A tribute to 25 years of Degrassi

[barney_rebel]

September 26, 2005

 

A tribute to 25 years of Degrassi

 

TV Stevie can't wait to see what happens to Manny now that she's starring in a skin flick

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I just wouldn't be TV Stevie if I didn't make mention of Degrassi's 25th anniversary. It just wouldn't be me.

 

My love of Degrassi has been well-documented in this space. Some people (like my boss) might even suggest that I'm a touch Degrassi-obsessed. Can I argue with this notion? Not really. But if ever there was a show worthy of obsessing over, Degrassi would be it.

 

My first experience with the show occurred back in elementary school, when my fourth grade teacher dimmed the lights and popped in a video designed to teach us the ways of the world. At the time I didn't know what I was watching, but I was strangely entranced. I'll always remember that day as the first time I encountered the patriarch of the Degrassi family, then known as The Kids of Degrassi Street.

 

From what I remember, the episode revolved around Griff agreeing to help Casey by drawing caricatures for the Degrassi yearbook. Casey was, of course, delighted until she discovered that her best friend Lisa was so busy helping Griff that she no longer had time for her.

 

Amazingly, I can't remember what I had for lunch today (it might've been soup), but I can remember an episode of Degrassi I saw more than 20 years ago. That's what's known as selective memory.

 

I was just a young TV Stevie then, and my interests were divided equally between television, candy, kickball and marbles. But my first viewing of Degrassi would plant the seeds of what would become my "career."

 

Kids evolved into Degrassi Junior High, which was even better. Then we moved to Degrassi High, which ended with perhaps the greatest television event of all time, "School's Out," where Joey cheated on Caitlin and Wheels put Lucy into a wheelchair with his drunk driving. It was the saddest and most joyous moment of my TV-watching life. The final Degrassi was as brilliant as I could've ever hoped, but an emptiness overcame me, as I believed it to be the final chapter of my favourite TV franchise.

 

That was in 1992, and it would be eight long years until the rebirth of the greatest thing ever produced on Canadian television (I'll never forget Lucy showing Caitlin how to put a condom on a banana!). In 2000, I was ecstatic to hear of the new edition to the family, as CTV debuted Degrassi: The Next Generation. And, though I thought I might be over my obsession by the time the new millennium rolled around, nothing could have been further from the truth. To this day, Degrassi remains must-see-TV in my apartment.

 

This writing can be considered more of a tribute to Degrassi than a column or an article. There is no journalistic objectivity here. I love Degrassi. I always have, and I always will. I make no excuses and have no remorse. It's my favourite show and I'll love it forever.

 

As most of you probably know, I have a habit of organizing TV-related topics into neat little top five lists (I wrote a Degrassi top five way back when I first started this column). When I do this, typically I'm not gushing. Today, such is not the case. Here's a quick top fiver of the reasons I truly love Degrassi:

 

5. They use real kids instead of plastic Hollywood kids.

 

How many teen shows (and shows in general) cast only the beautiful people, leaving the rest of us feeling ugly and inadequate in comparison? How about all of them? All of them except Degrassi. Born on a shoestring budget, Degrassi never had the cash to hire all the pretty people, and focused on casting real kids to play real kids. It gives the show a truly genuine feeling, as opposed to something like The O.C. Hooray for normal-looking kids!

 

4. It deals with real issues.

 

Everybody who is an aficionado of Degrassi knows at least one person for each of the issues dealt with on the show. Teen pregnancy? Check! Drugs? Check! Infidelity? Check. Jealousy? Check and check! Degrassi dealt with relatable issues, another reason it all felt so real.

 

3. Degrassi is a real street!

 

If you live in Toronto, you've certainly driven past Degrassi Street at least a few times. Two streets east of Broadview on Dundas sits Degrassi, Canada's most famous stretch of pavement (unless you're a fan of Yonge Street or the 401). Unlike other TV shows, which are based on fictional places or the fictional-esque New York City, Degrassi is based on a location that is a short bike ride from where I live. That's just another thing that makes this show awesome. I can go there when I need inspiration.

 

2. It's made stars of unknown Canadian talent.

 

Two summers ago, I was shopping in Kensington Market and who did I see sipping on a beer with friends in one of the area's watering holes? It was none other than Stefan Brogen, otherwise known as Snake. Did I make a fool of myself when I saw him? Nope, but I did buy a Degrassi Junior High T-shirt on that very day to celebrate the occasion. Why was this significant? I have no idea. But I was excited. If there was no Degrassi, it would just been a case of seeing a stranger having a beer with some other people I didn't know. Because of Degrassi, excitement filled my day.

 

1. Joey Jeremiah is a great Canadian TV hero.

 

Do I relate to Joey? Of course I do. I think every Canadian kid has a Degrassi character that reminds them of themselves. I choose Joey not because of his hat, not because of his pseudo-success as lead singer of The Zits/The Zit Remedy, but because he was a kid who really believed he was cooler than he actually was, a lot like me. Joey was full of excitement and enthusiasm, just like me. He got into everything he did like it was the most important thing in the world, even when it wasn't...just like me. Joey went for the hottest girl in school when he was far from the coolest guy. He was an inspiration to the everyman, and one of the main reasons I loved all incarnations of Degrassi (although Pat Mastrioni's turn on Liberty Street did little to draw me in, but whatever).

 

This is the last time I'll say it: Happy 25th Degrassi! Best of luck on 25 more years of excellence! The Next Generation is much better than when Saved by the Bell came out with its new class. Vicky Needleman my patoot!

 

http://yahoo.rogers.com/yahoo/spotlight/tv...jsp?id=20050926

[Cygnus27]

I must confess that I was a fan of the original Degrassi Jr. High/Degrassi High series. It was pretty cool for me since the kids on the show were the exact same age as I was, so I was able to directly relate to many of the episodes. Although watching it today, some of it is sure to come off pretty campy, but the low-budget appearance to the show and the fact that the 14 year olds in the show were actually played by 14 year olds (not late-20 somethings) gave it a realistic feel. Edited September 29, 2005 by Cygnus27

[Snowdog]

QUOTE (Cygnus27 @ Sep 29 2005, 11:51 AM)

I must confess that I was a fan of the original Degrassi Jr. High/Degrassi High series. It was pretty cool for me since the kids on the show were the exact same age as I was, so I was able to directly relate to many of the episodes. Although watching it today, some of it is sure to come off pretty campy, but the low-budget appearance to the show and the fact that the 14 year olds in the show were actually played by 14 year olds (not late-20 somethings) gave it a realistic feel.

I enjoyed the original series very much when it aired. I haven't watched any of the "new" DeGrassi shows though. Are they worth taking a look at? And how do they compare to the original?

[Modest Man From Mandrake]

I used to watch Kids of Degrassi Steet. The very first series. I loved that show when I was a kid. I think the orginal cast is maybe a year or two younger than me. Was a great series while it lasted.

[Cygnus27]

QUOTE (Snowdog @ Oct 1 2005, 11:20 AM)

QUOTE (Cygnus27 @ Sep 29 2005, 11:51 AM) I must confess that I was a fan of the original Degrassi Jr. High/Degrassi High series.  It was pretty cool for me since the kids on the show were the exact same age as I was, so I was able to directly relate to many of the episodes.  Although watching it today, some of it is sure to come off pretty campy, but the low-budget appearance to the show and the fact that the 14 year olds in the show were actually played by 14 year olds (not late-20 somethings) gave it a realistic feel. I enjoyed the original series very much when it aired. I haven't watched any of the "new" DeGrassi shows though. Are they worth taking a look at? And how do they compare to the original? I guess it's worth looking at. I don't really watch it myself, although it has won a TON of awards here in Canada. The writers were pretty smart as a few of the original cast are regulars on the show, plus they have the odd appearance from other original cast members in various episodes.