Degrassi's Back!

October 6, 2001 3:07 PM

Degrassi's Back! For the Canadian's out there, I'm sure I don't have to remind you about those classic CanCon series' The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and Degrassi High. (Any Canadian between 15-35 grew up on at least one of these) Well starting October 14th, we can all grow up again with a new gang of kids on Degrassi: The Next Generation! Who will be the next Joey Jeremiah?
posted by paultron (22 comments total)

Just as long as Caitlin returns somehow. mmmROWRrrr.
posted by RakDaddy at 3:11 PM on October 6, 2001

Wow. I remember watching episodes late at night following Dr. Who on the St. Louis PBS affiliate here in the states. Leave to the CBC to inexplicably bring a teen/tween oriented soap opera back from the dead. I mean, it's almost like a USA network.
posted by shagoth at 3:50 PM on October 6, 2001

Did you know that Degrassi was the basis for Fox's Beverly Hills 90210? No fool'n - Aaron Spelling entertained the idea of buying the rights to the show for the then fledgling Fox Network. The Canadian production company, Playing With Time had a few meetings with him before saying no thanks. Spelling went on to produce 90210 – a show that became a monument to cheesy drama. Degrassi was an awesome series. Like many in the US I saw it after schools on my local PBS station – starting of course with Degrassi Jr. High and then later the Degrassi High series. The show tackled hard issues like teen pregnancy, drugs, suicide, and homosexuality – all in a very realistic fashion. The characters, direction and writing were all rock solid! To this day I can’t help but gush about how awesome Degrassi was when I was a kid. There’s lots of info about Degrassi out there – check out the very comprehensive unofficial site.
posted by wfrgms at 4:20 PM on October 6, 2001

When is the Zits Remedy reunion tour?
posted by gluechunk at 4:46 PM on October 6, 2001

Far and away, my favorite thing to come from Canada.
posted by jbelshaw at 5:10 PM on October 6, 2001

Don't forget the other great export from Canada - You Can't Do That on Television!
posted by wfrgms at 5:23 PM on October 6, 2001

From Chasing Amy:

Holden: So, uh, what do you wanna do tonight?
Banky: Mmm, get a pizza, watch "Degrassi Jr. High."
Holden: You got a weird thing for Canadian melodrama.
Banky: I got a weird thing for girls who say "aboot."

And let's not forget that YCDTOTV spawned Alanis Morrisette's career. Sigh.
posted by youthbc1 at 6:08 PM on October 6, 2001

Um. . . hello. . . Kids in the Hall?
posted by UrbanFigaro at 6:12 PM on October 6, 2001

I still watch the re-runs of the original on Trio....although I watched in on CBC when it originally aired (the advantages of living in a border town).

Rather than a new version, they should follow-up on the old storylines....what happened to Spike and her baby? Caitlin and her epilepsy? Wheels and his search for a real name?
posted by Oriole Adams at 6:53 PM on October 6, 2001

From the looks of the website, they will be following up on at least one old story line. Spike's "baby" (now 12 years old) is going to be one of the stars of the new show.
posted by sanitycheck at 6:59 PM on October 6, 2001

wake-up-in-the-morning
feelin-tired-and-sleepy
gee i gotta go to school
don't-think-i-can-make-it
don't-think-i-can take-it
i wonder what i'm gonna do
but then i look around and seeeee-eee
that someone is smiling back at meeee-eee
line i never knew the words to
hey i gotta new friend

i'm in australia and we all grew up on degrassi too, it wee's all over 90210 can't wait to see if the new show is as raw or if it'll be slicker and softer (i hope not)
posted by Loula at 7:00 PM on October 6, 2001

Also, Snake is now a teacher at Degrassi Community School.
I really have high hopes for this... It has to be good, they don't just have tweens/teens watching this... All the old-school audiences will be watching too.
posted by paultron at 7:31 PM on October 6, 2001

Loula, I could be horribly wrong, but I always thought the missing line was "That someone's talking to me". As for the Zit Remedy, I still find myself humming "Everybody Wants Something" now and again.. catchy stuff.
posted by jess at 7:49 PM on October 6, 2001

Certain aspects of the show will also be updated...a part of me almost expects a reproduction of 80s fashion and hairstyles, in a subconscious way. I heard about this show about a year ago through various weird connections, and they're apparently modeling a part of the school after a program called "CyberARTS" from my high school. I personally want to see whether that actually happened, and if it did, how cheesy it will be.
posted by margaretlam at 7:59 PM on October 6, 2001

Well I'm over in the U.S. (oregon, to be exact) and the teachers at my middle school used to show degrassi videos to us. Supposedly, there was some kind of wholesome message there; one memory I have is of them going to a strip club. Anyway, that's what I know about the show.
posted by Yelling At Nothing at 8:35 PM on October 6, 2001

rakdaddy, from the info that's out there thus far, it sounds like the Caitlin character will certainly be in the first episode but not in the later ones. But the bad part? "When Caitlin (Stacie Mistysyn) returns, she has a boyfriend who's an aspiring director from the West Coast. It's a cameo part played by Kevin [Smith]." I'm sure Kevin is glad that Claude shot himself.
posted by gluechunk at 9:29 PM on October 6, 2001

I never saw Degrassi, but my friend Joel interviewed Jeremiah from the show, and went to Canada to go to his bachelor party, which Joel wrote about here. I guess they're also supposed to be making a follow up movie.
posted by drezdn at 10:22 PM on October 6, 2001

oh man, snake, degrassi feels like a nice warm dream now. I discovered it on my local pbs and then it was gone, I loved every minute.
posted by chrismc at 11:28 PM on October 6, 2001

"All the way with stephanie kay!"

Stephanie Kay worked as a bartender at a club called 'Bbehind The 8 Ball' at Queen St. and Augusta? (between Spadina and Bathurst).

This was a couple of years ago. I used to see 'Wheels' every once in a while as well.

Oh, and I could never stand Joey. :)

Thanks for this thread, lot's of fun memories!
posted by the_ill_gino at 1:18 AM on October 7, 2001

thanks jess! everyone at my work has been wondering around doing the big high pitched "WAIT" before the line we now know thanks to you "that someones talking to me"

i've also been informed that the second line i've been singing is wrong too.. it's "feelin-shy-and-lonely" if anyone cares :)
posted by Loula at 3:13 AM on October 7, 2001

Too weird. Even though I haven't thought of DJH in years, I found myself wondering about it the other day for no apparent reason. and now this. I do the same thing with specific episodes of the simpsons, too. I wonder if I could start a 1-900 number...
posted by Hackworth at 5:20 PM on October 7, 2001

Oh, this is one of my most-missed shows. I used to watch this on our PBS affiliate in Chicago. Does anyone know if there are plans for this new version to be shown in the States?

I always had a huge crush on Joey Jeremiah. : )
posted by SisterHavana at 10:54 PM on October 7, 2001