Degrassi High
Degrassi High | |
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Teen drama | |
Created by | |
Starring | See list of episodes) |
Production | |
Running time | 30 minutes (including commercials) |
Production company | Playing With Time, Inc. |
Original release | |
Network |
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Release | November 6, 1989 February 18, 1991 | –
Related | |
Degrassi High is a Canadian television series created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood. The third entry in the Degrassi teen drama franchise and the direct continuation of Degrassi Junior High, it aired on the CBC for two seasons from November 6, 1989 to February 28, 1991[1] and on PBS in the United States starting from January 13, 1990. Like its predecessor, it was a non-union show produced by Playing With Time with involvement from WGBH.
Set in Toronto, it follows the lives of those who attend the fictional namesake school. As a continuation of Degrassi Junior High, the cast of the previous series reprise their roles, with the addition of several new characters. It addresses a variety of topics, ranging from mundane coming-of-age dilemmas to serious and controversial topics such as abortion, cancer, suicide and HIV/AIDS. It was filmed at the Story Arts Centre of Toronto's Centennial College, while scenes outside the school were shot around the Greater Toronto Area.
Like its predecessor, Degrassi High was met with critical acclaim for its portrayal of teenage life and social issues, with particular praise afforded to the series premiere, "
The end of Degrassi High and its parent franchise at the time was attributed to several factors, including Kit Hood's exhaustion and disillusionment with television work, the loss of WGBH as a financial backer, its actors pursuing post-secondary education and careers, and both Hood and Schuyler's desire to end the series before it became stale and predictable. The series officially ended with the television movie School's Out (1992). With the exception of the documentary series Degrassi Talks, which was broadcast a month after School's Out, it was the final mainline Degrassi series until the franchise was revived with Degrassi: The Next Generation in 2001.
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Main series
Television movies
Other series
Episodes
Characters
Novelizations
Creative personnel
Related
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Cast
As a continuation of Degrassi Junior High, the series does not feature a definitive cast billing. Many principal, recurring, and minor cast members of the previous series reprise their roles, including:
- Pat Mastroianni as Joey Jeremiah
- Stacie Mistysyn as Caitlin Ryan
- Christine "Spike" Nelson
- Stefan Brogren as Archie "Snake" Simpson
- Derek "Wheels" Wheeler
- Anais Granofsky as Lucy Fernandez
- Angela and Maureen Deiseach as Erica and Heather Farrell
- Duncan Waugh as Arthur Kobalewscuy
- Siluck Saysanasy as Yick Yu
- Rebecca Haines-Saah as Kathleen Mead
- Sara Ballingall as Melanie Brodie
- Cathy Keenan as Liz O'Rourke
- Dayo Ade as BLT (Bryant Lester Thomas)
- Irene Courakos as Alexa Pappadopoulos
- Michael Carry as Simon Dexter
- Darrin Brown as Dwayne Myers
- Christopher Charlesworth as Scooter Webster
Additions
- David Armin-Parcells as Claude Tanner, who briefly dates Caitlin Ryan. When they are caught spray-painting messages on the wall of a nuclear power plant in protest, he escapes without helping Caitlin over the fence, leading to her arrest. He commits suicide in season two.
- Byrd Dickens as Scott Smith, a senior student who begins dating Kathleen Mead; it later transpires that he is violently abusive, and eventually Kathleen breaks up with him.
- Vincent Walsh as Patrick, an Irish-born student who briefly dates Spike. In season two, they break up offscreen, and he briefly dates Liz, much to Spike's chagrin.
- L. Dean Ifill as Basil "Bronco" Davis, president of the student council, who later starts dating Lucy.
Development
Concept and creation
Degrassi Junior High, which was created by
On 10 January 1989,
Filming
Filming for Degrassi High started in May 1989,[11] and ended in October 1990.[15] The series was filmed at the Story Arts Centre of Centennial College, located on Toronto's Carlaw Avenue. Formerly a teacher's college, the building was previously used to hold auditions for Ida Makes a Movie, the first episode of The Kids of Degrassi Street and the first installment of the Degrassi franchise, in 1979.[16] The building was chosen as despite being part of a college, it more closely resembled a high school.[14] Other filming locations included the Rose Donut Shop on Carlaw Avenue, where character Michelle Accette briefly works after moving away from her conservative father.[17]
Opening sequence
The Degrassi High theme song, composed by Lewis Manne and Wendy Watson and sung by Watson. is a reworking of the Degrassi Junior High theme song, this time transposed to a different key. It follows the same format as its predecessor, with various scenes of characters in and around the school, omitting individual cast credits. The opening sequence ends with a zooming shot of a girl's backside as the logo is displayed.[18]
The opening sequence contains scenes not included in the final cut, such as a shot of Arthur Kobalewscuy reacting to peanut butter smeared all over his bike; Kit Hood later said the scene and plotline surrounding it did not make the cut as the actor had grown too much to be a believable bullying victim.[19]
Sets and design
According to Kathryn Ellis, "A Degrassi character's bedroom is the most telling set for that character".[20] The bedroom of character Lucy Fernandez was made from drywall and located in the school library, with her bed being the same used in other character's bedrooms.[20] The childhood bedroom of character Liz O'Rourke, seen in a dream sequence in an episode where the character struggles with memories of her childhood sexual abuse, was made to look "larger than life" to make the young Liz seem extremely small, with the walls being painted blue for a "cool, almost cold atmosphere".[21] For the bedroom of character Arthur Kobalewscuy, various items from the previous series were re-used, as well as rock posters of the fictional group Gourmet Scum, to indicate that the character was maturing in his tastes.[21]
End of the series
Despite its continued critical and commercial acclaim, multiple factors contributed to the end of Degrassi in 1991. Kit Hood had become exhausted and frustrated by television work, having reluctantly agreed to the second season of Degrassi High "to please the network and fans",[22] and the partnership between Hood and Schuyler, both creatively and personally, was deteriorating. Schuyler detailed in her memoir The Mother Of All Degrassi that Hood was becoming increasingly temperamental towards the end of production; when learning of the second season renewal, he accused Schuyler of manipulating him and head writer Yan Moore into doing "a year's work that we don't want to do".[23] Compounding this was WGBH's difficulty procuring funding from the PBS's children's department due to the aging cast, and consequently being forced to withdraw from the show.[24]
In spite of these mounting issues, both Hood and Schuyler felt the series had run its course and wanted it to end before it became stale and predictable. In a 1990 news interview, Schuyler explained that they wanted to end the series "while we were still feeling good about what we were doing", and that if they were to continue the series, they would have to "completely re-vamp it" and "bring in a new set of characters", something they did not want to do.[25] Schuyler noted that most of the cast were occupied with post-secondary education, and that she felt the show had already tackled what they had aimed to.[25] In a 1998 web interview with fan site owner Natalie Earl, Hood elaborated:[22]
The kids were getting older and we had covered every conceivable topic. The most prominent characters were graduating and we didn't feel comfortable with introducing a new class. We could have used Joey, as it was established that he had flunked a grade, (we could have kept on flunking him, I guess,,) but what were we supposed to with the other actors? What was the point, other than to drag out the show? The show had run its course. We wanted to get out while it was still hot. We didn't want to reach the point where the viewers could predict that show's formula and outcomes.
Schuyler informed CBC programming chief Ivan Fecan that they would not be able to produce any more of Degrassi High. Fecan enthusiastically accepted Schuyler's proposal to end the series with a feature-length film.[24]
Episodes
Season 1 (1989–1990)
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
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1 | 1 | "A New Start: Part 1" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | November 6, 1989 | 101 |
2 | 2 | "A New Start: Part 2" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | November 6, 1989 | 102 |
3 | 3 | "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" | Kit Hood | Susin Nielsen | November 13, 1989 | 103 |
4 | 4 | "Dream On" | John Bertram | Yan Moore | November 20, 1989 | 104 |
5 | 5 | "Everybody Wants Something" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | November 27, 1989 | 105 |
6 | 6 | "Nobody's Perfect" | Eleanor Lindo | Susin Nielsen | December 5, 1989 | 106 |
7 | 7 | "Just Friends" | Kit Hood | Kathryn Ellis | December 12, 1989 | 107 |
8 | 8 | "Little White Lies" | John Bertram | Susin Nielsen | December 19, 1989 | 108 |
9 | 9 | "Sixteen: Part 1" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | January 9, 1990 | 109 |
10 | 10 | "Sixteen: Part 2" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | January 9, 1990 | 110 |
11 | 11 | "All in a Good Cause" | Eleanore Lindo | Susin Nielsen | January 16, 1990 | 111 |
12 | 12 | "Natural Attraction" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | January 23, 1990 | 112 |
13 | 13 | "Testing One, Two, Three.." | John Bertram | Susin Nielsen | January 30, 1990 | 113 |
14 | 14 | "It Creeps!!" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | February 6, 1990 | 114 |
15 | 15 | "Stressed Out" | John Bertram | Yan Moore | February 13, 1990 | 115 |
Season 2 (1990–1991)
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 | 1 | "Bad Blood: Part 1" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | November 5, 1990[26] | 201 |
17 | 2 | "Bad Blood: Part 2" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | November 12, 1990[27] | 202 |
18 | 3 | "Loyalties" | John Bertram | Susin Nielsen | November 19, 1990[28] | 203 |
19 | 4 | "A Tangled Web" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | November 26, 1990[29] | 204 |
20 | 5 | "Body Politics" | Phillip Earnshaw | Susin Nielsen | December 3, 1990[30] | 205 |
21 | 6 | "Crossed Wires" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | December 10, 1990[31] | 206 |
22 | 7 | "The All-Nighter" | Eleanore Lindo | Kathryn Ellis | January 7, 1991[32] | 207 |
23 | 8 | "Home Sweet Home" | Kit Hood | Susin Nielsen | January 14, 1991[33] | 208 |
24 | 9 | "Extracurricular Activities" | John Bertram | Yan Moore | January 21, 1991[34] | 209 |
25 | 10 | "Showtime: Part 1" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | January 28, 1991[35] | 210 |
26 | 11 | "Showtime: Part 2" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | February 4, 1991[36] | 211 |
27 | 12 | "Three's a Crowd" | Phillip Earnshaw | Susin Nielsen | February 11, 1991[37] | 212 |
28 | 13 | "One Last Dance" | Kit Hood | Yan Moore | February 18, 1991[38] | 213 |
Release
First-run broadcast
Degrassi High premiered on November 6, 1989, on CBC with the two-part episode "
Post-broadcast distribution
The series continued in re-runs on CBC during the late 1990s. On September 1, 1997, the series debuted on Showcase, where it aired back-to-back with Degrassi Junior High.[44]
Home media and streaming
The series was released on VHS by WGBH-TV Boston Home Video[45] in the United States on March 7, 2000, both as separate tapes containing two episodes each and a full box set.[46][47] It was later released as part of the Degrassi High: The Complete Collection DVD box set by WGBH on October 9, 2007,[48] and the Degrassi High Collection set by Force Entertainment in Australia on March 12, 2008.[49][50]
In July 2023, Degrassi High and School's Out were made available on Amazon Prime Video in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.[51]
Season | Set details | DVD release dates | Special features | ||
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Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | |||
Degrassi High: The Complete Series |
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October 9, 2007[52]
December 13, 2016[53] |
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Region 1:
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Degrassi High Collection |
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March 12, 2008 | N/A |
Reception and impact
Critical reception
As with Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High was largely acclaimed by critics for many of the same reasons as the previous series. The premiere episode, "
Overall reviews of the series were similarly positive. Writing for
Censorship
The series premiere was shown uncensored on
References
- ^ Riches, Hester (February 15, 1991). "Bidding adieu to Degrassi". The Vancouver Sun. p. 156. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
So even though the weekly half-hour series ends its regular run Monday on CBC, a Degrassi TV movie is in the works.
- ^ "Kudos for Degrassi High". The Globe and Mail. June 6, 1992. pp. C5.
- ^ Polger, Mark Aaron (2005). "Degrassi Online - Awards". Degrassi Online. Archived from the original on January 8, 2008. Retrieved December 7, 2007.
- ^ Bawden, Jim (April 20, 1988). "Degrassi's kids solve problem of junior high". The Toronto Star. p. 21. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
- ^ Wesley, David (November 5, 1988). "Degrassi doors re-open". The Gazette. p. 156. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ^ Sontag, Sharon (November 3, 1989). "Degrassi High moving on to meatier issues". Calgary Herald. p. 35. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- The Toronto Star. Archived from the originalon October 24, 2005.
- ^ a b Nicholls, Stephen (November 6, 1989). "Abortion: Degrassi takes on explosive topic". The Ottawa Citizen. The Canadian Press. p. 33. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ Bawden, Jim (January 10, 1989). "The Degrassi kids are graduating". The Toronto Star. p. 14. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ Quill, Greg (February 27, 1989). "Is Degrassi Jr. High gone forever?". The Toronto Star. p. 33. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Adilman, Sid (May 13, 1989). "CBC's share of audience grows while CTV's shrinks". The Toronto Star. p. 165. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Kennedy, Janice (June 17, 1989). "New school year has already started for the kids of Degrassi High School". The Gazette. p. 175. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ Ellis 2005, pp. 167
- ^ a b c Barss, Karen (1990). "What's New at Degrassi". Degrassi High Newspaper. WGBH. p. 3. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ^ a b Pryor, Kelli (April 12, 1991). "Degrassi High". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
- ^ Ellis 2005, pp. 111
- ^ Ellis 2005, pp. 110
- ^ Kelley, Shamus (September 3, 2019). "The Evolution of Degrassi Opening Themes". Den of Geek. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
- ^ "Kit Hood Interview July 1998". October 15, 2007. Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Ellis 2005, pp. 118
- ^ a b Ellis 2005, pp. 119
- ^ a b Earl, Natalie (October 15, 2007). "Kit Hood Interview Part 2". Archived from the original on October 15, 2007. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- ^ Schuyler 2022, pp. 137
- ^ a b Schuyler 2022, pp. 146
- ^ a b Nicholls, Stephen (November 1, 1990). "Degrassi crew to close books". The Windsor Star. Canadian Press. p. 16. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
- ^ Kennedy, Janice (November 3, 1990). "Degrassi High opens its doors for one more season of adventure". The Gazette. p. 139. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ "Monday November 12". The Ottawa Citizen. November 10, 1990. p. 149. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "Monday (continued)". The Sun Times. November 16, 1990. p. 62. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "TV Program Guide". Alberni Valley Times. November 23, 1990. p. 40. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "Monday, December 3". The Gazette. December 1, 1990. p. 174. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "Monday, December 10, 1990". Nanaimo Daily News. December 7, 1990. p. 36. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "8:30". The Province. January 7, 1991. p. 37. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "Monday, January 14". The Gazette. January 12, 1991. p. 136. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ Kennedy, Janice (January 19, 1991). "Final season is winding down for the kids of Degrassi High". The Gazette. p. 118. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ Janice, Kennedy (January 26, 1991). "Degrassi's look at teenage suicide restrained and sensitive". The Ottawa Citizen. p. 67. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ "8:30". The Province. February 4, 1991. p. 37. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ "8:30". The Province. February 11, 1991. p. 41. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
- ^ Riches, Hester (February 18, 1991). "Degrassi grads looking for meaningful work". The Vancouver Sun. p. 13. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
- ^ Riches, Hester (October 30, 1989). "Audiences eagerly await Degrassi kick-off". The Vancouver Sun. p. 20. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ Southgate, Martha (January 14, 1990). "'Degrassi High': Unflinching look at teens". The Des Moines Register. p. 124. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ a b Geddes, Margaret (September 9, 1990). "'Degrassi' has real life touch". The Age. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ a b "Degrassi High". About the ABC. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "E-mailer 'stalked soap star'". The Sydney Morning Herald. August 31, 1999. p. 4. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
- ^ "Award-Winning Degrassi Junior High And Degrassi High Come To Showcase Television" (Press release). Showcase. Archived from the original on September 14, 2007.
- ^ "BY POPULAR DEMAND, WGBH BOSTON VIDEO RELEASES THE DEGRASSI JUNIOR HIGH AND DEGRASSI HIGH SERIES" (Press release). WGBH. April 5, 1999. Archived from the original on November 21, 2007.
- ^ Earnshaw, Philip (March 7, 2000), Degrassi High: Loyalties/It Creeps!, retrieved June 2, 2021
- ^ Earnshaw, Philip (March 7, 2000), Degrassi High Collection, PBS, retrieved June 2, 2021
- ^ "Correct release date plus front & rear artwork". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2007.
- ^ "Degrassi High Collection". Sanity. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- OCLC 269593812.
- ^ "WILDBRAIN EXPANDS OFFERING ON PRIME VIDEO WITH TRIO OF NEW INTERNATIONAL CONTENT DEALS". WildBrain. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
- ^ Degrassi High – The Complete Collection, PBS, October 9, 2007, retrieved May 28, 2021
- ^ Degrassi High: Degrassi High Complete Series DVD, PBS Distribution, December 13, 2016, retrieved May 29, 2021
- The Toronto Star. Archived from the originalon October 24, 2005. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ Bacchus, Lee (November 6, 1989). "Kids too young to call this". The Province. p. 35. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ Heffley, Lynne (January 13, 1990). "TV Reviews : 'Degrassi High,' 'Wonderworks' Return to PBS". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "Degrassi High edited by PBS". The Ottawa Citizen. November 4, 1989. p. 37. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ Pai, Tanya (January 25, 2016). "Degrassi, the Canadian teen soap that gave us Drake, explained". Vox. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- The Globe And Mail.
- ^ "A New Start (2)". TV.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved October 12, 2005.
- ^ "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do". TV.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2005.
- ^ "Degrassi High - It Creeps! - ABC2 Television Guide". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
Sources
- Ellis, Kathryn (2005). The official 411 Degrassi generations. Fenn Pub. Co. OCLC 59136593.
- Schuyler, Linda (2022). The mother of all Degrassi : a memoir. Toronto. OCLC 1309065167.)
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