projects_funded_list.asp?y=2007 |title=Rocket Fuelled Projects 2007 |access-date=October 21, 2007 |year=2007 |work=Shaw Rocket Fund |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107114817/http://www.rocketfund.ca/en/projects_funded_list.asp?y=2007 |archive-date=November 7, 2007}}</ref> Mountain Cable Program and the [[Royal Bank of Canada]], the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipf.ca/Bell/English/projects.html |title=Funded Projects |access-date=October 21, 2007 |date=October 10, 2007 |publisher=Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012183010/http://ipf.ca/Bell/English/projects.html |archive-date=October 12, 2007}}</ref> and the Cogeco Program Development Fund.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.degrassi.tv/fan/creditPopUp.jsp?EID=501&TITLE=501 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529231217/http://www.degrassi.tv/fan/creditPopUp.jsp?EID=501&TITLE=501 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 29, 2008 |title=Degrassi: The Next Generation Credits |access-date=April 27, 2008 |publisher=[[Epitome Pictures]]}}</ref>

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,<ref name="crew">{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=20–21}}</ref> 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 (director)|Bruce McDonald]].<ref name="crew" /> When production of season three began, a user on the official ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' website with the alias "ExecProducer" began a [[internet forum|forum]] thread titled "Shooting Season 3",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.degrassi.tv/view.jsp?MID=1307620#MID_1307620 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729152209/http://www.degrassi.tv/view.jsp?MID=1307620%23MID_1307620 |archive-date=July 29, 2012|url-status=dead|title=Shooting Season 3 |access-date=February 6, 2008 |last=Stohn |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Stohn |date=May 23, 2003 |format=Note: Requires registration |publisher=[[Epitome Pictures]]}}</ref> 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.<ref name="p12 13">{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=12–13}}</ref>

===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, opens and closes the episode and is usually driven by a single character. Plot B is usually more comedic in tone and sometimes slightly intertwined with the other stories, often moving [[story arc]]s forward. Plot C was usually used sporadically in a season-long arc, but is now used in every episode as comedic relief.<ref name="plot">{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|p=22}}</ref> The problems and issues presented in the episode are not always resolved by the end of the episode, and are carried over to the next, or create a mini-arc over several episodes. The majority of episodes are named after songs from the [[1980s in music|1980s]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|p=179}}</ref> and since the [[Degrassi (season 10)|tenth season]], episodes are named after songs from the 1990s to the present, representing 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 drama|teen]] [[comedy-drama]] series, with each season consisting of between fifteen and twenty-four episodes.<ref name="p12 13" /><ref>{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=176–189}}</ref>

Due to falling viewing figures between seasons six and nine,<ref name="Bailey" /><ref name="Jane Says P2 figures" /> 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.<ref name="THR">{{cite news |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3i21cea1586dd4edf593f0ba73b2d9c52a |title=Canuck Broadcasters Add Episodes For Ratings |last=Vlessing |first=Etan |date=March 19, 2010 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=April 21, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Globe">{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/a-double-dose-of-teen-angst/article1502399/ |title=A Double Dose of Teen Angst |last=Dixon |first=Guy |date=March 16, 2010 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |access-date=April 21, 2010}}</ref> 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 and the summer of 2014.

===Opening sequence===
[[File:Degrassi logo 2013.png|thumb|Logo used in seasons 13–14]]The ''Degrassi'' opening sequence follows a two- to three-minute [[cold open]]. During the first five seasons these credits showed the characters on the school premises and followed a mini storyline.<ref>{{cite video |people=Yan Moore (co-creator); Linda Schuyler (co-creator, executive producer); Stephen Stohn (executive producer) |date=2001–2006 |title=Degrassi: The Next Generation (Seasons 1–6) |medium=DVD |publisher=[[Alliance Atlantis]]}}</ref> Seasons six and seven featured titles with the actors breaking the [[fourth wall]] and facing the camera, over a montage of character videos from past seasons, saturated with blue colour and gold outlines.<ref>{{cite video |people=Yan Moore (co-creator); Linda Schuyler (co-creator, executive producer); Stephen Stohn (executive producer |date=2006–2008 |title=Degrassi: The Next Generation (Seasons 6–7) |publisher=[[Alliance Atlantis]]/Echo Bridge Entertainment}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite video |people=Yan Moore (co-creator); Linda Schuyler (co-creator, executive producer); Stephen Stohn (executive producer |date=2009 |title=Degrassi: The Next Generation (Season 8) |publisher=Echo Bridge Entertainment}}</ref> 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]], "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."<ref name="411-music" /> [[Lisa Dalbello]] performed the lyrics with a children's choir over a 1980s pop music style tune during the first three seasons.<ref name="411-music">{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|p=128}}</ref> [[Dave Ogilvie]] and Anthony Valcic of Canadian [[industrial music|industrial]]-pop group [[Jakalope]] reworked and performed the song with a heavier sound, reflecting the growing maturity of the characters in season four.<ref name="411-music" /> For seasons six and seven, the theme—still performed by Jakalope—was remixed and stripped of vocals.<ref name="here comes">{{cite episode |title=Here Comes Your Man |episode-link=Here Comes Your Man, Part 1 (D:TNG episode) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |credits=James Hurst (writer); Brendon Yorke (writer); Phil Earnshaw (director) |network=[[The N]] |airdate=September 29, 2006 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 6)|6]] |number=1}}</ref> A fourth version of the theme song, with lyrics sung by [[Damhnait Doyle]], was introduced for the eighth season, and a fifth version of the theme, performed by the in-show band "[[List of Degrassi: The Next Generation bands#Janie & The Studs|Stüdz]]" is used for the ninth and tenth seasons. For seasons eleven and twelve, a sixth version of the theme song is used, performed by [[Alexz Johnson]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Lisa|title=See the new Degrassi intro – Right now.|url=http://www.teennick.com/blog/degrassi-now-or-never-open-theme-alexz-johnson.html|work=Blog|publisher=Teennick.com|access-date=June 29, 2011|date=June 24, 2011}}</ref> 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]], [[Melissa McIntyre]] and [[Jamie Johnston]], when writing music for their characters [[Craig Manning]], [[Ashley Kerwin]], and [[Peter Stone (Degrassi character)|Peter Stone]] to perform in the bands [[List of Degrassi: The Next Generation bands#Downtown Sasquatch|Downtown Sasquatch]], [[List of Degrassi: The Next Generation bands#Paige Michalchuk and the Sexkittens (PMS)|Paige Michalchuk and the Sexkittens (PMS)]], [[List of Degrassi: The Next Generation bands#Hell Hath No Fury|Hell Hath No Fury]], and [[List of Degrassi: The Next Generation bands#Janie & The Studs|Stüdz]].<ref>{{cite episode |title=Jake Epstein (Craig) |series=Degrassi Unscripted |network=[[The N]] |airdate=September 17, 2004 |number=4}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Melissa McIntyre (Ashley) |series=Degrassi Unscripted |network=[[The N]] |airdate=June 17, 2005 |number=8}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Jamie Johnston Cares About Your Feet |url=http://www.the-n.com/community/nsider.php?id=7204 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125013251/http://www.the-n.com/community/nsider.php?id=7204 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 25, 2009 |series=The N-Sider |credits=The-Mary (host); The-Seth (host) |network=[[Noggin (brand)#The N|The N]] |airdate=August 19, 2008}}</ref> In addition to being scored, ''Degrassi'' features a mix of original [[emo]], [[alternative rock]] 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.<ref name="411-music" /> When these songs are included, they originate from a [[diegesis|diegetic]] source. Examples of this can be seen in the first-season episode "Jagged Little Pill", when well-known songs are 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".<ref>{{cite episode |title=Jagged Little Pill |episode-link=Jagged Little Pill (D:TNG episode) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |credits=Aaron Martin (story, teleplay); James Hurst (story); Bruce McDonald (director) |network=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |airdate=March 3, 2002 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 1)|1]] |number=15}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Weddings, Parties, Anything |episode-link=Weddings, Parties, Anything (D:TNG episode) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |credits= James Hurst (story, teleplay); Alexandra Zarowny (story); Phil Earnshaw (director) |network=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |airdate=October 17, 2005 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 5)|5]] |number=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Everything She Wants |episode-link=Everything She Wants (D:TNG episode) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |credits= James Hurst (story, teleplay); Alexandra Zarowny (story); Phil Earnshaw (director) |network=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |airdate=June 2, 2008 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 7)|7]] |number=21}}</ref>

===Filming locations===
The ''Degrassi'' universe is set on [[De Grassi Street]] in Toronto, Ontario. The three previous series were filmed on and near the street.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=106–111}}</ref> However, ''The Next Generation'' was filmed at Epitome Pictures' four soundstages and backlot located at the company's {{convert|100000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} production studios in Toronto.<ref name="studios">{{cite web |url=http://www.epitomepictures.com/ |title=Epitome Pictures |access-date=October 21, 2007 |format=Flash (User must select the "Studios" link) |publisher=[[Epitome Pictures]]}}</ref> The [[facade]] of Degrassi Community School is the exterior of Studio C, and uses 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 features a "hoarding area" where students gather, a street, and a bus stop across the road.<ref name="studios" /> The studio's backlot is used for exterior shots of the characters' houses, which is one unit dressed differently for each house, and The Dot Grill.<ref name="backlot">{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=116–117}}</ref> The building for The Dot is the only one on the backlot large enough to allow filming inside; scenes taking places inside the school and house interiors are filmed on one of four sound stages.<ref name="studios" />

Studio A contains sets for the school's hallways, washrooms, cafeteria and classrooms.<ref name="studios" /> The hallways are 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 has graffiti on the walls to look authentic, and is used for the girls' and boys' room; urinals are installed and removed as needed. The set used for the cafeteria is "purposefully bland to take the edge off the rest of the school looking so beautiful."<ref name="stage a" /> It is also used as the studio's cafeteria where the cast and crew eat.<ref name="stage a">{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|p=115}}</ref>

In addition to being used as the exterior of the school, Studio C holds sets for the school's entrance foyer, the gymnasium, the media lab and a hallway with lockers.<ref name="studios" /> As the series progressed and the budget increased, a stairway and balcony was installed in the foyer in an attempt to get characters off the floor and not all appear in the same [[Plane (mathematics)|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.<ref name="stage c">{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=112–114}}</ref>

Studio B contains the sets for the characters' houses and ''The Core'' newspaper office which was introduced in season six. It also held sets for ''[[Instant Star]]'', another Epitome Pictures production. The fourth studio, Studio D, houses all 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.<ref name="studios" />

[[York University]]'s Keele Campus in Toronto served as the location for various sites at Smithdale University.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorku.ca/yfile/archive/index.asp?article=8883|title=YFile » Degrassi transforms York's Keele campus into a television set}}</ref>

==Episodes==
{{main|List of Degrassi: The Next Generation episodes}}
{{:List of Degrassi: The Next Generation episodes}}

==Cast==

===Main roles===
{{Main|List of Degrassi: The Next Generation characters}}
{{further-text|[[Mother and Child Reunion (Degrassi: The Next Generation)#Cast|Casting of pilot episode "Mother and Child Reunion"]]}}

===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.<ref>{{cite news |first=Tony |last=Atherton |title=Degrassi High Cast Set To Return This Fall |work=[[Ottawa Citizen]] |publisher=[[Canwest]] |date=June 7, 2001 |quote=Some of the original teen cast, now in their late '20s, were on hand yesterday to offer advice to the 11 youngsters chosen from among 600 who auditioned for the series of half-hour shows.}}</ref> 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 (TV series)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' and ''[[Dawson's Creek]]'', which had cast actors in their twenties as teenagers.<ref name="body">{{cite web |url=http://allpop.canoe.ca/AllPopTVD/degrassi.html |title=''Degrassi''{{'s}} Got a Whole New Student Body |access-date=December 12, 2007 |last=McGrath |first=Stephanie |date=September 21, 2001 |publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]] |archive-date=April 29, 2002 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20020429075555/http://allpop.canoe.ca/AllPopTVD/degrassi.html}}</ref>

Eleven children were given star [[billing (film)|billing]] in the [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 1)|first season]]. Sarah Barrable-Tishauer portrayed the lonely high-achiever [[Liberty Van Zandt]].<ref name="body" /> [[Daniel Clark (actor)|Daniel Clark]] played bad-boy [[Sean Cameron (Degrassi character)|Sean Cameron]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Carol |last= Baldwin |title=Local Actor's Role Links New and Old Degrassi |publisher=Beaver Entertainment |date=October 14, 2001}}</ref> [[Lauren Collins]] was cast as [[Paige Michalchuk]], the school's head cheerleader and [[queen bee (subculture)|queen bee]]. [[Ryan Cooley]] portrayed class clown [[J.T. Yorke|James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke]],<ref name="Globe 2001">{{cite news |first=Kim |last=Honey |title=CTV's high-school reunion |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=June 7, 2001 |quote=Yesterday morning was devoted to ''Degrassi'', with appearances by&nbsp;... Miriam McDonald, who plays Spike's daughter, Emma, as well as Ryan Cooley, Jake Goldsbie and Cassie Steele, all of whom were just signed last week.}}</ref> with [[Jake Goldsbie]] cast as J.T.'s best friend, [[Toby Isaacs]], a computer geek.<ref name="Globe 2001" /> [[Drake (musician)|Drake]] portrayed basketball star Jimmy Brooks, who is from a wealthy family. [[Shane Kippel]] played school bully [[Gavin Mason|Gavin "Spinner" Mason]]. [[Miriam McDonald]] was cast as [[Emma Nelson]], an environmental rights activist, with [[Cassie Steele]] cast in the role of Emma's best friend, promiscuous high school cheerleader [[Manny Santos (Degrassi: The Next Generation)|Manuela "Manny" Santos]].<ref name="Globe 2001" /> Melissa McIntyre portrayed [[Ashley Kerwin]], the perfect girl who attracts the popular boys, and who the other girls are jealous of.<ref>{{cite news |first=Joan |last= Scapillato |title=Port Teen Wins Lead Role in Degrassi's Next Generation |work=Welland Tribune |publisher=[[Osprey Media]] |date=October 14, 2001}}</ref> Christina Schmidt portrayed the overweight and insecure [[Terri McGreggor]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Degrassi Sequel Is Big Break For K-W's Chrissy Schmidt |work=[[The Record (Waterloo Region)|Kitchener-Waterloo Record]] |publisher=[[Torstar]] |date=October 14, 2001}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=52–59, 66–71, 74–77, 80–82}}</ref>

Providing ties to the previous series in the ''Degrassi'' universe, [[Stefan Brogren]] was approached to play his old character [[Archie "Snake" Simpson]], now working at the school as the [[media studies|media immersion]] teacher.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=48–49}}</ref> Dan Woods reprised his role as English teacher [[Mr. Raditch]], now promoted to school principal,<ref>{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=50–51}}</ref> and [[Pat Mastroianni]] returned to his role as [[Joey Jeremiah]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Landau |first=Emily |title=Teenage Dreams |url=http://walrusmagazine.com/printerFriendly.php?ref=2012.09-television-teenage-dreams&src=longreads |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105040520/http://walrusmagazine.com/printerFriendly.php?ref=2012.09-television-teenage-dreams&src=longreads |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 5, 2013 |newspaper=The Walrus |date=September 2012}}</ref> [[Amanda Stepto]] also returned to the franchise to play her character [[Christine Nelson|Christine "Spike" Nelson]] in a [[recurring character|recurring role]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=46–47}}</ref><ref name="Sopranos">{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Brown |title=The Sopranos, Degrassi Highlights of CTV Lineup Jason Alexander's New Show Also Gets a Look-In |work=[[National Post]] |publisher=[[Canwest]] |date=June 7, 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Karen |last=Palmer |title=Kids of Degrassi Street Grow Up: Next Generation, Debuting Sunday, Slicker Than Beloved Original |publisher=[[Canadian Press]] |date=October 11, 2001}}</ref>

In the pilot episode, former ''[[Degrassi Junior High]]'' and ''[[Degrassi High]]'' actors Danah Jean Brown (Trish Skye), [[Darrin Brown]] (Dwayne Myers), Michael Carry (Simon Dexter), Irene Courakos (Alexa Pappadopoulos), Chrissa Erodotou (Diana Economopoulos), [[Anais Granofsky]] ([[Lucy Fernandez]]), Rebecca Haines ([[Kathleen Mead]]), Sarah Holmes (Alison Hunter), [[Neil Hope]] ([[Derek Wheeler|Derek "Wheels" Wheeler]]), Kyra Levy (Maya Goldberg), Cathy Keenan (Liz O'Rourke), [[Stacie Mistysyn]] ([[Caitlin Ryan (Degrassi)|Caitlin Ryan]]), and [[Siluck Saysanasy]] (Yick Yu) reprised their roles for the class reunion storyline.<ref name="s1e1">{{cite episode |title=Mother and Child Reunion |episode-link=Mother and Child Reunion (Degrassi: The Next Generation) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |credits=Aaron Martin (story); Yan Moore (story, teleplay); Bruce McDonald (director) |network=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |airdate=October 14, 2001 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 1)|1]] |number=1}}</ref>

In [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 2)|season two]], Mastroianni returned to the ''Degrassi'' franchise in a starring role as Joey Jeremiah, a car salesman and single father of two children.<ref>{{cite news |first=Tony |last=Atherton |title=Degrassi High Steps Into the Next Television Generation |work=[[The Ottawa Citizen]] |publisher=[[Canwest]] |location=Ottawa, ON|date=December 27, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Liane |last=Faulder |title=Degrassi's Joey Returning, But Show Is an Original Aeries, Though He's Older, Wiser and Without Hair |work=[[Edmonton Journal]] |publisher=[[Canwest]] |page=B5 |date=September 29, 2002}}</ref> Joey's stepson, musician [[Craig Manning]], played by [[Jake Epstein]], is a new student at Degrassi Community School.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=62–63}}</ref> Three other new characters were introduced in season two in recurring roles. [[Stacey Farber]] played [[Ellie Nash]], a goth whose home life is in turmoil,<ref name="Ellis 2005 64–65">{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=64–65}}</ref> and [[Adamo Ruggiero]] portrayed [[Marco Del Rossi]], who is struggling to accept the reality that he is gay.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=78–79}}</ref> [[Melissa Di Marco]] was cast as science and gym teacher [[Daphne Hatzilakos]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|p=90}}</ref> Mistysyn also returned to her former ''Degrassi'' role as Joey's ex-high school sweetheart, Caitlyn Ryan, who in the years following graduation has become a world-renowned journalist.<ref name="Ellis 2005 64–65"/>

In [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 3)|season three]], Farber, Ruggiero and Mistysyn were given regular roles, as were [[Andrea Lewis]] ([[Hazel Aden]]) and Stepto, who had held recurring roles since the first season. [[Mike Lobel]] ([[Jay Hogart]]), Deanna Casaluce (Alex Nuñez), [[Ephraim Ellis]] ([[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.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|pp=60–91}}</ref>

[[File:ETalk2008-Degrassi Cast.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Some of the cast of [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 8)|season eight]] make an appearance at the ''[[eTalk]]'' Festival Party during the [[Toronto International Film Festival]]]]
Over the course of the ten seasons of ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'', there have been several departures from the series. [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 6)|Season six]] depicted the first death of one of the show's main characters when J.T. Yorke was stabbed and killed.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Rock This Town |episode-link=Rock This Town (D:TNG episode) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |network=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |airdate=January 9, 2007 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 6)|6]] |number=11}}</ref> 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,<ref>{{cite episode |title=Back In Black |episode-link=Back In Black (D:TNG episode) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |credits=Aaron Martin (writer); Miklos Perlus (writer); Ron Murphy (director) |network=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |airdate=October 19, 2004 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 4)|4]] |number=8}}</ref> but departed the series again at the end of the season.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Don't You Want Me, Part Two |episode-link=Don't You Want Me, Part 2 (D:TNG episode) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |network=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |airdate= May 17, 2007 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 6)|6]] |number=19}}</ref> At the end of [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 5)|season five]] several main characters graduated from [[Degrassi Community School]], and either left the series or went on to university.<ref name="here comes" /> Six new characters were introduced in [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 7)|season seven]] in a storyline where nearby rival high school Lakehurst merged with Degrassi following a fire.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.aol.ca/article/qa-degrassitngs-nina-dobrev-talks-mia/28610/ |title=Q&A: 'Degrassi:TNG's' Nina Dobrev Talks Mia |access-date=April 21, 2010 |last=Jancelwicz |first=Chris |date=January 7, 2008 |publisher=[[AOL]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425051302/http://entertainment.aol.ca/article/qa-degrassitngs-nina-dobrev-talks-mia/28610/ |archive-date=April 25, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Standing in the Dark, Part One |episode-link=Standing in the Dark, Part 1 (D:TNG episode) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |network=[[The N]] |airdate=October 5, 2007 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 7)|7]] |number=1}}</ref>

[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 8)|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 (magazine)|Vibe]]'' that "[the producers] did us foul."<ref name="VIBE.com">{{cite news|title=Drake Day |first=Tracy |last=Garraud |work=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]] |date=February 25, 2009 |url=http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2009/02/drake_day/ |access-date=March 11, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090313071826/http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2009/02/drake_day |archive-date=March 13, 2009}}</ref> Thirteen actors were added to the main cast to replace them.<ref name="September press">{{cite press release |title=Get Ready As A New Class Of Degrassi Students Enroll On The New Season Of CTV's Hit Teen Drama, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Friday, 10 Oct., At 8:00 p.m. (ET) |publisher=[[PR Newswire]] |date=September 25, 2008 |url=http://www.hollywoodteenzine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=48 |access-date=September 25, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602041308/http://www.hollywoodteenzine.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=48 |archive-date=June 2, 2015}}</ref> By [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 9)|season nine]], 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.<ref name="Enrols">{{cite news |first=Bruce |last=Demara |title=DeGrassi Enrols a New Class |url=https://www.thestar.com/article/511956 |work=[[Toronto Star]] |publisher=[[Torstar]] |date=October 5, 2008 |access-date=October 14, 2008}}</ref> 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 remain, with the exception of Brogren, whose character has been promoted to the principal of Degrassi Community School; the series now centres on the new generation of ''Degrassi'' students.

===Guest roles===
Besides Brogren, Mistysyn, Stepto, and Mastroianni having starring roles, other actors from ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'' have returned to guest star in their old roles throughout ''Degrassi: The Next Generation''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s run. As well as the pilot episode featuring the return of many ''Degrassi'' alumni,<ref name="s1e1" /> Granofsky made a second guest appearance during the second season in the episode "White Wedding" when her character attends the wedding of Spike and Snake.<ref>{{cite episode |title=White Wedding |episode-link=White Wedding (D:TNG episode) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |credits=Aaron Martin (story, teleplay); Tassie Cameron (story) |network=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |airdate=September 29, 2002 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 2)|2]] |number=12}}</ref> Actor Neil Hope, who portrayed "Wheels" in the original series, returns for a brief cameo in a third-season episode centered around Snake's battle with Leukemia. In a fifth-season episode, Keenan guest stars when her character returns to console Spike after her marriage with Snake breaks down.<ref>{{cite episode |title=I Against I |episode-link=I Against I (D:TNG episode) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |credits=Aaron Martin (story); Brendon Yorke (story); Stefan Scaini (director) |network=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |airdate=January 30, 2006 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 5)|5]] |number=14}}</ref>

Movie director [[Kevin Smith]] has been a fan of the ''Degrassi'' series from the early 1990s, when he worked at a convenience store in Leonardo, New Jersey.<ref>{{Harvnb |Ellis|2005|p=6}}</ref><ref name="quickstop" /> Actor [[Jason Mewes]] was his co-worker at the store and also became a fan . Every Sunday morning at work, Smith and Mewes watched episodes of ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'' on [[Public Broadcasting Service]].<ref name="viewaskew">{{cite press release |title=Actor/Writer/Director Kevin Smith Guests Stars On Three-Part Season Finale of The N's ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' |publisher=[[View Askew Productions]] |date=July 12, 2005 |url=http://www.viewaskew.com/vapress/?p=27 |access-date=September 24, 2007}}</ref> Smith enjoyed the earlier series and has acknowledged an infatuation with Stacie Mistysyn. He has also paid homage to ''Degrassi'' by referring to it in several of his films. He named a ''[[Clerks (1994 film)|Clerks]]'' character [[Caitlin Bree]] after Mistysyn's ''Degrassi'' character, Caitlin Ryan,<ref name="viewaskew" /> wrote [[Shannen Doherty]]'s character Rene wearing a ''Degrassi'' jacket throughout his ''[[Mallrats]]'' film,<ref>{{cite video |people=[[Kevin Smith]] (actor, writer, director); [[Scott Mosier]] (producer) |date=October 20, 1995 |title=[[Mallrats]] |medium=Motion picture |publisher=[[Gramercy Pictures]]}}</ref> and had [[Jason Lee (entertainer)|Jason Lee]]'s character in ''[[Chasing Amy]]'' specifically mention ''Degrassi Junior High'' as a TV show he wants to watch, rather than going out.<ref>{{cite video |people=[[Kevin Smith]] (actor, writer, director); [[Scott Mosier]] (producer) |date=April 4, 1997 |title=[[Chasing Amy]] |medium=Motion Picture |publisher=[[Miramax Films]]}}</ref> Smith and Mewes guest starred as themselves in the final three episodes of the fourth season. The plot for these episodes involves the pair working on ''Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh!'', a fictional feature film in the [[View Askewniverse]], using Degrassi Community School as a filming location.<ref>{{cite episode |title=West End Girls |episode-link=West End Girls (D:TNG episode) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |network=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |airdate=January 31, 2005 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (Season 4)|4]] |number=20}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Going Down the Road, Part One |episode-link=Going Down the Road, Part 1 (D:TNG episode) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |network=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |date=February 7–14, 2005 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 4)|4]] |number=21–22}}</ref>

Singer [[Alanis Morissette]], who had worked with Smith, also guest stars in "Going Down the Road Part One" as herself, acting as the school principal in Smith's film.<ref>{{cite video |people=[[Kevin Smith]] (actor, writer, director); [[Scott Mosier]] (producer) |medium=Motion picture |date=November 12, 1999 |title=[[Dogma]] |publisher=[[Lions Gate Entertainment]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite video |people=Kevin Smith (actor, writer, director); [[Scott Mosier]] (producer) |date=August 22, 2001 |title=[[Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back]] |publisher=[[Dimension Films]]}}</ref> Smith and Mewes 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!'' Alanis Morissette made a cameo appearance as the school principal when scenes from the film were shown during its premiere screening.<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Lexicon of Love Part One |episode-link=The Lexicon of Love, Part 1 (D:TNG episode) |series=Degrassi: The Next Generation |credits=Sean Reycraft (story, teleplay); Kate Miles Melville (story); Phil Earnshaw (director) |network=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |airdate=November 28, 2005 |season=[[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 5)|5]] |number=11}}</ref> 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 is the writer-director and protagonist of ''Mewesical High'', which stars a number of Degrassi Community School students. Smith appears in the episodes to support Mewes as he makes his directorial debut.<ref name="quickstop">{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/article/688338|title=Degrassi Love Affair All Started At the Quick Stop&nbsp;... |last=Salem |first=Rob |date=August 30, 2009 |work=[[Toronto Star]] |access-date=March 24, 2010}}</ref>

Other actors to appear in ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' include [[Jayne Eastwood]] as Sean Cameron's mother,<ref name="p93"/> [[Billy Ray Cyrus]] as Duke, a limousine driver who gets arrested, the result of which leaves Jimmy, Hazel, Paige, and Spinner stranded in the street.<ref name="p93"/> Season seven featured appearances from [[Shirley Douglas]] as a university professor,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071211/epstein_graduation_071211/20071211?s_name=degrassi2006&no_ads=sky |title=Epstein Set For Real-Life Graduation |access-date=March 31, 2008 |last=Peesker |first=Saira |date=December 11, 2007 |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071215190444/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071211/epstein_graduation_071211/20071211?s_name=degrassi2006&no_ads=sky |archive-date=December 15, 2007}}</ref><ref name="shirley">{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070917/degrassi_shirley_douglas?s_name=degrassi2006&no_ads=sky |title=Shirley Douglas Guest Stars On ''Degrassi'' |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |access-date=September 17, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080318184026/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070917/degrassi_shirley_douglas?s_name=degrassi2006&no_ads=sky |archive-date=March 18, 2008}}</ref> [[Free The Children]] founder [[Craig Kielburger]], and English pop singer [[Natasha Bedingfield]] as themselves.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071205/bedingfield_preview_071205/20071205?s_name=degrassi2006&no_ads=sky |title=Natasha Bedingfield Talks ''Degrassi'' |access-date=March 31, 2008 |last=Warner |first=Tyrone |date=December 5, 2007 |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208154151/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071205/bedingfield_preview_071205/20071205?s_name=degrassi2006&no_ads=sky |archive-date=December 8, 2007}}</ref> [[Jonathan Torrens]] 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.<ref name="p93">{{Harvnb|Ellis|2005|p=93}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Brioux |title=Back To Degrassi St. |url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/J/Jonovision/1999/12/24/734109.html |publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]] |date=December 24, 1999 |access-date=August 12, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712011933/http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/J/Jonovision/1999/12/24/734109.html |archive-date=July 12, 2012}}</ref> In season 10, ballroom dancer [[Jean-Marc Généreux]] appears as a teacher during the episode "[[My Body Is a Cage]]". After moving to MuchMusic cameos became more frequent, including [[Keke Palmer]], [[Ben Mulroney]], [[Chaz Bono]], [[Hedley (band)|Hedley]], and [[Fefe Dobson]].

==Broadcast and distribution==

===First-run broadcast===
{{See also|List of Degrassi: The Next Generation episodes}}
While the earlier ''Degrassi'' series aired in Canada on [[CBC Television|CBC]], ''Degrassi'' is broadcast on [[Bell Media]]-owned stations. Until mid-season 9, it aired on the [[CTV Television Network|CTV]], but due to a decline in viewing figures since season 7,<ref name="Bailey" /><ref name="Jane Says P2 figures" /> CTV executives had determined that they planned to cancel the show. The co-creator Linda Schuyler and executive producer Stephen Stohn were unsure of the fate of the show after being told such news, but luckily Stohn had been in talks with the American broadcaster [[TeenNick]] of the Nickelodeon company and he offered a proposal that rescued the show from a premature end.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ajello|first=Erin|title=The oral history of the 'Shark in the Water' promo that saved 'Degrassi' and changed TV forever|url=https://www.insider.com/degrassi-shark-water-behind-scenes-secrets-interview-2021-7|access-date=February 3, 2022|website=Insider|language=en-US}}</ref> Combined with the massively contributing efforts of [[TeenNick]], the show was then able to avoid cancellation and continue for four more seasons. After TeenNick's involvement, the show was renewed and introduced the re-title of "Degrassi."<ref>{{Cite web|date=July 7, 2021|title=Why 'Degrassi: The Next Generation' Had a Different Name After Season 9|url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/why-degrassi-the-next-generation-had-a-different-name-after-season-9.html/|access-date=February 3, 2022|website=Showbiz Cheat Sheet|language=en-US}}</ref> In Canadian media it moved to sister network [[MuchMusic]] in 2010.<ref name="THR" /><ref name="Globe"/> In 2013, following a revamp of MuchMusic's schedule,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bellmediapr.ca/Network/Much/Press/Fall-is-Fresh-on-Much-with-Exclusive-Season-Premieres-of-Hit-Series-TOSH0-and-SOUTH-PARK-beginning-September-3 |title=Fall is Fresh on Much with Exclusive Season Premieres of Hit Series TOSH.0 and SOUTH PARK, beginning September 3 |publisher=[[Bell Media]] Press Room |date=August 26, 2013 |access-date=May 14, 2014}}</ref> the show moved to [[MTV (Canadian TV channel)|MTV]] in Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://o.canada.com/entertainment/degrassi-mtv-canada/|title=Degrassi to warp the concept of reality on MTV Canada|work=Canada.com|date=September 23, 2013|access-date=September 17, 2014}}</ref> It currently airs on ABC Spark and CMT and YTV as of 2020.

In the United States, ''Degrassi'' aired on [[Noggin (brand)|Noggin]]'s programming block for teenagers, [[Noggin (brand)#The N|The N]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://kidscreen.com/2002/01/03/noggin-20020103/ |title=Noggin has tween educon on the brain |publisher=[[Kidscreen]] |date=February 3, 2002 |last=Connell |first=Mike}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=Noggin Tackles Tween Issues with "Degrassi: The Next Generation"|publisher=[[Viacom (2005–2019)|Viacom]]|date=March 27, 2002|url=https://degrassi.ca/2002/04/01/noggin-tackles-tween-issues-with-degrassi-the-next-generation/}}</ref> 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]] called it "the No. 1 program for Noggin viewers 12 to 17."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/tv/2004/09/26/series-reaches-the-next-generation/01552db0-13e3-4d58-983f-287e414e8451/|title=Series Reaches the 'Next Generation'|work=[[The Washington Post]]|date=September 26, 2004|last=Scott|first=Tracy}}</ref> Seasons 6 and 7 premiered on The N before they aired on CTV.<ref name="Sept 29">{{cite press release|title=The N's ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' Premieres Friday, September 29 |publisher=[[Epitome Pictures]] |date=September 6, 2006 |url=http://www.epitomepictures.com/whatsnew/pressrelease07.html |access-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221112254/http://www.epitomepictures.com/whatsnew/pressrelease07.html |archive-date=December 21, 2007}}</ref><ref name="s6">{{cite press release|title=Drag Racing, Drug Abuse, Exotic Dancing, Prison and&nbsp;– For the First Time In the Series' History&nbsp;– A Major Character Is Murdered. |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |date=November 6, 2006 |url=http://ctvmedia.ca/ctv/releases/release.asp?id=9132&yyyy=2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217043123/http://www.ctvmedia.ca/ctv/releases/release.asp?id=9132&yyyy=2006 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 17, 2007 |access-date=April 21, 2010}}</ref> During mid-season 9, the show was carried over to [[TeenNick]], a channel that merged the programming of two [[Viacom (2005–2019)|Viacom]]-owned teen blocks (Noggin's The N and [[Nickelodeon]]'s TEENick).

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 (Canadian TV network)|Family Channel]], owned by [[DHX Media]], and stream outside of Canada on [[Netflix]]. Episodes became available on Netflix in Canada following the conclusion of the first season.<ref name="gandm-dhxepitome">{{cite news|title=DHX Media buys Degrassi TV studio|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/dhx-media-buys-degrassi-tv-studio/article17817790/|access-date=June 9, 2015|work=The Globe and Mail}}</ref><ref name="cbc-degrassifamily">{{cite web|title=Degrassi: Next Class to debut on Family Channel, Netflix|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/degrassi-next-class-to-debut-on-family-channel-netflix-1.3105809|website=CBC News|access-date=June 9, 2015|date=June 9, 2015}}</ref>

===Post-broadcast distribution===
In Canada, stripped reruns of ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' have aired on [[CTV Two]] and [[MTV2 (Canada)|MTV2]], which are owned by Bell Media.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atv.ca/home/tvschedule_schedulegrid.aspx |title=A TV Schedule |access-date=September 21, 2008 |publisher=[[A (TV system)|A]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080912044306/http://www.atv.ca/home/tvschedule_schedulegrid.aspx |archive-date=September 12, 2008}}</ref> In the United States, independent distributor Program Partners and [[Sony Pictures Television]], 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.<ref name="Broadcasting">{{cite web |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/105905-Degrassi_Kids_Get_Stripped.php |title=Degrassi Kids Get Stripped |access-date=April 21, 2010 |last=Benson |first=Jim |date=September 24, 2006 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable]] |publisher=[[Reed Elsevier]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=Program Partners to Syndicate ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' |publisher=Program Partners |date=September 25, 2006 |url=http://www.programpartners.com/news_print.php?thisNewsID=42 |access-date=October 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213114503/http://www.programpartners.com/news_print.php?thisNewsID=42 |archive-date=December 13, 2007}}</ref>

In December 2006, Sony Pictures Television and Program Partners had reached agreements with the [[Tribune Company]] for every station it owned, [[The CW Plus]] 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.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Break-Out Drama Tops 60% Clearance for September 2007 Launch |publisher=Program Partners |date=December 12, 2006 |url=http://www.programpartners.com/news_print.php?thisNewsID=44 |access-date=October 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213101752/http://www.programpartners.com/news_print.php?thisNewsID=44 |archive-date=December 13, 2007}}</ref> By March 2007, Program Partners had cleared it in over 70% of the country after stations owned by [[Hearst-Argyle Television]], [[Capitol Broadcasting Company]], and [[ACME Communications]] purchased the syndication.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Program Partners Clears ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' in Over 70% of the U.S. |publisher=Program Partners |date=March 6, 2007 |url=http://www.programpartners.com/news_print.php?thisNewsID=49 |access-date=October 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213100045/http://www.programpartners.com/news_print.php?thisNewsID=49 |archive-date=December 13, 2007}}</ref> The series meets the US [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]]'s [[E/I|educational and informational guidelines]] towards children's programming.<ref name="renewed">{{cite web |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/161063-_Degrassi_Renewed_Through_2011_In_60_Of_Country.php |title='Degrassi' Renewed Through 2011 In 60% Of Country |access-date=March 23, 2010 |last=Eggerton |first=John |date=December 18, 2008 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable]] |publisher=[[Reed Elsevier]]}}</ref>

In October 2019, as part of a content deal struck between Viacom and [[WildBrain]], a channel dedicated to ''Degrassi'' was added to [[Pluto TV]] 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 some consisted of portions of two-part episodes, such as "Bitter Sweet Symphony (Part 1)"—omitted from the episode rotation.<ref>{{citation |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/degrassi-drake-pluto-tv-viacom-channel-avod-streamer-1203354551/|title=Viacom-Owned Streamer Pluto TV Launches 'Degrassi' Channel |access-date=October 3, 2019 |last=Clarke |first=Stewart |date=October 1, 2019 | work= [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | publisher= Variety Media, LLC}}</ref>

As of July 2021, reruns of ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' continue to air on certain Canadian television networks owned by [[Corus Entertainment]], including [[ABC Spark]], [[CMT (Canadian TV channel)|CMT]], and [[YTV (Canadian TV channel)|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 Films|Alliance Home Entertainment]]. In the United States, [[FUNimation Entertainment]] released the first six seasons and Echo Bridge Entertainment released seasons seven through twelve. Each season boxset includes extra features such as pictures, [[karaoke]] sessions, audition tapes, [[blooper]]s, deleted scenes and more.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/shows/Degrassi-Generation/4977 |title=Releases for Degrassi: The Next Generation |access-date=April 20, 2010 |work=[[TVShowsOnDVD.com]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524084409/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/shows/Degrassi-Generation/4977 |archive-date=May 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003K48HLW |title=Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 9|access-date=August 5, 2016 |work=[[Amazon.com]]}}</ref> In Australia, seasons 1 to 4 were released by Umbrella Entertainment in 2010 and 2011. These DVDs are compatible with the [[DVD region code#Region codes and countries|region 4]] code,<ref name="Umbrella Entertainment">{{cite web|title=Umbrella Entertainment |url=http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/customsearch.aspx?SearchTerm=degrassi&SearchCriteria=All&CategoryID=0 |access-date=August 16, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513100653/http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/customsearch.aspx?SearchTerm=degrassi&SearchCriteria=All&CategoryID=0 |archive-date=May 13, 2013}}</ref> 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",<ref name="J&SBU">{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Degrassi-Generation-Volume-Release/5250 |title=Degrassi: The Next Generation&nbsp;– Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi (Director's Cut: Uncut, Uncensored and Unrated) DVD Information |access-date=October 25, 2007 |work=[[TVShowsOnDVD.com]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020034633/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Degrassi-Generation-Volume-Release/5250 |archive-date=October 20, 2007}}</ref> and the second, "Rated."<ref name="J&SBR">{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Degrassi-Generation-Volume-Release/5251 |title=Degrassi: The Next Generation&nbsp;– Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi (Director's Cut) DVD Information |access-date=October 25, 2007 |work=[[TVShowsOnDVD.com]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020035806/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Degrassi-Generation-Volume-Release/5251 |archive-date=October 20, 2007}}</ref> Each release has the same DVD extras, including an interview with Kevin Smith, bloopers and a ''Jay and Silent Bob'' Photo Album, except the Unrated release also features episode commentaries by Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Stacie Mistysyn, the associate producer Jim Jackman and writer Aaron Martin.<ref name="J&SBU"/>

=== Streaming ===
''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' has been made available over various streaming platforms over the years. In the 2000s, episodes were made available to stream on [[CTV Television Network|CTV]] and [[TeenNick]]'s websites in Canada and the United States respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/mini/degrassi2006/enwiki/static/video.html |title=Degrassi On Demand |access-date=October 23, 2007 |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071021180027/http://www.ctv.ca/mini/degrassi2006/enwiki/static/video.html |archive-date=October 21, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.teennick.com/theclick/|title=TeenNick: The Click |access-date=October 23, 2007 |publisher=[[TeenNick]]}}</ref> It was also made available on [[ITunes]] in North America.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/browserRedirect?url=itms%253A%252F%252Fax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewTVSeason%253Fid%253D264661701%2526s%253D143441 |title=''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' |access-date=August 9, 2008 |format=Note: Requires iTunes software |publisher=[[iTunes Store]]}}</ref> In 2007, [[Puretracks]] in Canada offered episodes for download as a media file that could be only burned or copied three times.<ref name="Puretracks">{{cite press release|title=''Finally, fans can download "Degrassi" episodes'' |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |date=August 16, 2007 |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVNews/20070810/degrassi_downloads_070810/20070816/?hub=DegrassiHome&subhub=PrintStory |access-date=September 20, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017005025/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVNews/20070810/degrassi_downloads_070810/20070816/?hub=DegrassiHome&subhub=PrintStory |archive-date=October 17, 2007}}</ref> In the US, [[Zune]] sold the full series.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://social.zune.net/tv/series/Degrassi:-The-Next-Generation/e2fa92bb-c102-4c07-84cc-c795c5ca7c05 |title=''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' |access-date=April 21, 2010 |publisher=[[Zune]]}}</ref> Beginning on March 25, 2022, all 14 seasons will be available to stream on [[HBO Max]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hailu |first1=Selome |title=‘Degrassi’: New Series Greenlit at HBO Max, ‘Next Generation’ to Stream in Spring |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/degrassi-new-series-hbo-max-next-generation-1235153671/ |website=Variety.com |access-date=February 3, 2022}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="7"|Complete Season DVD Release
|-
! rowspan="3"|Release !! rowspan="3"|Ep # !! colspan="4"|Release dates !! rowspan="3" width="500"|Special Features
|-
! colspan="2"|Region 1 !! rowspan="2"|Region 2 !! rowspan="2"|Region 4
|-
! Canada !! United States
|-
|| [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 1)|Season One]] || style="text-align:center;"|15 || style="text-align:center;"| October 19, 2004|| style="text-align:center;"|September 28, 2004 ||{{N/A}} ||style="text-align:center;"|May 3, 2007 ||
''Degrassi'' Karaoke, ''Degrassi'' Photo Album, Character Descriptions, Cast Biographies, Deleted Scenes, Oops and Bloopers, Original Television Promos, and Audition Tapes.
|-
|| [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 2)|Season Two]] || style="text-align:center;"|22 || style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|June 21, 2005 ||{{N/A}} || style="text-align:center;"|September 8, 2010
|
130+ Deleted/Extended Scenes and Bloopers, Cast Audition Tapes, Season 2 Second Call Back Tapes, "Poor Thing" Karaoke, Interactive Fan Quiz, ''Degrassi'' Yearbook, Snake and Spike's Wedding Album, Student and Adult Profiles, and Cast Biographies.
*''Note:'' Region 4 DVD Release Only Has 72 Deleted Scenes
|-
|| [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 3)|Season Three]] || style="text-align:center;"|22 || style="text-align:center;" colspan ="2"|March 28, 2006 ||{{N/A}} || style="text-align:center;"|April 13, 2011
|
Audio Commentaries ("Accidents Will Happen" and "Pride"), Deleted Scenes, "Rock and Roll High School" Karaoke, Season 3 Interactive Quiz, CTV ''Degrassi'' Promo, ''Degrassi'' Yearbook, and Character and Cast Biographies.
|-
|| [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 4)|Season Four]] || style="text-align:center;"|23 || style="text-align:center;"|October 24, 2006 || style="text-align:center;"|November 28, 2006 ||{{N/A}} || style="text-align:center;"|April 13, 2011
|
Audio Commentaries ("Time Stands Still" and "Secret"), Deleted Scenes, Blooper Reel, Original Cast Auditions, Season 4 Interactive Quiz, Character and Cast Biographies, Jay and Silent Bob Flipbook, ''Degrassi'' Yearbook, and PAX Gun Violence Prevention Public Service Announcements.
*''Note:'' Audio Commentary on "Secret" is only available on the United States release.
|-
|| [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 5)|Season Five]] || style="text-align:center;"|19 || style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|July 3, 2007 ||{{N/A}} ||{{N/A}}
|
Deleted Scenes, Blooper Reel, Original Cast Auditions, Interview with Cassie Steele, Character and Cast Biographies, ''Degrassi'' Yearbook, [[Simple Plan]] Music Video and Interview, and Trailers.
|-
|| [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 6)|Season Six]] || style="text-align:center;"|19 || style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|May 27, 2008 ||{{N/A}} ||{{N/A}}
|
Deleted Scenes, Bloopers, Original Auditions, Character and Cast Biographies, ''Degrassi'' Yearbook, and Trailers.
|-
|| [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 7)|Season Seven]] || style="text-align:center;"|24 || style="text-align:center;"| May 26, 2009 || style="text-align:center;"|March 17, 2009 ||{{N/A}} ||{{N/A}}
|
Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Photo Gallery, Webisodes, and "On The Set".
|-
|| [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 8)|Season Eight]] || style="text-align:center;"|23 || style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|September 1, 2009 ||{{N/A}} ||{{N/A}}
|
"''Degrassi Goes Hollywood''" The Movie, Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Podcasts, Webisodes, "On The Set" Webisodes, and "My Window" Music Video.
|-
|| [[Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 9)|Season Nine]] || style="text-align:center;"|23 || style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|July 20, 2010 ||{{N/A}} ||{{N/A}}
|
"''Degrassi Takes Manhattan''" The Movie, Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Webisodes and Minis, and Music Videos.
|-
|| [[Degrassi (season 10)|Season Ten]] || style="text-align:center;"|44 || style="text-align:center;"| October 18, 2011 || style="text-align:center;"|September 13, 2011 ||{{N/A}} ||{{N/A}}
|
Episode Commentaries ("My Body Is A Cage" and "Umbrella"), Music Videos, Bloopers, and Webisodes.
|-
|| [[Degrassi (season 11)|Season Eleven]] || style="text-align:center;"|45 || style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|December 3, 2013 ||{{N/A}} ||{{N/A}}
|
Meet the New Kids, The Gallery Shoot, Set Tour, Parking Lot Tour, From Rehearsal to Shooting, Goodbyes, Behind the Scenes, Deleted Scenes, Bloopers, and Webisodes.
|-
|| [[Degrassi (season 12)|Season Twelve]] || style="text-align:center;"|40 || style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|October 29, 2013 ||{{N/A}} ||{{N/A}}
|
Back to ''Degrassi'', New Kids on the Block, Shooting the Opening Sequence, 300th Episode Celebration, A Day with the Ice Hounds, Goodbye Uniforms, Inside Fiona's Birthday Brawl, Say Cheese: Photoshoot with Demetrius, Vanessa and Justice, The Making of Romeo & Jules, Bloopers, The Inside Look and The Table Read – Bitter Sweet Symphony, Graduation Day, Prom Night, The One and Only – Dylan Everett, Eli's Short Film – LIFE, Eli's Short Film – NYU Portfolio, Video Yearbook, and Episode Commentary.
|-
|| [[Degrassi (season 13)|Season Thirteen]] || style="text-align:center;"|40 ||{{N/A}}||{{N/A}} ||{{N/A}} ||{{N/A}}
| {{N/A|To Be Announced}}
|-
|| [[Degrassi (season 14)|Season Fourteen]] || style="text-align:center;"|28 ||{{N/A}}||{{N/A}} ||{{N/A}} ||{{N/A}}
| {{N/A|To Be Announced}}
|}

==Impact and reception==

===Critical reception===
''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' has received generally positive reviews. ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' has called it "a cult hit", and ''[[The New York Times]]'' named it "Tha Best Teen TV N da WRLD (The best teen TV in the world)".<ref name="fast times" /><ref name="NYT">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/20/magazine/20DEGRASSI.htm |title=''DGrassi Is tha Best Teen TV N da WRLD!'' |access-date=December 12, 2007 |last=Neihart |first=Ben |date=March 20, 2005 |work=The New York Times |page=5}}</ref> Of the first season, ''[[The Ottawa Citizen]]''{{'s}} Tony Atherton had mixed feelings of the new incarnation, saying it "has a cleaner, more polished look, has lost its edge [and offers] nothing new to viewers familiar with the groundbreaking [[Degrassi High|preceding series]], nor to anyone else who has watched the deluge of teen dramas since&nbsp;... there is a sense of déjà vu with regards to the plots and characters".<ref name="Atherton review" /> 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 [as ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'']".<ref name="Atherton review">{{cite news |first=Tony |last=Atherton |title=Degrassi Returns With New, Old Faces: Unfortunately, the Stories Are Stuck In the Same Old Ruts |work=[[The Ottawa Citizen]] |publisher=[[Canwest]] |page=A12 |date=October 14, 2001}}</ref>

Before its debut in the United States, ''[[The Seattle Times]]''{{'}} 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''<nowiki/>'s older fans".<ref>{{cite news |first=Melanie |last= McFarland |title=''Degrassi'' Back In a New Generation |url=http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20020330&slug=degrassi30|work=[[The Seattle Times]] |date=March 30, 2002 |access-date=July 12, 2010}}</ref> 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]] 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.<ref name="Liss">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/tv/story/2009/11/04/f-2000s-best-tv-shows.html|title=Essential Viewing: The 10 Most Important Television Shows of the 2000s|last=Liss|first=Sarah|date=November 4, 2009|publisher=[[CBC News]]|access-date=April 20, 2010}}</ref> She named the series one of "the [ten] most 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]]'', ''[[Lost (TV series)|Lost]]'', the [[CSI (franchise)|CSI franchise]], and ''[[Sex and the City]]''.<ref name="Liss" />

In 2008, Jeffrey Bento-Carrier described one storyline that showed a teacher being accused of sexually assaulting one of his students as "shock[ing]", 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."<ref name="Bento">{{cite news |url=http://tribunenb.canadaeast.com/sportsleisure/article/295197 |title=''Degrassi'' Is Our Greatest Television Export |last=Bento-Carrier |first=Jeffrey |work=The Tribune |publisher=[[Brunswick News]] |page=B4 |access-date=April 20, 2010 |date=May 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617055542/http://tribunenb.canadaeast.com/sportsleisure/article/295197 |archive-date=June 17, 2008}}</ref> Brian Orloff of the ''[[St. Petersburg Times]]'' echoed the sentiments, and praised the series for "stay[ing] in touch with teens' lives".<ref>{{cite news|first=John |last=McKay |title=Degrassi stays in touch with teens' lives |url=http://www.sptimes.com/2003/07/07/Xpress/_Degrassi__stays_in_t.shtml |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]] |date=July 7, 2003 |access-date=February 8, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030923061531/http://www.sptimes.com/2003/07/07/Xpress/_Degrassi__stays_in_t.shtml |archive-date=September 23, 2003}}</ref>

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.<ref name="NYT" /><ref name="Jagged">{{cite news |first=MacDonald |last=Gayle |title=For a Few Bucks, We'll Launder Your Movie For You |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |publisher=[[CTVglobemedia]] |page=R1 |date=October 31, 2002}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' |publisher=ABC |date=November 1, 2002}}</ref> 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,<ref name="outcry">{{cite news |title=''Degrassi'' Abortion Episode Sparks Fan Outcry in US |url=http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2004/07/20/degrassi040720.html |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] |date=July 20, 2004 |access-date=February 8, 2008}}</ref><ref name="delayed">{{cite news |first=John |last=McKay |title=American Teen Channel Delays Abortion-Themed ''Degrassi'' Episode |work=[[National Post]] |date=July 19, 2004}}</ref> and withheld other episodes from season three that showed a fourteen-year-old character having an [[abortion]] after having consensual [[sexual intercourse]] with her boyfriend, and feeling no regrets.<ref name="interim">{{cite web|url=http://www.theinterim.com/2004/sept/22abortionissue.html |title=Abortion Issue On Popular TV Show |access-date=September 20, 2007 |last=Kok |first=Dina |date=September 2004 |publisher=The Interim |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012013221/http://theinterim.com/2004/sept/22abortionissue.html |archive-date=October 12, 2007}}</ref> 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]]'' and the ''[[London Free Press]]'' in Canada.<ref name="outcry" /><ref name="delayed" /><ref>{{cite news |first=John |last=McKay |title=Degrassi Episode Causes Stir in US |url=http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/Today/2004/07/20/549283.html |work=[[The London Free Press]] |publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]] |location=[[London, ON]] |date=July 20, 2004 |access-date=February 8, 2008}}</ref> The episodes eventually aired three years later as part of an "every episode ever" [[Marathon (television)|marathon]], with very little advertisement from the network.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,645656,00.html |title=Cutting Class |access-date=February 8, 2008 |last=Drumming |first=Neil |date=June 11, 2004 |work=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |publisher=[[Time Inc]]}}</ref> Another storyline was featured in the media after ten children from a [[French-speaking Quebecer|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]] herself in an episode.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/D/Degrassi_The_Next_Generation/2004/05/29/734532.html |title=Mutilation Blamed On TV Show |access-date=February 8, 2008 |last=Czekaj |first=Laura |date=May 29, 2004 |work=[[Canadian Online Explorer]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716142657/http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/D/Degrassi_The_Next_Generation/2004/05/29/734532.html |archive-date=July 16, 2012}}</ref>

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]] 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 (TV series)|Blossom]]''{{'}} endings that many teen dramas and sitcoms thrive on."<ref name="Elton">{{cite web|url=http://www.afterelton.com/archive/elton/TV/2006/4/degrassi.html |title=''Degrassi: The Next Generation'': Television's Best Portrayal of Gay Teens |access-date=March 29, 2008 |last=Surette |first=Jake |date=April 24, 2006 |publisher=[[AfterElton.com]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080322103718/http://www.afterelton.com/archive/elton/TV/2006/4/degrassi.html |archive-date=March 22, 2008}}</ref> Kevin Thompson of ''[[The Palm Beach Post]]'' 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.]]'' ... it connects with teens on their level".<ref>{{cite news |first=Kevin D. |last=Thompson |title=Teen-Focused Drama ''Degrassi'' Connects With Teens On Their Level |work=[[The Palm Beach Post]] |publisher=[[Cox Enterprises]] |date=July 1, 2005}}</ref> [[PopMatters]]'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&nbsp;... ''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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.popmatters.com/columns/horn/050602.shtml |title=The Armchair Anthropologist: High School of Hard Knocks |access-date=April 20, 2010 |last=Horn |first=Jodie Janella |date=June 2, 2005 |publisher=[[PopMatters]]}}</ref>

The ''[[San Jose Mercury News]]'' has said "If they [''[[Everwood]]'', ''[[The O.C.]]'', and ''[[One Tree Hill (TV series)|One Tree Hill]]''] want to be taken seriously, the shows could take a cue from Canadian drama ''Degrassi: The Next Generation,'' which&nbsp;... addresses the same gritty teen issues without being far-fetched".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/people/teens/8689283.htm?1c |title=Unreality TV |access-date=April 20, 2010 |date=May 18, 2004 |work=[[San Jose Mercury News]] |publisher=[[MediaNews Group]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040623124319/http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/people/teens/8689283.htm?1c |archive-date=June 23, 2004}}</ref> The ''New York Times'' has also made favourable reviews of the series in comparison to ''Everwood'', ''The O.C.'', and ''One Tree Hill'', as well as ''[[Beverly Hills, 90210]]'', ''[[Gilmore Girls]]'', ''[[Dawson's Creek]]'', and adult series such as ''[[Sex and the City]]'', ''[[Maude (TV series)|Maude]]'', and ''[[Six Feet Under (TV series)|Six Feet Under]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/18/arts/television-television-s-most-persistent-taboo.html |title=Television's Most Persistent Taboo |access-date=April 20, 2010 |last=Aurthur |first=Kate |date=July 18, 2004 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> [[AOL TV]] ranked it as the sixth TV's Biggest Guilty Pleasure.<ref>{{cite web|title=TV's Biggest Guilty Pleasures|url=http://www.aoltv.com/2008/01/02/biggest-best-tv-guilty-pleasures/|work=[[AOL TV]]|publisher=[[AOL|Aol, Inc]]|access-date=September 16, 2012|date=January 2, 2008|archive-date=October 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025103743/http://www.aoltv.com/2008/01/02/biggest-best-tv-guilty-pleasures/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Television ratings===
With characters from ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'' appearing in ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'', viewers of the earlier series who are in their 20s and 30s make up a dedicated fan base of the current incarnation. Approximately 40% of the series' viewers are outside of ''Degrassi: The Next Generation''{{'}}s 12- to 17-year-old target audience.<ref name="nostalgia">{{cite news|first=Jonathan |last=Ages |title=Channel Surfing for Nostalgia |url=http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/livewire/archived/channel_surfing_for_nostalgia/ |work=NYU Livewire |publisher=[[New York University]] |date=March 24, 2005 |access-date=April 25, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080602224812/http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/livewire/archived/channel_surfing_for_nostalgia/ |archive-date=June 2, 2008}}</ref> ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' averaged 365,000 viewers aged 12–20 years old in season one, and became the most watched domestic drama in Canada.<ref name="calgary">{{cite news |first=Kevin |last=Williamson |title=Degrassi Keeps On Growing |work=[[Calgary Sun]] |publisher=[[Sun Media]] |date=December 7, 2001}}</ref> By the end of season two, it had become the most popular Canadian show for the three youngest age groups (children aged 2–11, teenagers aged 12–17 and young adults aged 18–34).<ref>{{cite news |first=Liane |last=Faulder |title=Snake and Spike Get Hitched: Surprise In Store as Degrassi Favourites Head For the Altar |work=Edmonton Journal |publisher=[[Canwest]] |date=January 5, 2002}}</ref>

In the third season, ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' was again the most-watched all-Canadian drama series, and the most watched Canadian drama among adults 18–49.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ctvmedia.ca/ctv/releases/release.asp?id=6304&num=4&yyyy=2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727123315/http://ctvmedia.ca/ctv/releases/release.asp?id=6304&num=4&yyyy=2004 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 27, 2011 |title=Degrassi Pushes the Limits Even Further for Season 4, Premiering 7 September on CTV |access-date=April 21, 2010 |date=September 1, 2004 |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]]}}</ref> A season four episode that features a school shooting received 930,000 viewers; at that time it was the programme's highest-ever rating.<ref name="CTV-NYT">{{cite press release|title=New York Times Magazine Declares "''DGrassi'' is tha Best Teen TV N da WRLD!" |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |date=March 21, 2005 |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVShows/20050321/Degrassi-release-20050321/20050321?hub=Corporate&subhub=PrintStory |access-date=October 21, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304104041/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVShows/20050321/Degrassi-release-20050321/20050321?hub=Corporate&subhub=PrintStory |archive-date=March 4, 2008}}</ref> A second episode in the same season that features a storyline about [[oral sex]] also earned just under 1,000,000 viewers.<ref name="oral" /> Overall, the season averaged 600,000 viewers, and was again the top Canadian drama for teens aged 12–17, and adults in three age brackets 18–34, 18–49 and 25–54.<ref name="CTV-NYT" /><ref name="oral">{{cite web|url=http://ctvmedia.ca/ctv/releases/release.asp?id=6307&num=5&yyyy=2005 |title=School's Back at Degrassi: TV's Most-Watched Canadian Drama Returns Sept. 19 on CTV |access-date=February 8, 2008 |date=April 21, 2010 |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727123417/http://ctvmedia.ca/ctv/releases/release.asp?id=6307&num=5&yyyy=2005 |archive-date=July 27, 2011}}</ref> It averaged 250,000 viewers in the US in 2004 and was the highest rated digital cable series in the US in 2006.<ref name="fast times">{{cite news |last=Armstrong |first=Jennifer |date=October 1, 2004 |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,701427,00.html |title=Fast Times at Degrassi High |work=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |publisher=[[Time Inc]] |access-date=October 21, 2007}}</ref> While that figure is still far lower than successful shows on the "big four" networks ([[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], [[CBS]], [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] and [[NBC]]), the premiere episodes of earlier seasons have achieved higher audience figures with females aged 12–34.<ref name="Broadcasting" /> 2004 also saw the school-shooting episode receive more than half a million US viewers.<ref name="sabrina">{{cite press release |title=Sabrina is Making Magic in New York!! |publisher=Cynopsis Media |date=December 15, 2004 |url=http://www.cynopsis.com/content/view/1952/53/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20071127122801/http://www.cynopsis.com/content/view/1952/53/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 27, 2007 |access-date=October 21, 2007}}</ref> The fifth season drew in an average of 767,000 viewers,<ref name="Bailey">{{cite news |first=Patricia |last=Bailey |title=CTV ups its order for Degrassi |url=http://www.playbackonline.ca/articles/daily/20070327/degrassi.html |work=[[Playback (magazine)|Playback]] |publisher=Brunico Communications |location=[[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]] |date=March 27, 2007 |access-date=March 30, 2008}}</ref> with episode two of the season being watched by 1,000,000 viewers.<ref name="million">{{cite press release|title=''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' 100th episode |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |date=March 16, 2006 |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060316/degrassi_20060316/20060316/ |access-date=March 29, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210011007/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060316/degrassi_20060316/20060316 |archive-date=February 10, 2008}}</ref>

Ratings began to decline halfway through the series' run. In Canada, season six was watched by fewer viewers than had watched season five;<ref name="Bailey" /> episode fourteen was the highest-viewed episode of the season, with a total of 645,000 viewers.<ref>{{cite news |first=Marise |last=Strauss |title=Juno ratings plunge, but by how much? |url=http://playbackonline.ca/2007/04/03/ratings-20070403/ |work=[[Playback (magazine)|Playback]] |publisher=Brunico Communications |location=[[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]] |date=April 3, 2007 |access-date=March 24, 2010}}</ref> The season finale was watched by 520,000 viewers, and the season overall averaged 522,000 viewers.<ref name="Bailey" /> The average viewing figures fell again during the seventh season. The season premiere achieved the highest figures with 585,000 viewers.<ref name="Myth">{{cite web |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/01/degrassi-myth.html |title=The Degrassi Myth |access-date=March 24, 2010 |last=Brioux |first=Bill |date=January 23, 2008 |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080605121959/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/01/degrassi-myth.html |archive-date=June 5, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> This progressively dropped over the coming weeks, from 446,000 total viewers for the third episode,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/01/jpod-gets-jpasted.html |title=jPod gets jPasted |access-date=March 24, 2010 |last=Brioux |first=Bill |date=January 31, 2008 |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708072004/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/01/jpod-gets-jpasted.html |archive-date=July 8, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> to 407,000 total viewers for the fifth episode,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/02/mvp-needs-performance-enhancement.html |title=MVP Needs Performance Enhancement |access-date=March 31, 2008 |last=Brioux |first=Bill |date=February 14, 2008 |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708072036/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/02/mvp-needs-performance-enhancement.html |archive-date=July 8, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and continued to fall to a low of 314,000 viewers by the tenth episode.<ref name="Mercer">{{cite web |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/03/mercer-tops-cbc-winter-numbers.html |title=Mercer Tops CBC Winter Numbers |access-date=March 24, 2010 |last=Brioux |first=Bill |date=March 19, 2008 |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080527020938/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/03/mercer-tops-cbc-winter-numbers.html |archive-date=May 27, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Overall, the first twelve episodes of the season averaged 455,000 viewers, 45,000 less than the same number of episodes from the season six.<ref name="Bailey" />

Viewing figures continued to fall throughout season eight; Bill Brioux, the television columnist for [[The Canadian Press]], was surprised that ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' had even reached its eighth season with such poor ratings, asking "What other show in the history of Canadian or American television has so consistently drawn so few viewers yet gets renewed year after year?"<ref name="Uptown ratings" /> The season premiere was watched by 398,000 viewers,<ref name="Uptown ratings">{{cite web |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/10/degrassi-lost-generation.html |title=Degrassi: The Lost Generation |access-date=March 24, 2010 |last=Brioux |first=Bill |date=October 6, 2008 |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723173833/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/10/degrassi-lost-generation.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> almost 200,000 viewers fewer than what the premiere of season seven achieved. Viewing figures continued to drop when episodes two and six were both watched by an average of 220,000 viewers.<ref name="Wheels off">{{cite web |last=Brioux |first=Bill |title=Wheels Fall off Degrassi |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/10/wheels-fall-off-degrassi.html |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |date=October 14, 2008 |access-date=March 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723173856/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/10/wheels-fall-off-degrassi.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Brioux |first=Bill |title=Grace Park Behind Border Jump |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/11/grace-park-behind-border-jump.html |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |date=November 19, 2008 |access-date=March 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723173504/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/11/grace-park-behind-border-jump.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> At the time they were the lowest figures ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' has ever received;<ref name="Wheels off" /> however, they continued to fall and by episode eleven, overnight ratings indicated it had received 139,000 viewers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brioux |first=Bill |title=Global's Grammy no Whammy |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/02/globals-grammy-no-whammy.html |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |date=February 9, 2009 |access-date=March 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723173921/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/02/globals-grammy-no-whammy.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The overall number of viewers rose slightly for the thirteenth episode, the first of a two-parter, when it was watched by 157,000 people, but the viewing figures for the key 18–34 demographics was at a low of 81,000.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brioux |first=Bill |title=Trump Fires Up Canadian Numbers Game |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/03/trump-fires-up-canadian-numbers-game.html |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |date=March 2, 2009 |access-date=March 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723173956/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/03/trump-fires-up-canadian-numbers-game.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The following week, the episode that concluded the two-parter picked up viewers, reaching an estimated total of 206,000.<ref name="Jane Says P2 figures">{{cite web |last=Brioux |first=Bill |title=CBC Throws in Designer Towel on Steven and Chris |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/03/cbc-throws-in-designer-towel-on-steven.html |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |date=March 10, 2009 |access-date=March 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723174006/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/03/cbc-throws-in-designer-towel-on-steven.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Brioux commented again about ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' still being on the schedules, wondering when CTV was going to announce its cancellation and noting that ''[[The Amazing Race]]'', which follows it in the scheduling, was watched by ten times the number of ''Degrassi''{{'}}s viewers.<ref name="Jane Says P2 figures" /> That pattern was repeated the following week, when ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' was watched by 222,000 viewers, compared to 1,834,000 viewers for ''The Amazing Race'', 1,579,000 viewers for ''[[Desperate Housewives]]'' and 1,106,000 viewers for ''[[The Mentalist]]'', which were broadcast by CTV later in the evening.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brioux |first=Bill |title=Single Female Voter Wins in a Landslide |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/03/single-female-voter-wins-in-landslide.html |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |date=March 17, 2009 |access-date=March 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723174017/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/03/single-female-voter-wins-in-landslide.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

CTV aired two episodes back-to-back in the first half of season nine, and the scheduling had improved ratings. The first two episodes earned a combined figure of 471,000 viewers,<ref>{{cite web |last=Brioux |first=Bill |title=Two Million Catch Battle of the Blades Debut |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/10/two-million-catch-battle-of-blades.html |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |date=October 5, 2009 |access-date=March 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723174406/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/10/two-million-catch-battle-of-blades.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the third and fourth episodes retained them; they were watched by a combined 475,000 viewers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brioux |first=Bill |title=CBC Gives Thanks As Blades Stays Sharp |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/10/cbc-gives-thanks-as-blades-stays-sharp.html |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |date=October 13, 2009 |access-date=March 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723174454/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/10/cbc-gives-thanks-as-blades-stays-sharp.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The following week, the total viewing figures for episodes five and six had increased to 608,000,<ref>{{cite web |last=Brioux |first=Bill |title=Canuck TV Scores With Flash, Blades, Heart |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/10/canuck-tv-scores-with-flash-blades.html |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |date=October 19, 2009 |access-date=March 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723174517/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/10/canuck-tv-scores-with-flash-blades.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and remained high as the season went into [[Hiatus (television)|hiatus]] in November with 572,000 total viewers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Brioux |first=Bill |title=CBC Battles On Without Blades |url=http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/11/cbc-battles-on-without-blades.html |publisher=TV Feeds My Family |date=November 23, 2009 |access-date=March 24, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723174547/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2009/11/cbc-battles-on-without-blades.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Awards===
{{Main|List of awards and nominations received by the Degrassi franchise}}
''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' has won over fifty awards, and has been nominated for many others. The [[Writers Guild of Canada]] has awarded its [[Canadian Screenwriting Awards]] to the writers of two episodes. In 2004, Aaron Martin, James Hurst and Shelley Scarrow won the "Best Youth Script Award" for "[[Pride (D:TNG episode)|Pride]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wgc.ca/cscs_awards/pastwinners/2004.html |title=2004 Winners |access-date=December 7, 2007 |publisher=[[Writers Guild of Canada]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315163728/http://www.wgc.ca/cscs_awards/pastwinners/2004.html |archive-date=March 15, 2007}}</ref> The following year, the Scarrow-penned episode "[[Secret, part 1 (D:TNG episode)|Secret]]" vied with "[[Mercy Street (D:TNG episode)|Mercy Street]]", written by James Hurst and Miklos Perlus for the "Best Youth Script Award".<ref name="Whats new">{{cite web|url=http://www.degrassi.tv/whats-new.jsp |title=''Degrassi: The Next Generation''&nbsp;– What's New |access-date=December 5, 2007 |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100517064712/http://www.degrassi.tv/whats-new.jsp |archive-date=May 17, 2010}}</ref> "Mercy Street" won.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wgc.ca/cscs_awards/pastwinners/2005winners.html |title=2005 Winners |access-date=December 7, 2007 |publisher=[[Writers Guild of Canada]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305085743/http://www.wgc.ca/cscs_awards/pastwinners/2005winners.html |archive-date=March 5, 2008}}</ref> The series has been nominated for fourteen [[Directors Guild of Canada|Directors Guild of Canada Awards]]. In the "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Series&nbsp;– Children's" group category, the Bruce McDonald helmed "[[Mother and Child Reunion (Degrassi: The Next Generation)|Mother and Child Reunion]]" (nominated 2002) and "[[When Doves Cry (D:TNG episode)|When Doves Cry]]" (nominated 2003) were winners.<ref name="2002DGCA">{{cite web|url=http://www.dgc.ca/awards/flashv1/2002.html |title=2002 Directors Guild of Canada Awards |access-date=December 8, 2007 |year=2002 |format=Flash |publisher=[[Directors Guild of Canada]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071123085100/http://www.dgc.ca/awards/flashv1/2002.html |archive-date=November 23, 2007}}</ref><ref name="2003DGCA">{{cite web|url=http://www.dgc.ca/awards/2003/downloads/DGC_Award_Winners.pdf |title=2nd Directors Guild of Canada Award Winners Announced |access-date=December 8, 2007 |date=October 5, 2003 |publisher=[[Directors Guild of Canada]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080227092700/http://www.dgc.ca/awards/2003/downloads/DGC_Award_Winners.pdf |archive-date=February 27, 2008}}</ref>

"[[White Wedding (D:TNG episode)|White Wedding]]", also directed by McDonald, won the award in 2003 for "Outstanding Achievement in Direction&nbsp;– Television Series".<ref name="2003DGCA" /> McDonald's "[[Holiday (D:TNG episode)|Holiday]]" (nominated 2004), and [[Stefan Scaini]]'s "[[Time Stands Still (Degrassi: The Next Generation)|Time Stands Still, part 2]]" (nominated 2005) won the group categories for "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Series&nbsp;– Family".<ref name="CTV awards">{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061127/degrassi_awards_061127/20061128/?s_name=degrassi2006&no_ads=sky |title=''Degrassi: The Next Generation''&nbsp;– Awards |access-date=December 4, 2007 |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216094146/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061127/degrassi_awards_061127/20061128/?s_name=degrassi2006&no_ads=sky |archive-date=December 16, 2007}}</ref> "[[Can't Hardly Wait (D:TNG episode)|Can't Hardly Wait]]" and "[[Pass the Dutchie (D:TNG episode)|Pass the Dutchie]]" were also nominated in that category in 2007 and 2008, respectively, but failed to win the awards.<ref name="2007DGCA">{{cite web|title=2007 DGC Awards |url=http://www.dgc.ca/news.php?main=true&id=400&archives=false&news=965 |access-date=March 30, 2008 |year=2007 |publisher=[[Directors Guild of Canada]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080301144641/http://www.dgc.ca/news.php?main=true&id=400&archives=false&news=965 |archive-date=March 1, 2008}}</ref><ref name="2008DGCA">{{cite web |url=http://www.dgc.ca/page.php?id=400 |title=2008 DGC Awards Nominees |access-date=September 22, 2008 |year=2008 |publisher=[[Directors Guild of Canada]]}}</ref> Stephen Withrow has picked up two awards in the "Outstanding Achievement in Picture Editing" category, for "Mother and Child Reunion" in 2002 and "When Doves Cry" in 2003.<ref name="2002DGCA" /><ref name="2003DGCA" /> ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' has won seventeen [[Gemini Award]]s since 2002, and has been nominated in twenty-six other categories.<ref name="Degrassi search">{{cite web|url=http://www.academy.ca/hist/history.cfm?stitle=Degrassi&awyear=0&winonly=0&awards=0&rtype=2&curstep=4 |title=Canadian Awards Database History |access-date=April 20, 2010 |year=2009 |publisher=[[Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903235727/http://www.academy.ca/hist/history.cfm?stitle=Degrassi&awyear=0&winonly=0&awards=0&rtype=2&curstep=4 |archive-date=September 3, 2009}}</ref> In 2010, producer [[Linda Schuyler]] received the [[Academy Achievement Award]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geminiawards.ca/gemini25/press/2010_Gemini_Award_Winners_November_3_2010.pdf |title=2010 Gemini Awards Presented in Drama, Children's and Youth, Comedy, and Variety Categories |date=November 3, 2010 |publisher=Gemini Awards |access-date=November 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516082424/http://www.geminiawards.ca/gemini25/press/2010_Gemini_Award_Winners_November_3_2010.pdf |archive-date=May 16, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Linda Schuyler and Jordan Todosey at the 70th Annual Peabody Awards.jpg|thumb|Linda Schuyler and Jordan Todosey holding award at the 70th Annual Peabody Awards]]
''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' has also seen awards success internationally. It was nominated for a "Best Children's Television Programme" Prix Jeunesse in Germany in 2004,<ref name="PJ2">{{cite press release|title=CTV's Prime Time Drama, ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' Named Best Family Television Series |date=May 11, 2004 |url=http://news.degrassi.ca/article.php?a_id=642 |access-date=December 8, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121061849/http://news.degrassi.ca/article.php?a_id=642 |archive-date=November 21, 2007}}</ref> and has been nominated at the [[GLAAD Media Awards]] four times. In 2004, the show received a nomination in the Outstanding Drama Series category,<ref name="GLAAD">{{cite web |url=http://archive.glaad.org/publications/resource_doc_detail.php?id=3549 |title=Nominees for the 15th Annual GLAAD Media Awards |access-date=December 8, 2007 |date=December 8, 2003 |publisher=[[Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726110212/http://archive.glaad.org/publications/resource_doc_detail.php?id=3549 |archive-date=July 26, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> but lost to the sports drama ''[[Playmakers]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.glaad.org/media/release_detail.php?id=3637 |title=Antonio Banderas, John Waters, ''Bend it Like Beckham'', ''Angels in America'', Honored at 15th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Presented by ABSOLUT VODKA in Los Angeles |access-date=October 26, 2007 |date=March 28, 2004 |publisher=[[Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726110237/http://archive.glaad.org/media/release_detail.php?id=3637 |archive-date=July 26, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It was nominated in the same category again in 2008, but lost to ''[[Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series)|Brothers & Sisters]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards&nbsp;– Complete List of Award Recipients |date=April 22, 2008 |access-date=March 24, 2010 |publisher=[[Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]] |url=http://archive.glaad.org/publications/resource_doc_detail.php?id=4350 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726110026/http://archive.glaad.org/publications/resource_doc_detail.php?id=4350 |archive-date=July 26, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="GLAAD08">
{{cite web |url=http://www.accesshollywood.com/american-idol/ugly-betty-and-desperate-housewives-among-glaad-awards-nominees_article_8103 |title='Ugly Betty' & 'Desperate Housewives' Among GLAAD Awards Nominees |access-date=March 24, 2010 |date=January 21, 2008 |work=[[Access Hollywood]]}}</ref> In 2005, ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' won the [[Television Critics Association|Television Critics Association Award]] for "Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming." It was only the second time that a non-United States series has won an award in this category (the first time was ''Degrassi Junior High'' in 1988).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvcritics.org/2008/past-winners-of-the-tca-awards/ |title=Past winners of the TCA Awards |access-date=April 21, 2010 |publisher=[[Television Critics Association]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716111518/http://tvcritics.org/2008/past-winners-of-the-tca-awards/ |archive-date=July 16, 2012}}</ref>

The [[Young Artist Awards]] has been recognising actors in the ''Degrassi'' franchise since 1987. ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' was nominated for four awards in its first year. Ryan Cooley and Jake Goldsbie were nominated in the "Best Leading Young Actor Performance in a TV Comedy Series" category, but lost to [[Frankie Muniz]] from ''[[Malcolm in the Middle]]''. The series won the award for "Best Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama TV Series" category.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms23A.htm |title=23rd Annual Young Artist Awards |access-date=October 26, 2007 |year=2002 |publisher=[[Young Artist Award]]s |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903210759/http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms23A.htm |archive-date=September 3, 2014}}</ref> A year later, Jake Epstein won the Young Artist Award in the category for "Best Leading Young Actor Performance in a TV Comedy Series".<ref name="24YAA">{{cite web |url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms24.htm |title=24th Annual Young Artist Awards Nominations |access-date=December 4, 2007 |publisher=[[Young Artist Awards]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907111707/http://youngartistawards.org/noms24.htm |archive-date=September 7, 2014}}</ref> In 2005, Christina Schmidt tied with [[Alia Shawkat]] of ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'' to win the award for "Best Supporting Young Actress Performance in a TV Comedy Series",<ref name="26YAA">{{cite web |url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms26.htm |title=26th Annual Young Artist Awards&nbsp;– Nominations & Special Awards |access-date=December 4, 2007 |publisher=[[Young Artist Awards]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716011338/http://youngartistawards.org/noms26.htm |archive-date=July 16, 2015}}</ref> and Jamie Johnston won the 2008 category for "Best Leading Young Actor Performance in a TV Series".<ref name="29YAA">{{cite web|url=http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms29.html |title=29th Annual Young Artist Awards&nbsp;– Nominations / Special Awards |access-date=March 24, 2010 |work=[[Young Artist Awards]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706161000/http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms29.html |archive-date=July 6, 2008}}</ref> Young Artist Awards were awarded again in 2012, with both [[Cristine Prosperi]] and [[A.J. Saudin]] winning awards in the Lead Young Actress and Recurring Young Actor categories respectively. However, they both tied with another in their category.<ref>{{cite web|title=33rd Annual Young Artist Awards Nominations |url=http://youngartistawards.org/noms33.html |publisher=[[Young Artist Awards]] |year=2012 |access-date=May 9, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511074924/http://www.youngartistawards.org/noms33.html |archive-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref>

At the [[Teen Choice Award]]s, children aged between twelve and nineteen vote for each category's winner. The series has been nominated three times in the "Choice Summer TV Show" category, and has won twice, in 2005 and 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVShows/20050812_ctv_release_20050812?hub=Corporate&subhub=PrintStory |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050910235931/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVShows/20050812_ctv_release_20050812/?hub=Corporate&subhub=PrintStory |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 10, 2005 |title=Canadian First: ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' Wins Teen Choice Award as Series Gears Up for 25th Anniversary Season on CTV |access-date=December 8, 2007 |date=August 16, 2005 |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070816/teen_choice_win_070827/20070827?s_name=degrassi2006&no_ads=sky |title=''Degrassi'' Wins Teen Choice Award |access-date=December 8, 2007 |date=August 27, 2007 |publisher=[[CTV Television Network|CTV]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221095523/http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070816/teen_choice_win_070827/20070827?s_name=degrassi2006&no_ads=sky |archive-date=December 21, 2007}}</ref> The episode "[[My Body Is a Cage]]", where Adam was outed as transgender, earned a [[Peabody Award]],<ref name=":0">[http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/degrassi-my-body-is-a-cage 70th Annual Peabody Awards], May 2011.</ref> and a [[Creative Arts Emmy Award]] nomination in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|title=Outstanding children's program 2011|url=http://www.emmys.com/nominations/2011/Outstanding%20Children's%20Program|work=63rd Primetime Emmy Awards|publisher=Emmys|access-date=July 15, 2011|date=July 14, 2011}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==References==
* {{Cite book |last=Ellis |first=Kathryn |title=Degrassi: Generations – The Official 411 |date=September 2005 |publisher=[[Pocket Books]] |location=New York, New York |isbn=978-1-4165-1680-4}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Television|Canada}}
{{Wikiquote|Degrassi: The Next Generation}}
{{Commons category|Degrassi: The Next Generation}}
* [http://www.mtv.ca/degrassi/ Official MTV Canada website] (Canada)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20020803005902/http://www.the-n.com/ntv/tv_show_main.php?ipv_sectionID=44&ipv_showID=67 Archive of The N website] (United States)
* {{IMDb title|0288937|Degrassi: The Next Generation}}

{{Degrassi}}{{Playing With Time, Inc. and Epitome Pictures}}
[[Category:Degrassi: The Next Generation| ]]
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[[Category:Television series about teenagers]]


==Production==
==Production==

Revision as of 21:08, 13 March 2022

Degrassi: The Next Generation
Logo used in seasons 1–5 & 8–9
Also known asDegrassi (seasons 10–14)
GenreTeen drama
Created by
StarringMain cast
Theme music composer
  • Jody Colero
  • Ben Nelson
  • Jim McGrath
  • Stephen Stohn
Opening theme"Whatever It Takes"
by Lisa Dalbello
Composers
  • Jim McGrath
  • Tim Welch
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons14
No. of episodes385 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Producers
Production locationsToronto, Ontario
EditorGordon Thorne
Running timeapprox. 22 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network

The N (2002-2009) TeenNick (2009–15) (U.S.)[1]

ReleaseOctober 14, 2001 (2001-10-14) –
August 2, 2015 (2015-08-02)
Related

Degrassi: The Next Generation (also known as Degrassi for seasons 10 to 14) is a Canadian teen drama television series and the fourth series in the Degrassi franchise, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. It is a direct followup to Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High, featuring a new ensemble cast of students at the fictional Degrassi Community School who face various issues and challenges such as sex, teen pregnancy, bullying, date rape, drug abuse, body image, homosexuality, domestic violence, gang violence, self-injury, suicide, abortion, mental disorders, death, and many other issues. Various characters from the previous two series also return as adults in recurring or guest roles.

The series was initially created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore, the latter of who was the head writer of Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. It was produced by Epitome Pictures (a subsidiary of DHX Media) in association with Bell Media. The series premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001, 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, The New York Times, and AfterElton.com.

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's teen block, The N. By 2004, the series had averaged nearly a million viewers in Canada, and half a million in the United States. The series won numerous awards, including awards from the Geminis, Writers Guild of Canada, and Directors Guild of Canada. Internationally, it also won several Teen Choice Awards, Young Artist Awards, and Prix Jeunesse. The episode "My Body Is a Cage", in which a character is outed as transgender, won a Peabody Award in 2011.[2]

The format of the series underwent several changes during its later seasons after increased involvement of TeenNick support. The series moved to MuchMusic for season ten for Canadian viewership in 2010. In the US, the tenth season with TeenNick promotional involvement marked a change in production style to a telenovela format during the summer months, before returning to its standard fall-spring schedule until its end in 2015.[3] In Canada the thirteenth season reverted to a weekly schedule and part way through moved to MTV Canada, where it aired until its final episode on August 2, 2015, after fourteen seasons. It was followed by Degrassi: Next Class, which followed characters from the show's later seasons as well as introducing 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, which was spawned out of three half-hour short films, and came to prominence with the critical and commercial successes of Degrassi Junior High, which debuted in 1987, and Degrassi High, 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.[4]

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. 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, born to character Christine "Spike" Nelson at the end of Degrassi Junior High's second season, would soon be entering junior high school, and development for the series took a new direction by focusing on Emma and her school experiences.[5][6]

Schuyler's husband Stephen Stohn suggested Degrassi: The Next Generation as the name for the new sequel series, borrowing the concept from Star Trek: The Next Generation, of which he was a fan.[7] The project was pitched to CTV in May 2000, with the originally planned reunion episode serving as the pilot to the new series.[6]

Executive producers, script-writers and directors

Produced by Epitome Pictures Inc, in association with CTVglobemedia, later renamed Bell Media in 2011, Degrassi: The Next Generation received funding from Canadian Television Fund and BCE[8] the Shaw Rocket Fund,[9] Mountain Cable Program and the Royal Bank of Canada, the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund,[10] and the Cogeco Program Development Fund.[11]

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,[12] 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.[12] When production of season three began, a user on the official Degrassi: The Next Generation website with the alias "ExecProducer" began a forum thread titled "Shooting Season 3",[13] 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.[14]

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, opens and closes the episode and is usually driven by a single character. Plot B is usually more comedic in tone and sometimes slightly intertwined with the other stories, often moving story arcs forward. Plot C was usually used sporadically in a season-long arc, but is now used in every episode as comedic relief.[15] The problems and issues presented in the episode are not always resolved by the end of the episode, and are carried over to the next, or create a mini-arc over several episodes. The majority of episodes are named after songs from the 1980s,[16] and since the tenth season, episodes are named after songs from the 1990s to the present, representing 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 comedy-drama series, with each season consisting of between fifteen and twenty-four episodes.[14][17]

Due to falling viewing figures between seasons six and nine,[18][19] 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.[20][21] 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 and the summer of 2014.

Opening sequence

Logo used in seasons 13–14

The Degrassi opening sequence follows a two- to three-minute cold open. During the first five seasons these credits showed the characters on the school premises and followed a mini storyline.[22] Seasons six and seven featured titles with the actors breaking the fourth wall and facing the camera, over a montage of character videos from past seasons, saturated with blue colour and gold outlines.[23] 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.[24] 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, "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."[25] Lisa Dalbello performed the lyrics with a children's choir over a 1980s pop music style tune during the first three seasons.[25] Dave Ogilvie and Anthony Valcic of Canadian industrial-pop group Jakalope reworked and performed the song with a heavier sound, reflecting the growing maturity of the characters in season four.[25] For seasons six and seven, the theme—still performed by Jakalope—was remixed and stripped of vocals.[26] A fourth version of the theme song, with lyrics sung by Damhnait Doyle, was introduced for the eighth season, and a fifth version of the theme, performed by the in-show band "Stüdz" is used for the ninth and tenth seasons. For seasons eleven and twelve, a sixth version of the theme song is used, performed by Alexz Johnson.[27] 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, Melissa McIntyre and Jamie Johnston, when writing music for their characters Craig Manning, Ashley Kerwin, and Peter Stone to perform in the bands Downtown Sasquatch, Paige Michalchuk and the Sexkittens (PMS), Hell Hath No Fury, and Stüdz.[28][29][30] In addition to being scored, Degrassi features a mix of original emo, alternative rock 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.[25] When these songs are included, they originate from a diegetic source. Examples of this can be seen in the first-season episode "Jagged Little Pill", when well-known songs are 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".[31][32][33]

Filming locations

The Degrassi universe is set on De Grassi Street in Toronto, Ontario. The three previous series were filmed on and near the street.[34] However, The Next Generation was filmed at Epitome Pictures' four soundstages and backlot located at the company's 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) production studios in Toronto.[35] The facade of Degrassi Community School is the exterior of Studio C, and uses 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 features a "hoarding area" where students gather, a street, and a bus stop across the road.[35] The studio's backlot is used for exterior shots of the characters' houses, which is one unit dressed differently for each house, and The Dot Grill.[36] The building for The Dot is the only one on the backlot large enough to allow filming inside; scenes taking places inside the school and house interiors are filmed on one of four sound stages.[35]

Studio A contains sets for the school's hallways, washrooms, cafeteria and classrooms.[35] The hallways are 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 has graffiti on the walls to look authentic, and is used for the girls' and boys' room; urinals are installed and removed as needed. The set used for the cafeteria is "purposefully bland to take the edge off the rest of the school looking so beautiful."[37] It is also used as the studio's cafeteria where the cast and crew eat.[37]

In addition to being used as the exterior of the school, Studio C holds sets for the school's entrance foyer, the gymnasium, the media lab and a hallway with lockers.[35] As the series progressed and the budget increased, a stairway and balcony was 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.[38]

Studio B contains the sets for the characters' houses and The Core newspaper office which was introduced in season six. It also held sets for Instant Star, another Epitome Pictures production. The fourth studio, Studio D, houses all 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.[35]

York University's Keele Campus in Toronto served as the location for various sites at Smithdale University.[39]

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
115October 14, 2001 (2001-10-14)March 3, 2002 (2002-03-03)
222September 29, 2002 (2002-09-29)February 23, 2003 (2003-02-23)
322September 17, 2003 (2003-09-17)April 5, 2004 (2004-04-05)
422September 7, 2004 (2004-09-07)February 14, 2005 (2005-02-14)
519September 19, 2005 (2005-09-19)March 20, 2006 (2006-03-20)
619September 29, 2006 (2006-09-29)May 14, 2007 (2007-05-14)
724October 5, 2007 (2007-10-05)June 23, 2008 (2008-06-23)
822October 5, 2008 (2008-10-05)August 14, 2009 (2009-08-14)
923October 4, 2009 (2009-10-04)July 16, 2010 (2010-07-16)
1044July 19, 2010 (2010-07-19)April 22, 2011 (2011-04-22)
1145July 18, 2011 (2011-07-18)May 18, 2012 (2012-05-18)
1240July 16, 2012 (2012-07-16)June 21, 2013 (2013-06-21)
1340July 11, 2013 (2013-07-11)July 29, 2014 (2014-07-29)
1428October 28, 2014 (2014-10-28)August 2, 2015 (2015-08-02)

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.[40] 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 and Dawson's Creek, which had cast actors in their twenties as teenagers.[41]

Eleven children were given star billing in the first season. Sarah Barrable-Tishauer portrayed the lonely high-achiever Liberty Van Zandt.[41] Daniel Clark played bad-boy Sean Cameron.[42] Lauren Collins was cast as Paige Michalchuk, the school's head cheerleader and queen bee. Ryan Cooley portrayed class clown James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke,[43] with Jake Goldsbie cast as J.T.'s best friend, Toby Isaacs, a computer geek.[43] Drake portrayed basketball star Jimmy Brooks, who is from a wealthy family. Shane Kippel played school bully Gavin "Spinner" Mason. Miriam McDonald was cast as Emma Nelson, an environmental rights activist, with Cassie Steele cast in the role of Emma's best friend, promiscuous high school cheerleader Manuela "Manny" Santos.[43] Melissa McIntyre portrayed Ashley Kerwin, the perfect girl who attracts the popular boys, and who the other girls are jealous of.[44] Christina Schmidt portrayed the overweight and insecure Terri McGreggor.[45][46]

Providing ties to the previous series in the Degrassi universe, Stefan Brogren was approached to play his old character Archie "Snake" Simpson, now working at the school as the media immersion teacher.[47] Dan Woods reprised his role as English teacher Mr. Raditch, now promoted to school principal,[48] and Pat Mastroianni returned to his role as Joey Jeremiah.[49] Amanda Stepto also returned to the franchise to play her character Christine "Spike" Nelson in a recurring role.[50][51][52]

In the pilot episode, former Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High actors Danah Jean Brown (Trish Skye), Darrin Brown (Dwayne Myers), Michael Carry (Simon Dexter), Irene Courakos (Alexa Pappadopoulos), Chrissa Erodotou (Diana Economopoulos), Anais Granofsky (Lucy Fernandez), Rebecca Haines (Kathleen Mead), Sarah Holmes (Alison Hunter), Neil Hope (Derek "Wheels" Wheeler), Kyra Levy (Maya Goldberg), Cathy Keenan (Liz O'Rourke), Stacie Mistysyn (Caitlin Ryan), and Siluck Saysanasy (Yick Yu) reprised their roles for the class reunion storyline.[53]

In season two, Mastroianni returned to the Degrassi franchise in a starring role as Joey Jeremiah, a car salesman and single father of two children.[54][55] Joey's stepson, musician Craig Manning, played by Jake Epstein, is a new student at Degrassi Community School.[56] Three other new characters were introduced in season two in recurring roles. Stacey Farber played Ellie Nash, a goth whose home life is in turmoil,[57] and Adamo Ruggiero portrayed Marco Del Rossi, who is struggling to accept the reality that he is gay.[58] Melissa Di Marco was cast as science and gym teacher Daphne Hatzilakos.[59] Mistysyn also returned to her former Degrassi role as Joey's ex-high school sweetheart, Caitlyn Ryan, who in the years following graduation has become a world-renowned journalist.[57]

In season three, Farber, Ruggiero and Mistysyn were given regular roles, as were Andrea Lewis (Hazel Aden) and Stepto, who had held recurring roles since the first season. Mike Lobel (Jay Hogart), Deanna Casaluce (Alex Nuñez), Ephraim Ellis (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.[60]

Some of the cast of season eight make an appearance at the eTalk Festival Party during the Toronto International Film Festival

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.[61] 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,[62] but departed the series again at the end of the season.[63] At the end of season five several main characters graduated from Degrassi Community School, and either left the series or went on to university.[26] Six new characters were introduced in season seven in a storyline where nearby rival high school Lakehurst merged with Degrassi following a fire.[64][65]

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 that "[the producers] did us foul."[66] Thirteen actors were added to the main cast to replace them.[67] By season nine, 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.[68] 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 remain, with the exception of Brogren, whose character has been promoted to the principal of Degrassi Community School; the series now centres on the new generation of Degrassi students.

Guest roles

Besides Brogren, Mistysyn, Stepto, and Mastroianni having starring roles, other actors from Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High have 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,[53] Granofsky made a second guest appearance during the second season in the episode "White Wedding" when her character attends the wedding of Spike and Snake.[69] Actor Neil Hope, who portrayed "Wheels" in the original series, returns for a brief cameo in a third-season episode centered around Snake's battle with Leukemia. In a fifth-season episode, Keenan guest stars when her character returns to console Spike after her marriage with Snake breaks down.[70]

Movie director Kevin Smith has been a fan of the Degrassi series from the early 1990s, when he worked at a convenience store in Leonardo, New Jersey.[71][72] Actor Jason Mewes was his co-worker at the store and also became a fan . Every Sunday morning at work, Smith and Mewes watched episodes of Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High on Public Broadcasting Service.[73] Smith enjoyed the earlier series and has acknowledged an infatuation with Stacie Mistysyn. He has also paid homage to Degrassi by referring to it in several of his films. He named a Clerks character Caitlin Bree after Mistysyn's Degrassi character, Caitlin Ryan,[73] wrote Shannen Doherty's character Rene wearing a Degrassi jacket throughout his Mallrats film,[74] and had Jason Lee's character in Chasing Amy specifically mention Degrassi Junior High as a TV show he wants to watch, rather than going out.[75] Smith and Mewes guest starred as themselves in the final three episodes of the fourth season. The plot for these episodes involves the pair working on Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh!, a fictional feature film in the View Askewniverse, using Degrassi Community School as a filming location.[76][77]

Singer Alanis Morissette, who had worked with Smith, also guest stars in "Going Down the Road Part One" as herself, acting as the school principal in Smith's film.[78][79] Smith and Mewes 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! Alanis Morissette made a cameo appearance as the school principal when scenes from the film were shown during its premiere screening.[80] 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 is the writer-director and protagonist of Mewesical High, which stars a number of Degrassi Community School students. Smith appears in the episodes to support Mewes as he makes his directorial debut.[72]

Other actors to appear in Degrassi: The Next Generation include Jayne Eastwood as Sean Cameron's mother,[81] Billy Ray Cyrus as Duke, a limousine driver who gets arrested, the result of which leaves Jimmy, Hazel, Paige, and Spinner stranded in the street.[81] Season seven featured appearances from Shirley Douglas as a university professor,[82][83] Free The Children founder Craig Kielburger, and English pop singer Natasha Bedingfield as themselves.[84] Jonathan Torrens 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.[81][85] In season 10, ballroom dancer Jean-Marc Généreux appears as a teacher during the episode "My Body Is a Cage". After moving to MuchMusic cameos became more frequent, including Keke Palmer, Ben Mulroney, Chaz Bono, Hedley, and Fefe Dobson.

Broadcast and distribution

First-run broadcast

While the earlier Degrassi series aired in Canada on CBC, Degrassi is broadcast on Bell Media-owned stations. Until mid-season 9, it aired on the CTV, but due to a decline in viewing figures since season 7,[18][19] CTV executives had determined that they planned to cancel the show. The co-creator Linda Schuyler and executive producer Stephen Stohn were unsure of the fate of the show after being told such news, but luckily Stohn had been in talks with the American broadcaster TeenNick of the Nickelodeon company and he offered a proposal that rescued the show from a premature end.[86] Combined with the massively contributing efforts of TeenNick, the show was then able to avoid cancellation and continue for four more seasons. After TeenNick's involvement, the show was renewed and introduced the re-title of "Degrassi."[87] In Canadian media it moved to sister network MuchMusic in 2010.[20][21] In 2013, following a revamp of MuchMusic's schedule,[88] the show moved to MTV in Canada.[89] It currently airs on ABC Spark and CMT and YTV as of 2020.

In the United States, Degrassi aired on Noggin's programming block for teenagers, The N.[90][91] 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 called it "the No. 1 program for Noggin viewers 12 to 17."[92] Seasons 6 and 7 premiered on The N before they aired on CTV.[93][94] During mid-season 9, the show was carried over to TeenNick, a channel that merged the programming of two Viacom-owned teen blocks (Noggin's The N and Nickelodeon's TEENick).

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, and stream outside of Canada on Netflix. Episodes became available on Netflix in Canada following the conclusion of the first season.[95][96]

Post-broadcast distribution

In Canada, stripped reruns of Degrassi: The Next Generation have aired on CTV Two and MTV2, which are owned by Bell Media.[97] In the United States, independent distributor Program Partners and Sony Pictures Television, 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.[98][99]

In December 2006, Sony Pictures Television and Program Partners had reached agreements with the Tribune Company for every station it owned, The CW Plus 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.[100] By March 2007, Program Partners had cleared it in over 70% of the country after stations owned by Hearst-Argyle Television, Capitol Broadcasting Company, and ACME Communications purchased the syndication.[101] The series meets the US FCC's educational and informational guidelines towards children's programming.[102]

In October 2019, as part of a content deal struck between Viacom and WildBrain, a channel dedicated to Degrassi was added to Pluto TV 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 some consisted of portions of two-part episodes, such as "Bitter Sweet Symphony (Part 1)"—omitted from the episode rotation.[103]

As of July 2021, reruns of Degrassi: The Next Generation continue to air on certain Canadian television networks owned by Corus Entertainment, including ABC Spark, 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 released the first six seasons and Echo Bridge Entertainment released seasons seven through twelve. Each season boxset includes extra features such as pictures, karaoke sessions, audition tapes, bloopers, deleted scenes and more.[104][105] In Australia, seasons 1 to 4 were released by Umbrella Entertainment in 2010 and 2011. These DVDs are compatible with the region 4 code,[106] 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",[107] and the second, "Rated."[108] Each release has the same DVD extras, including an interview with Kevin Smith, bloopers and a Jay and Silent Bob Photo Album, except the Unrated release also features episode commentaries by Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Stacie Mistysyn, the associate producer Jim Jackman and writer Aaron Martin.[107]

Streaming

Degrassi: The Next Generation has been made available over various streaming platforms over the years. In the 2000s, episodes were made available to stream on CTV and TeenNick's websites in Canada and the United States respectively.[109][110] It was also made available on ITunes in North America.[111] In 2007, Puretracks in Canada offered episodes for download as a media file that could be only burned or copied three times.[112] In the US, Zune sold the full series.[113] Beginning on March 25, 2022, all 14 seasons will be available to stream on HBO Max.[114]

Complete Season DVD Release
Release Ep # Release dates Special Features
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
Canada United States
Season One 15 October 19, 2004 September 28, 2004 May 3, 2007

Degrassi Karaoke, Degrassi Photo Album, Character Descriptions, Cast Biographies, Deleted Scenes, Oops and Bloopers, Original Television Promos, and Audition Tapes.

Season Two 22 June 21, 2005 September 8, 2010

130+ Deleted/Extended Scenes and Bloopers, Cast Audition Tapes, Season 2 Second Call Back Tapes, "Poor Thing" Karaoke, Interactive Fan Quiz, Degrassi Yearbook, Snake and Spike's Wedding Album, Student and Adult Profiles, and Cast Biographies.

  • Note: Region 4 DVD Release Only Has 72 Deleted Scenes
Season Three 22 March 28, 2006 April 13, 2011

Audio Commentaries ("Accidents Will Happen" and "Pride"), Deleted Scenes, "Rock and Roll High School" Karaoke, Season 3 Interactive Quiz, CTV Degrassi Promo, Degrassi Yearbook, and Character and Cast Biographies.

Season Four 23 October 24, 2006 November 28, 2006 April 13, 2011

Audio Commentaries ("Time Stands Still" and "Secret"), Deleted Scenes, Blooper Reel, Original Cast Auditions, Season 4 Interactive Quiz, Character and Cast Biographies, Jay and Silent Bob Flipbook, Degrassi Yearbook, and PAX Gun Violence Prevention Public Service Announcements.

  • Note: Audio Commentary on "Secret" is only available on the United States release.
Season Five 19 July 3, 2007

Deleted Scenes, Blooper Reel, Original Cast Auditions, Interview with Cassie Steele, Character and Cast Biographies, Degrassi Yearbook, Simple Plan Music Video and Interview, and Trailers.

Season Six 19 May 27, 2008

Deleted Scenes, Bloopers, Original Auditions, Character and Cast Biographies, Degrassi Yearbook, and Trailers.

Season Seven 24 May 26, 2009 March 17, 2009

Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Photo Gallery, Webisodes, and "On The Set".

Season Eight 23 September 1, 2009

"Degrassi Goes Hollywood" The Movie, Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Podcasts, Webisodes, "On The Set" Webisodes, and "My Window" Music Video.

Season Nine 23 July 20, 2010

"Degrassi Takes Manhattan" The Movie, Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Webisodes and Minis, and Music Videos.

Season Ten 44 October 18, 2011 September 13, 2011

Episode Commentaries ("My Body Is A Cage" and "Umbrella"), Music Videos, Bloopers, and Webisodes.

Season Eleven 45 December 3, 2013

Meet the New Kids, The Gallery Shoot, Set Tour, Parking Lot Tour, From Rehearsal to Shooting, Goodbyes, Behind the Scenes, Deleted Scenes, Bloopers, and Webisodes.

Season Twelve 40 October 29, 2013

Back to Degrassi, New Kids on the Block, Shooting the Opening Sequence, 300th Episode Celebration, A Day with the Ice Hounds, Goodbye Uniforms, Inside Fiona's Birthday Brawl, Say Cheese: Photoshoot with Demetrius, Vanessa and Justice, The Making of Romeo & Jules, Bloopers, The Inside Look and The Table Read – Bitter Sweet Symphony, Graduation Day, Prom Night, The One and Only – Dylan Everett, Eli's Short Film – LIFE, Eli's Short Film – NYU Portfolio, Video Yearbook, and Episode Commentary.

Season Thirteen 40 To Be Announced
Season Fourteen 28 To Be Announced

Impact and reception

Critical reception

Degrassi: The Next Generation has received generally positive reviews. Entertainment Weekly has called it "a cult hit", and The New York Times named it "Tha Best Teen TV N da WRLD (The best teen TV in the world)".[115][116] Of the first season, The Ottawa Citizen's Tony Atherton had mixed feelings of the new incarnation, saying it "has a cleaner, more polished look, has lost its edge [and offers] nothing 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".[117] 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 [as Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High]".[117]

Before its debut in the United States, The Seattle Times' 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".[118] 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 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.[119] She named the series one of "the [ten] most 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, Lost, the CSI franchise, and Sex and the City.[119]

In 2008, Jeffrey Bento-Carrier described one storyline that showed a teacher being accused of sexually assaulting one of his students as "shock[ing]", 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."[120] Brian Orloff of the St. Petersburg Times echoed the sentiments, and praised the series for "stay[ing] in touch with teens' lives".[121]

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.[116][122][123] 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,[124][125] and withheld other episodes from season three that showed a fourteen-year-old character having an abortion after having consensual sexual intercourse with her boyfriend, and feeling no regrets.[126] 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 and the London Free Press in Canada.[124][125][127] The episodes eventually aired three years later as part of an "every episode ever" marathon, with very little advertisement from the network.[128] 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 herself in an episode.[129]

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 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' endings that many teen dramas and sitcoms thrive on."[130] Kevin Thompson of The Palm Beach Post 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. ... it connects with teens on their level".[131] PopMatters'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.[132]

The San Jose Mercury News has said "If they [Everwood, The O.C., and One Tree Hill] want to be taken seriously, the shows could take a cue from Canadian drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, which ... addresses the same gritty teen issues without being far-fetched".[133] The New York Times has also made favourable reviews of the series in comparison to Everwood, The O.C., and One Tree Hill, as well as Beverly Hills, 90210, Gilmore Girls, Dawson's Creek, and adult series such as Sex and the City, Maude, and Six Feet Under.[134] AOL TV ranked it as the sixth TV's Biggest Guilty Pleasure.[135]

Television ratings

With characters from Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High appearing in Degrassi: The Next Generation, viewers of the earlier series who are in their 20s and 30s make up a dedicated fan base of the current incarnation. Approximately 40% of the series' viewers are outside of Degrassi: The Next Generation's 12- to 17-year-old target audience.[136] Degrassi: The Next Generation averaged 365,000 viewers aged 12–20 years old in season one, and became the most watched domestic drama in Canada.[137] By the end of season two, it had become the most popular Canadian show for the three youngest age groups (children aged 2–11, teenagers aged 12–17 and young adults aged 18–34).[138]

In the third season, Degrassi: The Next Generation was again the most-watched all-Canadian drama series, and the most watched Canadian drama among adults 18–49.[139] A season four episode that features a school shooting received 930,000 viewers; at that time it was the programme's highest-ever rating.[140] A second episode in the same season that features a storyline about oral sex also earned just under 1,000,000 viewers.[141] Overall, the season averaged 600,000 viewers, and was again the top Canadian drama for teens aged 12–17, and adults in three age brackets 18–34, 18–49 and 25–54.[140][141] It averaged 250,000 viewers in the US in 2004 and was the highest rated digital cable series in the US in 2006.[115] While that figure is still far lower than successful shows on the "big four" networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC), the premiere episodes of earlier seasons have achieved higher audience figures with females aged 12–34.[98] 2004 also saw the school-shooting episode receive more than half a million US viewers.[142] The fifth season drew in an average of 767,000 viewers,[18] with episode two of the season being watched by 1,000,000 viewers.[143]

Ratings began to decline halfway through the series' run. In Canada, season six was watched by fewer viewers than had watched season five;[18] episode fourteen was the highest-viewed episode of the season, with a total of 645,000 viewers.[144] The season finale was watched by 520,000 viewers, and the season overall averaged 522,000 viewers.[18] The average viewing figures fell again during the seventh season. The season premiere achieved the highest figures with 585,000 viewers.[145] This progressively dropped over the coming weeks, from 446,000 total viewers for the third episode,[146] to 407,000 total viewers for the fifth episode,[147] and continued to fall to a low of 314,000 viewers by the tenth episode.[148] Overall, the first twelve episodes of the season averaged 455,000 viewers, 45,000 less than the same number of episodes from the season six.[18]

Viewing figures continued to fall throughout season eight; Bill Brioux, the television columnist for The Canadian Press, was surprised that Degrassi: The Next Generation had even reached its eighth season with such poor ratings, asking "What other show in the history of Canadian or American television has so consistently drawn so few viewers yet gets renewed year after year?"[149] The season premiere was watched by 398,000 viewers,[149] almost 200,000 viewers fewer than what the premiere of season seven achieved. Viewing figures continued to drop when episodes two and six were both watched by an average of 220,000 viewers.[150][151] At the time they were the lowest figures Degrassi: The Next Generation has ever received;[150] however, they continued to fall and by episode eleven, overnight ratings indicated it had received 139,000 viewers.[152]

The overall number of viewers rose slightly for the thirteenth episode, the first of a two-parter, when it was watched by 157,000 people, but the viewing figures for the key 18–34 demographics was at a low of 81,000.[153] The following week, the episode that concluded the two-parter picked up viewers, reaching an estimated total of 206,000.[19] Brioux commented again about Degrassi: The Next Generation still being on the schedules, wondering when CTV was going to announce its cancellation and noting that The Amazing Race, which follows it in the scheduling, was watched by ten times the number of Degrassi's viewers.[19] That pattern was repeated the following week, when Degrassi: The Next Generation was watched by 222,000 viewers, compared to 1,834,000 viewers for The Amazing Race, 1,579,000 viewers for Desperate Housewives and 1,106,000 viewers for The Mentalist, which were broadcast by CTV later in the evening.[154]

CTV aired two episodes back-to-back in the first half of season nine, and the scheduling had improved ratings. The first two episodes earned a combined figure of 471,000 viewers,[155] and the third and fourth episodes retained them; they were watched by a combined 475,000 viewers.[156] The following week, the total viewing figures for episodes five and six had increased to 608,000,[157] and remained high as the season went into hiatus in November with 572,000 total viewers.[158]

Awards

Degrassi: The Next Generation has won over fifty awards, and has been nominated for many others. The Writers Guild of Canada has awarded its Canadian Screenwriting Awards to the writers of two episodes. In 2004, Aaron Martin, James Hurst and Shelley Scarrow won the "Best Youth Script Award" for "Pride".[159] The following year, the Scarrow-penned episode "Secret" vied with "Mercy Street", written by James Hurst and Miklos Perlus for the "Best Youth Script Award".[160] "Mercy Street" won.[161] The series has been nominated for fourteen Directors Guild of Canada Awards. In the "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Series – Children's" group category, the Bruce McDonald helmed "Mother and Child Reunion" (nominated 2002) and "When Doves Cry" (nominated 2003) were winners.[162][163]

"White Wedding", also directed by McDonald, won the award in 2003 for "Outstanding Achievement in Direction – Television Series".[163] McDonald's "Holiday" (nominated 2004), and Stefan Scaini's "Time Stands Still, part 2" (nominated 2005) won the group categories for "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Series – Family".[164] "Can't Hardly Wait" and "Pass the Dutchie" were also nominated in that category in 2007 and 2008, respectively, but failed to win the awards.[165][166] Stephen Withrow has picked up two awards in the "Outstanding Achievement in Picture Editing" category, for "Mother and Child Reunion" in 2002 and "When Doves Cry" in 2003.[162][163] Degrassi: The Next Generation has won seventeen Gemini Awards since 2002, and has been nominated in twenty-six other categories.[167] In 2010, producer Linda Schuyler received the Academy Achievement Award.[168]

Linda Schuyler and Jordan Todosey holding award at the 70th Annual Peabody Awards

Degrassi: The Next Generation has also seen awards success internationally. It was nominated for a "Best Children's Television Programme" Prix Jeunesse in Germany in 2004,[169] and has been nominated at the GLAAD Media Awards four times. In 2004, the show received a nomination in the Outstanding Drama Series category,[170] but lost to the sports drama Playmakers.[171] It was nominated in the same category again in 2008, but lost to Brothers & Sisters.[172][173] In 2005, Degrassi: The Next Generation won the Television Critics Association Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming." It was only the second time that a non-United States series has won an award in this category (the first time was Degrassi Junior High in 1988).[174]

The Young Artist Awards has been recognising actors in the Degrassi franchise since 1987. Degrassi: The Next Generation was nominated for four awards in its first year. Ryan Cooley and Jake Goldsbie were nominated in the "Best Leading Young Actor Performance in a TV Comedy Series" category, but lost to Frankie Muniz from Malcolm in the Middle. The series won the award for "Best Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama TV Series" category.[175] A year later, Jake Epstein won the Young Artist Award in the category for "Best Leading Young Actor Performance in a TV Comedy Series".[176] In 2005, Christina Schmidt tied with Alia Shawkat of Arrested Development to win the award for "Best Supporting Young Actress Performance in a TV Comedy Series",[177] and Jamie Johnston won the 2008 category for "Best Leading Young Actor Performance in a TV Series".[178] Young Artist Awards were awarded again in 2012, with both Cristine Prosperi and A.J. Saudin winning awards in the Lead Young Actress and Recurring Young Actor categories respectively. However, they both tied with another in their category.[179]

At the Teen Choice Awards, children aged between twelve and nineteen vote for each category's winner. The series has been nominated three times in the "Choice Summer TV Show" category, and has won twice, in 2005 and 2007.[180][181] The episode "My Body Is a Cage", where Adam was outed as transgender, earned a Peabody Award,[2] and a Creative Arts Emmy Award nomination in 2011.[182]

Notes

  1. ^ "What's Shooting?".
  2. ^ a b 70th Annual Peabody Awards, May 2011.
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  5. ^ Ellis 2005, p. 12 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFEllis2005 (help)
  6. ^ a b "How It All Happened". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. Retrieved October 21, 2007.
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  12. ^ a b Ellis 2005, pp. 20–21 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFEllis2005 (help)
  13. ^ Stohn, Stephen (May 23, 2003). "Shooting Season 3". Epitome Pictures. Archived from the original (Note: Requires registration) on July 29, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
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References

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, which was spawned out of three half-hour short films, and came to prominence with the critical and commercial successes of Degrassi Junior High, which debuted in 1987, and Degrassi High, 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.[1]

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. 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, born to character Christine "Spike" Nelson at the end of Degrassi Junior High's second season, would soon be entering junior high school, and development for the series took a new direction by focusing on Emma and her school experiences.[2][3]

Schuyler's husband Stephen Stohn suggested Degrassi: The Next Generation as the name for the new sequel series, borrowing the concept from Star Trek: The Next Generation, of which he was a fan.[4] The project was pitched to CTV in May 2000, with the originally planned reunion episode serving as the pilot to the new series.[3]

Executive producers, script-writers and directors

Produced by Epitome Pictures Inc, in association with CTVglobemedia, later renamed Bell Media in 2011, Degrassi: The Next Generation received funding from Canadian Television Fund and BCE[5] the Shaw Rocket Fund,[6] Mountain Cable Program and the Royal Bank of Canada, the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund,[7] and the Cogeco Program Development Fund.[8]

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,[9] 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.[9] When production of season three began, a user on the official Degrassi: The Next Generation website with the alias "ExecProducer" began a forum thread titled "Shooting Season 3",[10] 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.[11]

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, opens and closes the episode and is usually driven by a single character. Plot B is usually more comedic in tone and sometimes slightly intertwined with the other stories, often moving story arcs forward. Plot C was usually used sporadically in a season-long arc, but is now used in every episode as comedic relief.[12] The problems and issues presented in the episode are not always resolved by the end of the episode, and are carried over to the next, or create a mini-arc over several episodes. The majority of episodes are named after songs from the 1980s,[13] and since the tenth season, episodes are named after songs from the 1990s to the present, representing 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 comedy-drama series, with each season consisting of between fifteen and twenty-four episodes.[11][14]

Due to falling viewing figures between seasons six and nine,[15][16] 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.[17][18] 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 and the summer of 2014.

Opening sequence

Logo used in seasons 13–14

The Degrassi opening sequence follows a two- to three-minute cold open. During the first five seasons these credits showed the characters on the school premises and followed a mini storyline.[19] Seasons six and seven featured titles with the actors breaking the fourth wall and facing the camera, over a montage of character videos from past seasons, saturated with blue colour and gold outlines.[20] 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.[21] 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, "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."[22] Lisa Dalbello performed the lyrics with a children's choir over a 1980s pop music style tune during the first three seasons.[22] Dave Ogilvie and Anthony Valcic of Canadian industrial-pop group Jakalope reworked and performed the song with a heavier sound, reflecting the growing maturity of the characters in season four.[22] For seasons six and seven, the theme—still performed by Jakalope—was remixed and stripped of vocals.[23] A fourth version of the theme song, with lyrics sung by Damhnait Doyle, was introduced for the eighth season, and a fifth version of the theme, performed by the in-show band "Stüdz" is used for the ninth and tenth seasons. For seasons eleven and twelve, a sixth version of the theme song is used, performed by Alexz Johnson.[24] 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, Melissa McIntyre and Jamie Johnston, when writing music for their characters Craig Manning, Ashley Kerwin, and Peter Stone to perform in the bands Downtown Sasquatch, Paige Michalchuk and the Sexkittens (PMS), Hell Hath No Fury, and Stüdz.[25][26][27] In addition to being scored, Degrassi features a mix of original emo, alternative rock 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.[22] When these songs are included, they originate from a diegetic source. Examples of this can be seen in the first-season episode "Jagged Little Pill", when well-known songs are 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".[28][29][30]

Filming locations

The Degrassi universe is set on De Grassi Street in Toronto, Ontario. The three previous series were filmed on and near the street.[31] However, The Next Generation was filmed at Epitome Pictures' four soundstages and backlot located at the company's 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) production studios in Toronto.[32] The facade of Degrassi Community School is the exterior of Studio C, and uses 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 features a "hoarding area" where students gather, a street, and a bus stop across the road.[32] The studio's backlot is used for exterior shots of the characters' houses, which is one unit dressed differently for each house, and The Dot Grill.[33] The building for The Dot is the only one on the backlot large enough to allow filming inside; scenes taking places inside the school and house interiors are filmed on one of four sound stages.[32]

Studio A contains sets for the school's hallways, washrooms, cafeteria and classrooms.[32] The hallways are 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 has graffiti on the walls to look authentic, and is used for the girls' and boys' room; urinals are installed and removed as needed. The set used for the cafeteria is "purposefully bland to take the edge off the rest of the school looking so beautiful."[34] It is also used as the studio's cafeteria where the cast and crew eat.[34]

In addition to being used as the exterior of the school, Studio C holds sets for the school's entrance foyer, the gymnasium, the media lab and a hallway with lockers.[32] As the series progressed and the budget increased, a stairway and balcony was 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.[35]

Studio B contains the sets for the characters' houses and The Core newspaper office which was introduced in season six. It also held sets for Instant Star, another Epitome Pictures production. The fourth studio, Studio D, houses all 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.[32]

York University's Keele Campus in Toronto served as the location for various sites at Smithdale University.[36]

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
115October 14, 2001 (2001-10-14)March 3, 2002 (2002-03-03)
222September 29, 2002 (2002-09-29)February 23, 2003 (2003-02-23)
322September 17, 2003 (2003-09-17)April 5, 2004 (2004-04-05)
422September 7, 2004 (2004-09-07)February 14, 2005 (2005-02-14)
519September 19, 2005 (2005-09-19)March 20, 2006 (2006-03-20)
619September 29, 2006 (2006-09-29)May 14, 2007 (2007-05-14)
724October 5, 2007 (2007-10-05)June 23, 2008 (2008-06-23)
822October 5, 2008 (2008-10-05)August 14, 2009 (2009-08-14)
923October 4, 2009 (2009-10-04)July 16, 2010 (2010-07-16)
1044July 19, 2010 (2010-07-19)April 22, 2011 (2011-04-22)
1145July 18, 2011 (2011-07-18)May 18, 2012 (2012-05-18)
1240July 16, 2012 (2012-07-16)June 21, 2013 (2013-06-21)
1340July 11, 2013 (2013-07-11)July 29, 2014 (2014-07-29)
1428October 28, 2014 (2014-10-28)August 2, 2015 (2015-08-02)

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.[37] 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 and Dawson's Creek, which had cast actors in their twenties as teenagers.[38]

Eleven children were given star billing in the first season. Sarah Barrable-Tishauer portrayed the lonely high-achiever Liberty Van Zandt.[38] Daniel Clark played bad-boy Sean Cameron.[39] Lauren Collins was cast as Paige Michalchuk, the school's head cheerleader and queen bee. Ryan Cooley portrayed class clown James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke,[40] with Jake Goldsbie cast as J.T.'s best friend, Toby Isaacs, a computer geek.[40] Drake portrayed basketball star Jimmy Brooks, who is from a wealthy family. Shane Kippel played school bully Gavin "Spinner" Mason. Miriam McDonald was cast as Emma Nelson, an environmental rights activist, with Cassie Steele cast in the role of Emma's best friend, promiscuous high school cheerleader Manuela "Manny" Santos.[40] Melissa McIntyre portrayed Ashley Kerwin, the perfect girl who attracts the popular boys, and who the other girls are jealous of.[41] Christina Schmidt portrayed the overweight and insecure Terri McGreggor.[42][43]

Providing ties to the previous series in the Degrassi universe, Stefan Brogren was approached to play his old character Archie "Snake" Simpson, now working at the school as the media immersion teacher.[44] Dan Woods reprised his role as English teacher Mr. Raditch, now promoted to school principal,[45] and Pat Mastroianni returned to his role as Joey Jeremiah.[46] Amanda Stepto also returned to the franchise to play her character Christine "Spike" Nelson in a recurring role.[47][48][49]

In the pilot episode, former Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High actors Danah Jean Brown (Trish Skye), Darrin Brown (Dwayne Myers), Michael Carry (Simon Dexter), Irene Courakos (Alexa Pappadopoulos), Chrissa Erodotou (Diana Economopoulos), Anais Granofsky (Lucy Fernandez), Rebecca Haines (Kathleen Mead), Sarah Holmes (Alison Hunter), Neil Hope (Derek "Wheels" Wheeler), Kyra Levy (Maya Goldberg), Cathy Keenan (Liz O'Rourke), Stacie Mistysyn (Caitlin Ryan), and Siluck Saysanasy (Yick Yu) reprised their roles for the class reunion storyline.[50]

In season two, Mastroianni returned to the Degrassi franchise in a starring role as Joey Jeremiah, a car salesman and single father of two children.[51][52] Joey's stepson, musician Craig Manning, played by Jake Epstein, is a new student at Degrassi Community School.[53] Three other new characters were introduced in season two in recurring roles. Stacey Farber played Ellie Nash, a goth whose home life is in turmoil,[54] and Adamo Ruggiero portrayed Marco Del Rossi, who is struggling to accept the reality that he is gay.[55] Melissa Di Marco was cast as science and gym teacher Daphne Hatzilakos.[56] Mistysyn also returned to her former Degrassi role as Joey's ex-high school sweetheart, Caitlyn Ryan, who in the years following graduation has become a world-renowned journalist.[54]

In season three, Farber, Ruggiero and Mistysyn were given regular roles, as were Andrea Lewis (Hazel Aden) and Stepto, who had held recurring roles since the first season. Mike Lobel (Jay Hogart), Deanna Casaluce (Alex Nuñez), Ephraim Ellis (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.[57]

Some of the cast of season eight make an appearance at the eTalk Festival Party during the Toronto International Film Festival

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.[58] 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,[59] but departed the series again at the end of the season.[60] At the end of season five several main characters graduated from Degrassi Community School, and either left the series or went on to university.[23] Six new characters were introduced in season seven in a storyline where nearby rival high school Lakehurst merged with Degrassi following a fire.[61][62]

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 that "[the producers] did us foul."[63] Thirteen actors were added to the main cast to replace them.[64] By season nine, 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.[65] 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 remain, with the exception of Brogren, whose character has been promoted to the principal of Degrassi Community School; the series now centres on the new generation of Degrassi students.

Guest roles

Besides Brogren, Mistysyn, Stepto, and Mastroianni having starring roles, other actors from Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High have 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,[50] Granofsky made a second guest appearance during the second season in the episode "White Wedding" when her character attends the wedding of Spike and Snake.[66] Actor Neil Hope, who portrayed "Wheels" in the original series, returns for a brief cameo in a third-season episode centered around Snake's battle with Leukemia. In a fifth-season episode, Keenan guest stars when her character returns to console Spike after her marriage with Snake breaks down.[67]

Movie director Kevin Smith has been a fan of the Degrassi series from the early 1990s, when he worked at a convenience store in Leonardo, New Jersey.[68][69] Actor Jason Mewes was his co-worker at the store and also became a fan . Every Sunday morning at work, Smith and Mewes watched episodes of Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High on Public Broadcasting Service.[70] Smith enjoyed the earlier series and has acknowledged an infatuation with Stacie Mistysyn. He has also paid homage to Degrassi by referring to it in several of his films. He named a Clerks character Caitlin Bree after Mistysyn's Degrassi character, Caitlin Ryan,[70] wrote Shannen Doherty's character Rene wearing a Degrassi jacket throughout his Mallrats film,[71] and had Jason Lee's character in Chasing Amy specifically mention Degrassi Junior High as a TV show he wants to watch, rather than going out.[72] Smith and Mewes guest starred as themselves in the final three episodes of the fourth season. The plot for these episodes involves the pair working on Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh!, a fictional feature film in the View Askewniverse, using Degrassi Community School as a filming location.[73][74]

Singer Alanis Morissette, who had worked with Smith, also guest stars in "Going Down the Road Part One" as herself, acting as the school principal in Smith's film.[75][76] Smith and Mewes 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! Alanis Morissette made a cameo appearance as the school principal when scenes from the film were shown during its premiere screening.[77] 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 is the writer-director and protagonist of Mewesical High, which stars a number of Degrassi Community School students. Smith appears in the episodes to support Mewes as he makes his directorial debut.[69]

Other actors to appear in Degrassi: The Next Generation include Jayne Eastwood as Sean Cameron's mother,[78] Billy Ray Cyrus as Duke, a limousine driver who gets arrested, the result of which leaves Jimmy, Hazel, Paige, and Spinner stranded in the street.[78] Season seven featured appearances from Shirley Douglas as a university professor,[79][80] Free The Children founder Craig Kielburger, and English pop singer Natasha Bedingfield as themselves.[81] Jonathan Torrens 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.[78][82] In season 10, ballroom dancer Jean-Marc Généreux appears as a teacher during the episode "My Body Is a Cage". After moving to MuchMusic cameos became more frequent, including Keke Palmer, Ben Mulroney, Chaz Bono, Hedley, and Fefe Dobson.

Broadcast and distribution

First-run broadcast

While the earlier Degrassi series aired in Canada on CBC, Degrassi is broadcast on Bell Media-owned stations. Until mid-season 9, it aired on the CTV, but due to a decline in viewing figures since season 7,[15][16] CTV executives had determined that they planned to cancel the show. The co-creator Linda Schuyler and executive producer Stephen Stohn were unsure of the fate of the show after being told such news, but luckily Stohn had been in talks with the American broadcaster TeenNick of the Nickelodeon company and he offered a proposal that rescued the show from a premature end.[83] Combined with the massively contributing efforts of TeenNick, the show was then able to avoid cancellation and continue for four more seasons. After TeenNick's involvement, the show was renewed and introduced the re-title of "Degrassi."[84] In Canadian media it moved to sister network MuchMusic in 2010.[17][18] In 2013, following a revamp of MuchMusic's schedule,[85] the show moved to MTV in Canada.[86] It currently airs on ABC Spark and CMT and YTV as of 2020.

In the United States, Degrassi aired on Noggin's programming block for teenagers, The N.[87][88] 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 called it "the No. 1 program for Noggin viewers 12 to 17."[89] Seasons 6 and 7 premiered on The N before they aired on CTV.[90][91] During mid-season 9, the show was carried over to TeenNick, a channel that merged the programming of two Viacom-owned teen blocks (Noggin's The N and Nickelodeon's TEENick).

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, and stream outside of Canada on Netflix. Episodes became available on Netflix in Canada following the conclusion of the first season.[92][93]

Post-broadcast distribution

In Canada, stripped reruns of Degrassi: The Next Generation have aired on CTV Two and MTV2, which are owned by Bell Media.[94] In the United States, independent distributor Program Partners and Sony Pictures Television, 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.[95][96]

In December 2006, Sony Pictures Television and Program Partners had reached agreements with the Tribune Company for every station it owned, The CW Plus 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.[97] By March 2007, Program Partners had cleared it in over 70% of the country after stations owned by Hearst-Argyle Television, Capitol Broadcasting Company, and ACME Communications purchased the syndication.[98] The series meets the US FCC's educational and informational guidelines towards children's programming.[99]

In October 2019, as part of a content deal struck between Viacom and WildBrain, a channel dedicated to Degrassi was added to Pluto TV 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 some consisted of portions of two-part episodes, such as "Bitter Sweet Symphony (Part 1)"—omitted from the episode rotation.[100]

As of July 2021, reruns of Degrassi: The Next Generation continue to air on certain Canadian television networks owned by Corus Entertainment, including ABC Spark, 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 released the first six seasons and Echo Bridge Entertainment released seasons seven through twelve. Each season boxset includes extra features such as pictures, karaoke sessions, audition tapes, bloopers, deleted scenes and more.[101][102] In Australia, seasons 1 to 4 were released by Umbrella Entertainment in 2010 and 2011. These DVDs are compatible with the region 4 code,[103] 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",[104] and the second, "Rated."[105] Each release has the same DVD extras, including an interview with Kevin Smith, bloopers and a Jay and Silent Bob Photo Album, except the Unrated release also features episode commentaries by Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Stacie Mistysyn, the associate producer Jim Jackman and writer Aaron Martin.[104]

Streaming

Degrassi: The Next Generation has been made available over various streaming platforms over the years. In the 2000s, episodes were made available to stream on CTV and TeenNick's websites in Canada and the United States respectively.[106][107] It was also made available on ITunes in North America.[108] In 2007, Puretracks in Canada offered episodes for download as a media file that could be only burned or copied three times.[109] In the US, Zune sold the full series.[110] Beginning on March 25, 2022, all 14 seasons will be available to stream on HBO Max.[111]

Complete Season DVD Release
Release Ep # Release dates Special Features
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
Canada United States
Season One 15 October 19, 2004 September 28, 2004 May 3, 2007

Degrassi Karaoke, Degrassi Photo Album, Character Descriptions, Cast Biographies, Deleted Scenes, Oops and Bloopers, Original Television Promos, and Audition Tapes.

Season Two 22 June 21, 2005 September 8, 2010

130+ Deleted/Extended Scenes and Bloopers, Cast Audition Tapes, Season 2 Second Call Back Tapes, "Poor Thing" Karaoke, Interactive Fan Quiz, Degrassi Yearbook, Snake and Spike's Wedding Album, Student and Adult Profiles, and Cast Biographies.

  • Note: Region 4 DVD Release Only Has 72 Deleted Scenes
Season Three 22 March 28, 2006 April 13, 2011

Audio Commentaries ("Accidents Will Happen" and "Pride"), Deleted Scenes, "Rock and Roll High School" Karaoke, Season 3 Interactive Quiz, CTV Degrassi Promo, Degrassi Yearbook, and Character and Cast Biographies.

Season Four 23 October 24, 2006 November 28, 2006 April 13, 2011

Audio Commentaries ("Time Stands Still" and "Secret"), Deleted Scenes, Blooper Reel, Original Cast Auditions, Season 4 Interactive Quiz, Character and Cast Biographies, Jay and Silent Bob Flipbook, Degrassi Yearbook, and PAX Gun Violence Prevention Public Service Announcements.

  • Note: Audio Commentary on "Secret" is only available on the United States release.
Season Five 19 July 3, 2007

Deleted Scenes, Blooper Reel, Original Cast Auditions, Interview with Cassie Steele, Character and Cast Biographies, Degrassi Yearbook, Simple Plan Music Video and Interview, and Trailers.

Season Six 19 May 27, 2008

Deleted Scenes, Bloopers, Original Auditions, Character and Cast Biographies, Degrassi Yearbook, and Trailers.

Season Seven 24 May 26, 2009 March 17, 2009

Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Photo Gallery, Webisodes, and "On The Set".

Season Eight 23 September 1, 2009

"Degrassi Goes Hollywood" The Movie, Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Podcasts, Webisodes, "On The Set" Webisodes, and "My Window" Music Video.

Season Nine 23 July 20, 2010

"Degrassi Takes Manhattan" The Movie, Bloopers, Deleted Scenes, Webisodes and Minis, and Music Videos.

Season Ten 44 October 18, 2011 September 13, 2011

Episode Commentaries ("My Body Is A Cage" and "Umbrella"), Music Videos, Bloopers, and Webisodes.

Season Eleven 45 December 3, 2013

Meet the New Kids, The Gallery Shoot, Set Tour, Parking Lot Tour, From Rehearsal to Shooting, Goodbyes, Behind the Scenes, Deleted Scenes, Bloopers, and Webisodes.

Season Twelve 40 October 29, 2013

Back to Degrassi, New Kids on the Block, Shooting the Opening Sequence, 300th Episode Celebration, A Day with the Ice Hounds, Goodbye Uniforms, Inside Fiona's Birthday Brawl, Say Cheese: Photoshoot with Demetrius, Vanessa and Justice, The Making of Romeo & Jules, Bloopers, The Inside Look and The Table Read – Bitter Sweet Symphony, Graduation Day, Prom Night, The One and Only – Dylan Everett, Eli's Short Film – LIFE, Eli's Short Film – NYU Portfolio, Video Yearbook, and Episode Commentary.

Season Thirteen 40 To Be Announced
Season Fourteen 28 To Be Announced

Impact and reception

Critical reception

Degrassi: The Next Generation has received generally positive reviews. Entertainment Weekly has called it "a cult hit", and The New York Times named it "Tha Best Teen TV N da WRLD (The best teen TV in the world)".[112][113] Of the first season, The Ottawa Citizen's Tony Atherton had mixed feelings of the new incarnation, saying it "has a cleaner, more polished look, has lost its edge [and offers] nothing 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".[114] 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 [as Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High]".[114]

Before its debut in the United States, The Seattle Times' 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".[115] 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 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.[116] She named the series one of "the [ten] most 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, Lost, the CSI franchise, and Sex and the City.[116]

In 2008, Jeffrey Bento-Carrier described one storyline that showed a teacher being accused of sexually assaulting one of his students as "shock[ing]", 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."[117] Brian Orloff of the St. Petersburg Times echoed the sentiments, and praised the series for "stay[ing] in touch with teens' lives".[118]

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.[113][119][120] 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,[121][122] and withheld other episodes from season three that showed a fourteen-year-old character having an abortion after having consensual sexual intercourse with her boyfriend, and feeling no regrets.[123] 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 and the London Free Press in Canada.[121][122][124] The episodes eventually aired three years later as part of an "every episode ever" marathon, with very little advertisement from the network.[125] 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 herself in an episode.[126]

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 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' endings that many teen dramas and sitcoms thrive on."[127] Kevin Thompson of The Palm Beach Post 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. ... it connects with teens on their level".[128] PopMatters'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.[129]

The San Jose Mercury News has said "If they [Everwood, The O.C., and One Tree Hill] want to be taken seriously, the shows could take a cue from Canadian drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, which ... addresses the same gritty teen issues without being far-fetched".[130] The New York Times has also made favourable reviews of the series in comparison to Everwood, The O.C., and One Tree Hill, as well as Beverly Hills, 90210, Gilmore Girls, Dawson's Creek, and adult series such as Sex and the City, Maude, and Six Feet Under.[131] AOL TV ranked it as the sixth TV's Biggest Guilty Pleasure.[132]

Television ratings

With characters from Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High appearing in Degrassi: The Next Generation, viewers of the earlier series who are in their 20s and 30s make up a dedicated fan base of the current incarnation. Approximately 40% of the series' viewers are outside of Degrassi: The Next Generation's 12- to 17-year-old target audience.[133] Degrassi: The Next Generation averaged 365,000 viewers aged 12–20 years old in season one, and became the most watched domestic drama in Canada.[134] By the end of season two, it had become the most popular Canadian show for the three youngest age groups (children aged 2–11, teenagers aged 12–17 and young adults aged 18–34).[135]

In the third season, Degrassi: The Next Generation was again the most-watched all-Canadian drama series, and the most watched Canadian drama among adults 18–49.[136] A season four episode that features a school shooting received 930,000 viewers; at that time it was the programme's highest-ever rating.[137] A second episode in the same season that features a storyline about oral sex also earned just under 1,000,000 viewers.[138] Overall, the season averaged 600,000 viewers, and was again the top Canadian drama for teens aged 12–17, and adults in three age brackets 18–34, 18–49 and 25–54.[137][138] It averaged 250,000 viewers in the US in 2004 and was the highest rated digital cable series in the US in 2006.[112] While that figure is still far lower than successful shows on the "big four" networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC), the premiere episodes of earlier seasons have achieved higher audience figures with females aged 12–34.[95] 2004 also saw the school-shooting episode receive more than half a million US viewers.[139] The fifth season drew in an average of 767,000 viewers,[15] with episode two of the season being watched by 1,000,000 viewers.[140]

Ratings began to decline halfway through the series' run. In Canada, season six was watched by fewer viewers than had watched season five;[15] episode fourteen was the highest-viewed episode of the season, with a total of 645,000 viewers.[141] The season finale was watched by 520,000 viewers, and the season overall averaged 522,000 viewers.[15] The average viewing figures fell again during the seventh season. The season premiere achieved the highest figures with 585,000 viewers.[142] This progressively dropped over the coming weeks, from 446,000 total viewers for the third episode,[143] to 407,000 total viewers for the fifth episode,[144] and continued to fall to a low of 314,000 viewers by the tenth episode.[145] Overall, the first twelve episodes of the season averaged 455,000 viewers, 45,000 less than the same number of episodes from the season six.[15]

Viewing figures continued to fall throughout season eight; Bill Brioux, the television columnist for The Canadian Press, was surprised that Degrassi: The Next Generation had even reached its eighth season with such poor ratings, asking "What other show in the history of Canadian or American television has so consistently drawn so few viewers yet gets renewed year after year?"[146] The season premiere was watched by 398,000 viewers,[146] almost 200,000 viewers fewer than what the premiere of season seven achieved. Viewing figures continued to drop when episodes two and six were both watched by an average of 220,000 viewers.[147][148] At the time they were the lowest figures Degrassi: The Next Generation has ever received;[147] however, they continued to fall and by episode eleven, overnight ratings indicated it had received 139,000 viewers.[149]

The overall number of viewers rose slightly for the thirteenth episode, the first of a two-parter, when it was watched by 157,000 people, but the viewing figures for the key 18–34 demographics was at a low of 81,000.[150] The following week, the episode that concluded the two-parter picked up viewers, reaching an estimated total of 206,000.[16] Brioux commented again about Degrassi: The Next Generation still being on the schedules, wondering when CTV was going to announce its cancellation and noting that The Amazing Race, which follows it in the scheduling, was watched by ten times the number of Degrassi's viewers.[16] That pattern was repeated the following week, when Degrassi: The Next Generation was watched by 222,000 viewers, compared to 1,834,000 viewers for The Amazing Race, 1,579,000 viewers for Desperate Housewives and 1,106,000 viewers for The Mentalist, which were broadcast by CTV later in the evening.[151]

CTV aired two episodes back-to-back in the first half of season nine, and the scheduling had improved ratings. The first two episodes earned a combined figure of 471,000 viewers,[152] and the third and fourth episodes retained them; they were watched by a combined 475,000 viewers.[153] The following week, the total viewing figures for episodes five and six had increased to 608,000,[154] and remained high as the season went into hiatus in November with 572,000 total viewers.[155]

Awards

Degrassi: The Next Generation has won over fifty awards, and has been nominated for many others. The Writers Guild of Canada has awarded its Canadian Screenwriting Awards to the writers of two episodes. In 2004, Aaron Martin, James Hurst and Shelley Scarrow won the "Best Youth Script Award" for "Pride".[156] The following year, the Scarrow-penned episode "Secret" vied with "Mercy Street", written by James Hurst and Miklos Perlus for the "Best Youth Script Award".[157] "Mercy Street" won.[158] The series has been nominated for fourteen Directors Guild of Canada Awards. In the "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Series – Children's" group category, the Bruce McDonald helmed "Mother and Child Reunion" (nominated 2002) and "When Doves Cry" (nominated 2003) were winners.[159][160]

"White Wedding", also directed by McDonald, won the award in 2003 for "Outstanding Achievement in Direction – Television Series".[160] McDonald's "Holiday" (nominated 2004), and Stefan Scaini's "Time Stands Still, part 2" (nominated 2005) won the group categories for "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Series – Family".[161] "Can't Hardly Wait" and "Pass the Dutchie" were also nominated in that category in 2007 and 2008, respectively, but failed to win the awards.[162][163] Stephen Withrow has picked up two awards in the "Outstanding Achievement in Picture Editing" category, for "Mother and Child Reunion" in 2002 and "When Doves Cry" in 2003.[159][160] Degrassi: The Next Generation has won seventeen Gemini Awards since 2002, and has been nominated in twenty-six other categories.[164] In 2010, producer Linda Schuyler received the Academy Achievement Award.[165]

Linda Schuyler and Jordan Todosey holding award at the 70th Annual Peabody Awards

Degrassi: The Next Generation has also seen awards success internationally. It was nominated for a "Best Children's Television Programme" Prix Jeunesse in Germany in 2004,[166] and has been nominated at the GLAAD Media Awards four times. In 2004, the show received a nomination in the Outstanding Drama Series category,[167] but lost to the sports drama Playmakers.[168] It was nominated in the same category again in 2008, but lost to Brothers & Sisters.[169][170] In 2005, Degrassi: The Next Generation won the Television Critics Association Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming." It was only the second time that a non-United States series has won an award in this category (the first time was Degrassi Junior High in 1988).[171]

The Young Artist Awards has been recognising actors in the Degrassi franchise since 1987. Degrassi: The Next Generation was nominated for four awards in its first year. Ryan Cooley and Jake Goldsbie were nominated in the "Best Leading Young Actor Performance in a TV Comedy Series" category, but lost to Frankie Muniz from Malcolm in the Middle. The series won the award for "Best Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama TV Series" category.[172] A year later, Jake Epstein won the Young Artist Award in the category for "Best Leading Young Actor Performance in a TV Comedy Series".[173] In 2005, Christina Schmidt tied with Alia Shawkat of Arrested Development to win the award for "Best Supporting Young Actress Performance in a TV Comedy Series",[174] and Jamie Johnston won the 2008 category for "Best Leading Young Actor Performance in a TV Series".[175] Young Artist Awards were awarded again in 2012, with both Cristine Prosperi and A.J. Saudin winning awards in the Lead Young Actress and Recurring Young Actor categories respectively. However, they both tied with another in their category.[176]

At the Teen Choice Awards, children aged between twelve and nineteen vote for each category's winner. The series has been nominated three times in the "Choice Summer TV Show" category, and has won twice, in 2005 and 2007.[177][178] The episode "My Body Is a Cage", where Adam was outed as transgender, earned a Peabody Award,[179] and a Creative Arts Emmy Award nomination in 2011.[180]

Notes

  1. ^ Ellis 2005, pp. 8–13 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFEllis2005 (help)
  2. ^ Ellis 2005, p. 12 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFEllis2005 (help)
  3. ^ a b "How It All Happened". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. Retrieved October 21, 2007.
  4. ^ Stohn, Stephen (March 11, 2003). "Shooting Season 3". Epitome Pictures. Archived from the original (Note: Requires registration) on July 29, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2008.
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  10. ^ Stohn, Stephen (May 23, 2003). "Shooting Season 3". Epitome Pictures. Archived from the original (Note: Requires registration) on July 29, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2008.
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  12. ^ Ellis 2005, p. 22 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFEllis2005 (help)
  13. ^ Ellis 2005, p. 179 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFEllis2005 (help)
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References