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73-556: Degrassi Junior High is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood . It is the second entry of the Degrassi television franchise after The Kids Of Degrassi Street and aired on the CBC from 18 January 1987 to 27 February 1989, and on PBS in the United States starting from September 1987. The series follows those who attend the titular fictional school and

146-487: A "diamond in the rough, that puts to shame commercial network efforts to create a show aimed at teenagers". Praise was also given to the show's technical aspects; Anne Weiss of Cinema Canada magazine noted that "the style is untheatrical, non-demonstrative, giving the illusion that the young actors are simply acting out their lives". Other critics, including Weiss, and Janice Kennedy of the Montreal Gazette , praised

219-471: A brief role in two episodes as a janitor. In 1976, Ontario schoolteacher Linda Schuyler, an aspiring filmmaker, and her partner Kit Hood, an editor, founded the company Playing With Time to produce educational films and documentaries. In 1979, they produced the short film, Ida Makes a Movie , based on the 1974 children's book by Kay Chorao , which aired on the CBC. The success of Ida Makes A Movie led to an annual string of short films that further explored

292-624: A choice between retaining their original characters, or auditioning for new characters. According to Kit Hood, the kids "wanted to leave behind the baggage, personalities and families of where they'd been" and decided to play new characters instead. Many of the actors who were regulars on Degrassi Street at this time, including Anais Granofsky , Neil Hope , and Stacie Mistysyn , returned in new roles. Auditions took place throughout schools in Toronto; an estimated 300 kids auditioned and fifty-four were selected. Pat Mastroianni , who played Joey Jeremiah ,

365-447: A circle, Schuyler and Hood sought extensive input from the actors. Many of the show's ideas were drawn from the actor's personal experiences, the writers' own teenage experiences, and "official idea sessions" with the actors. Yan Moore recalled in 2005: "In the old days, the kids would come to the office...and they'd tell us things." For instance, actor Siluck Saysanasy , who played Yick Yu, was forbidden to get an earring by his father, but

438-525: A cultural phenomenon, and turned its cast members into national celebrities, who drew a fanaticism likened to Beatlemania . They made numerous publicity trips around North America and in Europe to promote the show. They were accompanied by publicist Kathryn Ellis. When travelling by plane, one of the actors would be in charge of checking the others through the airport. They were warmly received in other places and participated in cultural activities. According to Ellis,

511-709: A drums, bass, guitar and keyboard arrangement. Songs by various Canadian recording artists, including Watson and Manne's own music, were used in the background of school dances and on radios. A frequent plot point in the series concerns the Zit Remedy , a fictional garage rock band comprising Joey Jeremiah on keyboards, Archie "Snake" Simpson on guitar, and Derek "Wheels" Wheeler on bass. Their respective actors, Pat Mastroianni, Stefan Brogren and Neil Hope, were musically inexperienced and were guided by Lewis Manne on how to play their instruments. They only have one song, titled "Everybody Wants Something". According to Kathryn Ellis,

584-567: A faulty boiler causes a fire that destroys the school building forces the characters to evacuate from their graduation dance. The series is not a sequel to The Kids Of Degrassi Street, despite sharing some of the actors from that series . Degrassi Junior High did not have a fixed cast. In his book TV North , Peter Kenter writes that no official cast listing appears to exist. The series consisted of members of Playing With Time's repertory company , which originally comprised fifty-four kids, and later sixty-five in total. According to Kathryn Ellis,

657-511: A full year, with some characters in Grade 7 and some in Grade 8, while season three takes place the following year, in which Grade 9, typically the start of high school in North America, is appended to the junior high school, which was in reality a creative decision to retain the entire cast. In season three, the grade 9 students attend a nearby high school, Borden High, part-time. In the final episode,

730-491: A low grade despite succeeding in other subjects; Rebecca Haines recalled her parents threatening to remove her from the show if her grades were low enough. Speaking to the Edmonton Journal , Haines stated: "Some teachers can be jerks about it. [...] When you get home at eight at night, after working all day, you don't feel like writing an essay". In 1989, UNICEF Canada entered a partnership with Degrassi Junior High , and

803-492: A makeup and wardrobe department. The cast would usually wear their own clothes and apply their own makeup, although the art department would tweak their appearances for continuity purposes. Neil Hope , who played Derek "Wheels" Wheeler, stated: "It's looking phony. [...] When you look more natural, its helping the show." Some of the clothing choices however were not of the actors; actress Nicole Stoffman did not dress like her sexually provocative character Stephanie Kaye . However,

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876-527: A million viewers per week; in her memoir, Schuyler stated that at the time, "a show in Canada (population of 27 million) was considered very successful if it broke through the one million mark". By season 2, Degrassi Junior High was receiving an average of 1.4 million viewers with a peak of 1.9 million. At the end of season 2 in April 1988, Toronto Star 's Jim Bawden reported that its viewership "hovered around 1.2 million

949-909: A series of mass-market paperback novelizations were released by James Lorimer & Co. The books would often centre on a particular character on the show and expanded upon storylines from the series, although the novel Exit Stage Left, which centres around various students as they organize a school play, is original. A thirteenth book, based on the characters Arthur Kobalewscuy and Yick Yu and written by Kathryn Ellis, remains unreleased. The books were also published in other places; in Australia, they were published by ABC in November 1990, with more published in January 1991. The books also saw French Canadian releases by Les Éditions de Minuit . The series has seen multiple home video releases as well as releases to streaming. In

1022-452: A substitute. This includes bands such as "Gourmet Scum", movies such as "Teen Academy IV" and "Swamp Sex Robots", game shows such as "Quest for the Best", and soap operas such as "Days Of Passion". Sex educator Sue Johanson played "Dr. Sally", who hosts a radio talk show similar to Johanson's Sunday Night Sex Show . In an unconventional practice for television, Degrassi Junior High did not have

1095-555: A successful 1999 televised cast reunion. In spite of seldom mainstream acknowledgement, Degrassi Junior High is credited with being the progenitor of the teen drama and a major influence on series such as Beverly Hills, 90210 , and continues to be highly regarded. In 2017, the Toronto International Film Festival named it one of Canada's most significant contributions to the cinematic landscape. [REDACTED] Degrassi Junior High follows those who attend

1168-432: A supporter of the show, to primetime at 8:30   p.m, between the popular American series Kate & Allie and Newhart . Fecan viewed Degrassi Junior High as a standard for Canadian television writers; in 1988, he stated that there was "nothing bogus about that show", and that he wished that he had "20 more shows like it". When Fecan called Schuyler to inform her of the move, she reportedly disagreed, feeling that

1241-555: A teacher was gay. Although these episodes were later included on the youth program DEF II on BBC2 , the second and third seasons were never broadcast. The series concluded its BBC run on 10 May 1988, with re-runs of the aired episodes from the first season continuing into 1989. In Australia, the show debuted on ABC TV on 8 February 1988, as part of The Afternoon Show hosted by James Valentine , where it aired at 5:00   p.m. The series finale aired in Australia on 10 October 1989. In France, Junior High and High were aired under

1314-530: A theme she returns to in The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen . Her books often describe the effect of broken families on children. Nielsen's 2015 book, We Are All Made of Molecules , about two step siblings trying to form a bond with each other, was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award . Nielsen's books have been translated into Dutch, French, Portuguese, Italian, German and Polish (In

1387-463: A week, one of the brightest spots on Canadian TV". The season 3 premiere drew 1.7 million viewers, which accounted for 21 percent of the entire audience during that slot. In the United Kingdom, where several episodes drew controversy and weren't aired in its regular slot, the series amassed six million viewers, making it the highest-rated children's program at the time. In Canada, the series became

1460-498: Is not black and white, but shades of gray, that it’s full of choices and that growing up means making those choices and finding that there are no easy answers to eternal questions. Steve Sonsky, Miami Herald , 3 Oct 1987. Degrassi Junior High was immediately acclaimed by most critics upon release. Favourable reviews regularly came from the Toronto Star , the Globe and Mail ,

1533-416: Is shortened to The Zits. Degrassi Between Takes is a half-hour documentary special that aired on 30 October 1989, a week before the premiere of the sequel series Degrassi High , on CBC. The documentary is a behind-the-scenes look at Degrassi Junior High , shot during the show's third season and narrated by Peter Gzowski . The special focuses on the development and impact of the series, with footage of

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1606-539: Is smiling right at me". It concludes with the lyrics "Everybody can succeed, all you need is to believe/Be honest with yourself, forget your fears and doubts/Come on give us a try at Degrassi Junior High!". Anne Weiss of Cinema Canada magazine described the theme song as having a "chirpy, almost inane melody". Shamus Kelley of Den of Geek called it "inspirational", opining: "It’s where the song shifts from talking about what’s going to happen at Degrassi and focuses on you . Come on, you can do it. This show will give you all

1679-544: The Ottawa Citizen , and the Montreal Gazette . After its move to prime time, critics felt it had been well deserved. Initially, one dissenting critic was Jim Bawden of the Toronto Star . A fan of The Kids of Degrassi Street , Bawden was largely negative in his review of the premiere episode, stating that it didn't "seem as naturalistic" as The Kids of Degrassi Street , criticising the "cutesy sitcom lines" and calling

1752-579: The Degrassi Junior High Discussion and Activity Guide were distributed to educators. In 1989, ten schools in Omaha, Nebraska were reported as using the first season of the series in their seventh and eighth grade human growth and development curriculum. Degrassi Junior High won thirty-seven awards, including eight Gemini Awards , three Parents' Choice Awards , three Chris Awards , and one International Emmy Award . The episode "It's Late" won

1825-512: The Noggin block The N with a two-hour block, followed by standard re-runs. In Australia, re-runs aired starting on ABC from 1992. It later re-ran on ABC1 's Rollercoaster and ABC2 . By 2001, it had been syndicated in over seventy countries. In the United Kingdom, UK Gold screened Degrassi Junior High daily starting from its launch in 1992. Later in the mid-1990s, Degrassi Junior High later reran on The Children's Channel . Starting from 1988,

1898-467: The Toronto Star that they were "planning another series, Degrassi Junior High , and we're starting with the idea of doing 26 episodes. There's no such school, but who cares? We're negotiating seriously with CBC." In November 1985, she again told the Toronto Star that they would "launch a new series in about one year – Degrassi Junior High. The very last segment [of the series] shows the kids graduating. Where are they going? Degrassi Junior High!". The show

1971-1025: The Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People . Nielsen was raised in London and Chatham-Kent , Ontario. She is married to Goran Fernlund and has one child: Oskar. Nielsen began her writing career with the Degrassi franchise , writing scripts for the television shows as well as books for the series. Nielsen also played Louella Hawkins the Janitor in Degrassi Junior High. Following her work with Degrassi , Nielsen wrote for many other Canadian television series such as Heartland , What About Mimi? , and Braceface . While working on these shows she produced three children's picture books: Hank and Fergus , Mormor Moves In , and The Magic Beads . Her first independent novel, Word Nerd , deals with bullying,

2044-472: The "outrageously-coiffed" hair of character Christine "Spike" Nelson , was the real hair of actress Amanda Stepto , who was an avid fan of punk rock music. The "documentary-style" opening sequence follows the show's 30–60-second cold open. The sequence begins with a stop-motion live-action scene of a person picking up a group of textbooks, labeled "History", "Geography", "Math" and "English", and walking away. It mostly consists of scenes from various episodes of

2117-448: The 1989 Degrassi Between Takes documentary, printable materials, wallpapers, and a pop quiz. In Region 4, the show's home media releases are distributed by Beyond Home Entertainment (under the imprint Force), who released a seven-disc set in 2006, including an extra disc containing special features. The special features are similar to the Region 1 box set, omitting the pop quiz. The series

2190-582: The Degrassi Grocery and the Broadview Community Health Clinic featured in the episode " It's Late " no longer exist. Earl Grey Senior Public School in Toronto, where Linda Schuyler was a teacher, served as the setting for Borden High School, where the grade nine students of season 3 attend part-time. The writers deliberately avoided real-world pop culture references in an effort to avoid dating the show, and instead created fictional media as

2263-602: The International Emmy Award for Children & Young People in 1987, and the series was nominated again for the award in 1988 for the second season episode "Great Expectations". The series won a Rockie Award for Best Continuing Series at the Banff Television Festival in 1988, where it drew praise from MTM Enterprises senior vice president and judge Laurence Bloustein, and marked the first time it had won an award outside of children's categories. However, at

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2336-728: The Polish language, not all of them have been translated). Nielsen's 2021 book, Tremendous Things , was nominated for the 2022 Ontario Library Association 's Red Maple Award for Fiction. In 2019, Nielsen was honored with the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People , which honors writers and illustrators whose body of work has been "inspirational to Canadian youth." Two of Nielsen's books are Junior Library Guild selections: No Fixed Address (2018) and Tremendous Things (2021). In 2015, The Globe and Mail , Kirkus Reviews , Quill & Quire , and The Telegraph included We Are All Made of Molecules on their list of

2409-455: The United States, the series is distributed on home video by WGBH Boston Home Video , who released a twenty-one volume VHS boxset in 2000. WGBH would later release it on DVD in Region 1 in 2005. Each season was released separately followed by a complete 9-disc boxset. The 2005 WGBH box set, as well as the individual sets, include various special features, including the Degrassi Talks series,

2482-507: The actors, and in particular the portrayal of the "pain and awkwardness of the early teen years", the latter of which he believed to be its best quality. Steve Sonsky of the Miami Herald praised the portrayal of its characters, and felt that it differentiated the series from others with teenage characters that were less realistically problematic. By 1988, Degrassi Junior High was the highest-rated drama show in Canada. It frequently exceeded

2555-401: The banner Les Années collège (The College Years) on Antenne 2 starting from 10 September 1988. In Canada, the series re-ran on CBC starting from summer 1991. On 1 September 1997, the show began to air in re-runs on Showcase . In the United States, the series was rerun on Showtime starting from 14 August 1994, in its original 1987 CBC timeslot. Starting from 8 October 2005, it debuted on

2628-495: The cast at the Gemini Awards, working on set, socializing in public and on publicity tours. The series premiered on CBC on 18 January 1987 and concluded after three seasons and 42 episodes on 27 February 1989. It originally ran on Sundays at 5:00   p.m. Starting from its second season, due to a budget squeeze, it was then moved to Monday nights at 7:30   p.m, and then later by then-new CBC programming chief Ivan Fecan ,

2701-472: The cast members frequently visited Halifax . Cast members also participated in local public service events; for instance, Bill Parrott, who played Shane McKay, co-hosted the launch of the Kids Help Phone hotline in Toronto. They also participated in meet-and-greets and book signings. Some actors from the series were frequently conflated with their characters. Amanda Stepto, who played teenage mother Spike,

2774-443: The characters in and around the school, juxtaposed with images of students with blackboard-esque transitions. The opening sequence does not credit the cast members. Kelley criticised this: "The opening needs to be a little cheat sheet to all of them. Give us a little clue to their personality. Here we’ve just got some random smiling and a set of twins that are ALWAYS in the same shot together." Wendy Watson and Lewis Manne, composers of

2847-706: The entire cast were made UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors . The cast members would make various appearances and appear in several public service announcements . Pat Mastroianni and Amanda Stepto flew to New York City to tour the Headquarters of the United Nations and meet other ambassadors. That same year, coinciding with the declaration of the Convention on the Rights of the Child , a ten-minute video called The Degrassi Kids Rap On Rights

2920-477: The fact that you can take a 25-year-old who looks 15 and have them play a role, but that actor is bringing 10 more years of life experience to that role. By having our cast be age-appropriate, they bring the freshness and the authenticity of that age." During the development stage, Schuyler and Hood held a "pow-wow" with the cast of The Kids of Degrassi Street at the Playing With Time offices and offered them

2993-436: The issues they face. Produced by Schuyler and Hood's Playing With Time , development of the series began soon after the end of The Kids Of Degrassi Street , in response to a perceived lack of teenage representation in media. Its cast mainly consisted of amateurs who were similar in age to the characters they played, a deliberate response to the trend of young adults being cast in teenage roles. The actors had extensive input in

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3066-551: The location for the school in The Kids of Degrassi Street , that served as a background double; this was done to make it seem like that neighbourhood was near the school, when in reality it was not. Various real life stores and other locations are shown and mentioned in the series, such as the Shoppers Drug Mart location on the corner of Queen & Carlaw streets, where various characters are seen shopping. Other locations, such as

3139-467: The moral dilemmas characters faced, often pitting 'what’s right' against 'what works'". Development of Degrassi Junior High commenced in early 1986. Degrassi Junior High is noted for casting actors similar in age to their characters, as opposed to the practice of casting young adults in teenage roles commonly observed in media. Brodie Lancaster of the Sydney Morning Herald stated that this

3212-419: The music to The Kids Of Degrassi Street , composed, arranged and performed all of the original music for Degrassi Junior High , including its theme song, which was sung by Watson. The theme is composed in C major and is driven by synthesizers and guitars. It begins with a pessimistic tone, with the narrator feeling uncertain about going to school. The lyrics turn optimistic as the narrator notices "that someone

3285-584: The next festival, an episode about AIDS was unanimously rejected for being "sloppily executed". Linda Schuyler Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.151 via cp1112 cp1112, Varnish XID 393118237 Upstream caches: cp1112 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 05:38:59 GMT Susin Nielsen In 2019, she received

3358-489: The plotline of the episode "forced and unreal". In later reviews, Bawden changed his assessment, and his later support for it was credited with influencing its move to prime-time. Critics commonly viewed it as a superior alternative to other television programs, particularly American shows, that were more heavy-handed and moralistic in their portrayals of adolescent issues. Robert James of the Times Colonist stated: "Unlike

3431-427: The repertory company. The actors were required to avoid missing more than eight days of their real school, but those with prominent roles usually missed three to four days a week. A tutor was used on set to help the actors with their studies. On set, the teenage actors would also usually run errands, including washing dishes and moving sandbags. Following the first read-through of the script, which would take place in

3504-462: The same continuity. These short films were the basis for the children's series The Kids of Degrassi Street . The series was a critical success on the CBC and won numerous accolades; the episode "Griff Makes A Date" won International Emmy Award in 1985. The production team also featured editor Yan Moore , who became the head writer of the next series, as well as the co-creator of Degrassi: The Next Generation . In January 1984, Linda Schuyler told

3577-511: The school were arranged to create an "illusion" of corridors. Principal photography of the series usually took place from April to December. The series was filmed entirely on-location throughout the Greater Toronto Area . Places seen on the series include Queen-Broadview Village , which contained the real De Grassi Street as well as a building similar to that of Vincent Massey's, Dundas Street Junior School, which coincidentally served as

3650-535: The series had a "double mandate to entertain and educate", and each episode was intended as a conversation starter. The series is set entirely from a teenage perspective. Additionally, adults have a small role in the series, usually never being present in a scene without a teenage character present, and the characters are portrayed navigating their own problems and making their own decisions, for better or for worse, with minimal adult intervention: "We're not looking for Father Knows Best ." The first two seasons encompass

3723-471: The series wasn't ready for prime time. She eventually agreed to the decision, under the condition that if the move was unsuccessful, the series wouldn't be cancelled and instead be moved back to its original timeslot. Following its move to prime time, the viewership increased 40 percent. In the United States, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) debuted the series on 26 September 1987. On PBS,

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3796-494: The show aired on Saturdays at 7:00   p.m. In New York City, the series aired on Tuesdays at 6:00   p.m. on WNET starting from 22 September 1987. On PBS, the first two seasons were combined into one 26-episode season. The third season, which was aired as the second season in the United States, premiered on 10 December 1988 and ended on 15 April 1989. The program was distributed through PBS member station WGBH-TV in Boston , who

3869-585: The show began on 8 July 1986 in Etobicoke , Ontario. and finished in December 1988. The actors would routinely gather at the Playing With Time production office and be taken via a minivan to the set, where shooting would take place from 9:00   a.m to 6:30   p.m. The school used for the show was the Vincent Massey Public School (then known as Daisy Avenue Public School) in Etobicoke , Ontario. At

3942-440: The show's cinematography. Kennedy praised the decision to shoot on film rather than video tape, stating that it gave it "a smoother, more finished look". Weiss praised the show's "active use of the camera", which she felt "breathes life into otherwise ordinary situations". Kennedy praised the dialogue and called it another strong suit of the show. Although more of a low-key affair in the United States, reception from American critics

4015-454: The song was written by a nephew of Watson and Manne on the back of a school permission letter, and sent to them. However, Mastroianni has claimed that he, Brogren, and Hope wrote the song. In the novel Exit Stage Left , the Zit Remedy have a second song, titled "I Don't Want To Be A Porcupine With Anyone Else But You, Baby". Stories around the group continue in Degrassi High , where their name

4088-411: The strengths of the actors, and those who did exceptionally well would have their roles expanded upon. The idea of the repertory company meant that there was no bias towards a particular set of actors on screen; major characters could be background extras in one episode, as minor characters could get a major role or focus, a practice rare in television. The actors would also earn school credits for being in

4161-400: The time, the ground floor was being used as a Seventh-day Adventist school. As a result, the majority of the series was shot on the second floor, with the ground floor only used occasionally. One of the rooms, which was used as a library, served as a green room . The principal's office, in which kids are seen entering and leaving, was actually a door that opened to a blank wall. The lockers in

4234-408: The titular fictional school, located in an unnamed North American town. The series deals with a wide range of subjects through its characters, including serious issues such as teenage pregnancy, abuse, bullying, racism, interracial dating, drugs, alcoholism, drunk driving, and eating disorders, as well as more mundane coming-of-age experiences, such as relationships, exams, and puberty. Schuyler stated

4307-420: The tools you need. Come on; sit down with us for half an hour so we can show you why getting pregnant in middle school is a SUPER drag. For a show that’s all about slice of life and dealing with big problems, it’s perfect." An instrumental variation of the opening theme is used in the end credits, and it was later reworked for Degrassi High . Watson and Manne recorded the show's incidental and diegetic music using

4380-636: The unique casting system of Degrassi Junior High was so that every member of the repertory company had "equal status", although some characters were more prominent than others. Unlike the trend of casting young adults to play teenagers , Degrassi Junior High cast real age-appropriate actors who largely lacked acting experience. Because of its non-union status, none of the actors were members of unions. Crew members occasionally made background appearances, including art director Judy Shiner, picture editor Rob de Lint, and publicist Kathryn Ellis. Writer Susin Nielsen had

4453-466: The wholesome role models that populate most TV series in the increasingly conservative '80s, these teenagers often learn from their own mistakes." Writing for the Edmonton Journal , Bob Remington felt Degrassi Junior High was an exception to "unrealistically antiseptic" television series such as The Cosby Show and Our House . Dave Rhein, in a review for wire service Gannett , declared it to be

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4526-453: The writing process, and plots were often drawn from their real lives. It was filmed entirely on-location in Toronto , with then Daisy Avenue Public School in Etobicoke used as the school. The series received widespread critical acclaim on release, with praise directed at its realism, cinematography, and portrayal of serious topics, but became a significant commercial success in Canada after it

4599-413: Was "remolding the pat-a-cake image of what the industry, with at least some sense of paradox, likes to call ''children's television.'" Writing for New Jersey's The Record , Joel Pitsezner remarked that he was so impressed with the series that he skipped two press conferences to watch more episodes, citing in particular the "intelligent and sensitive writing" of Yan Moore, the "believable interplay" between

4672-454: Was a "rare occurrence in the genre" of teen drama. Schuyler has spoken of the inauthenticity of this practice on multiple occasions; during Degrassi Junior High 's development in 1986, she told the Toronto Star about how "so much of the American stuff set in high schools is played by late teens and early 20s – and then some". In 2016, she further elaborated to IndieWire : "I like to talk about

4745-605: Was a primary financial backer of the show. Due to PBS's lack of commercials, the American version featured more scenes than the original Canadian version. By November 1988, Degrassi Junior High was being shown in over forty countries, including Australia, Greece , China, France, and the United Kingdom, where it was screened on the BBC starting from 5 April 1988. In the UK, several episodes were not broadcast in their regular timeslot, including "It's Late" and "Rumour Has It", which involved rumours that

4818-437: Was also made available on YouTube. In July 2023, Degrassi Junior High was made available on Amazon Prime Video in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. 11 October 2016 I’ve watched four episodes, and though they vary in quality and texture from knock-you-over-the-head-bluntness to subtle sensitivity, they’re always earnest and well-intentioned. Best perhaps, they avoid being glib, reflexive and simplistic. They show life

4891-553: Was distributed to schools nationwide. The video, narrated by Amanda Stepto, focused on the impending ratification of the Convention and highlighted the childhood experiences of several cast members in refugee camps and natural disasters. The series was often shown in schools as part of health and sex education curricula. Educational materials relating to the series were released by WGBH in the United States during its original run, including discussion & activity guides. 25,000 copies of

4964-415: Was moved to a prime-time spot, while it also developed cult followings in the United States and Australia. In its home country, it won eight Gemini Awards , including four in a single year. A sequel series, Degrassi High (1989–1991), continued to follow its characters into high school, and the franchise's revival and continuation with Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2015) was brought into motion by

5037-401: Was not a direct sequel, but instead a spinoff of the previous series. To help with the development, Schuyler hired a young writer named Avrum Jacobson. Schuyler explained to Jacobson that she was looking for a school version of Hill Street Blues , of which she "loved the intertwined storylines, some of which were resolved at the end of an episode and others which carried on to the next. I loved

5110-492: Was often sent baby products by fans who genuinely believed that she was pregnant. Kit Hood stated in Degrassi Between Takes of his concern that "the audience sometimes expects the kids to have knowledge about their characters that they don't have in real life". Despite their international fame, many of the actors' teachers and parents were not perturbed by this. Pat Mastroianni recalled that his geography teacher gave him

5183-436: Was only allowed if he got one for the show; writer Yan Moore would write an earring into the script for Saysanasy. Amanda Stepto often experienced unwanted attention for her spiked hair, which was incorporated into an episode of the series. A typical episode would take two weeks to rehearse and two weeks to film. Each episode cost approximately $ 250,000 to $ 350,000 to produce; the first season cost $ 2.6 million. Filming for

5256-536: Was similarly positive. Speaking of the show's upcoming premiere on PBS, Fred M. Hechinger of the New York Times pondered whether the show's then-uncommon way of addressing adolescent issues would have an impact; "Can teen-agers be won over to entertainment that is not mindless, violent or sexually irresponsible?". In 1989, the series was profiled by John Fisher Burns , also of the New York Times , who asserted it

5329-570: Was the first to audition. These actors constituted the Playing With Time Repertory Company (referred to by Kathryn Ellis as "the Repco"). The actors underwent a three-week acting workshop from 26 May to 13 June 1986, which taught them basic acting techniques. These workshops were repeated annually before the filming of each season, as new actors joined, and established actors took advanced workshops. Characters would be developed based on

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