Degrassi
| Fandom | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Degrassi |
| Abbreviation(s): | |
| Creator: | Linda Schuyler |
| Date(s): | September 12, 1979 – January 5, 1986 (Kids), 18 January 1987 – 6 March 1989 (Junior), November 6, 1989 – January 28, 1991 (High), October 14, 2001 – August 2, 2015 (TNG), January 2016 (NC) |
| Medium: | live-action television series |
| Country of Origin: | Canada |
| External Links: | Wikipedia |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Degrassi is a Canadian drama franchise that followed the lives of the teenagers. Initially a series of short films centered around the eponymous De Grassi Street, a real street in Toronto, the series later expanded to cover students attending a middle school named Degrassi in Degrassi Junior High in 1987, which became one of the most popular and highly rated TV shows in Canada. This success was followed by Degrassi High in 1989, which culminated in the 1992 movie School's Out that was set post-graduation. It contained the first use of the word "fuck" on Canadian television.[1]
The series was then rebooted with Degrassi: The Next Generation, which ran for nine seasons before being saved from cancellation by a deal with TeenNick. Shortening the title to simply Degrassi, the show ran for another five seasons before ending in 2015. This show is notable for launching the careers of many Canadian stars, such as the rapper Drake and The Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev. It was followed up by the short lived Degrassi: Next Class and a newly announced reboot to air on HBO Max, Degrassi.
History
A beloved franchise in Canada, Degrassi is centered around the struggles of teenagers and has huge cultural impact. It's well-known for realistic depictions of teen drama portrayed in a more sincere manner than other contemporary shows in the genre like Saved by the Bell and Beverly Hills, 90210. The shows in the franchise are also known for their commitment to age-appropriate casting. All of the teenagers in the show are played by actual teenagers, instead of young adults in a "Dawson cast" manner.
The series also has a long history of LGBT+ inclusivity even before many shows included queer characters. Degrassi's long queer history includes characters like Paige Michalchuk, a bisexual cheerleader whose brother was openly gay, and Adam Torres, the only regular or reoccurring transgender character on scripted television when he was on the show.[2] Next Class also included queer Muslim character Rasha Zuabi and genderqueer character Yael Baron, who were also some of the only representation of their type on television. This constant inclusion stemmed from creator Linda Schuyler's friendship with Bruce Mackey, a gay man who was closeted in the 80s when the show was initially starting out.
It made me so sad to see somebody who had to live duplicitously like that, that it kind of has been right from the very beginning of this show, it’s been a very important mandate for me.[3]
Because it's known for depicting issues teenagers might deal with, Degrassi also has a long history of frankly depiction women's reproductive rights from the very beginning, with several episodes being censored or not aired due to their depiction of abortion as a valid option for dealing with unwanted pregnancies.[4][5] It also deals with issues like drug addiction and rape, with one of the most famous storylines being the school shooting storyline centered around Drake's character, Jimmy Brooks. This resulted in the character being confined to a wheelchair for most of the remainder of his time on the show, which is a typical example of the way problems in Degrassi often resulted in actual consequences or obstacles for the characters rather than being wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end of an episode.
The franchise is highly interconnected, with Degrassi High being a direct continuation of Degrassi Junior High and the premise of The Next Generation being that Emma Nelson, daughter of Spike Nelson from the previous series, is about to enter junior high. Despite the show being an ensemble, Emma is generally considered to be the protagonist of the show until season 6, when the show begins to gear up for the original cast to graduate high school. Some of the characters from these early seasons then show up in an episode of Next Class, which is a direct continuation of the last season of The Next Generation (then called simply Degrassi) making all four shows directly confirmed to take place within the same timeline. The only show considered to be part of the Degrassi franchise that isn't part of this timeline is The Kids of Degrassi Street, the precursor to Degrassi Junior High which featured many of the actors who would appear in later installments of the franchise.
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References
- ^ Snake and Degrassi alumni reunite to celebrate 30th anniversary at Toronto ComiCon. Posted 17 Mar 2017. Accessed 13 Sept 2022.
- ^ Where We Are On TV 2012-2013 Season. Accessed 13 Sept 2022.
- ^ The queer legacy of “Degrassi: Next Class”. Posted 13 Sept 2017. Accessed 13 Sept 2022.
- ^ Anger at PBS much ado about a minor point. Posted 6 Nov 1989. Accessed 13 Sept 2022.
- ^ Accidents Will Always Happen. Accessed 13 Sept 2022.