"Degrassi Junior High" (1987) TV series 1987-1991

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Creators:

Kit Hood
Linda Schuyler

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

18 January 1987 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Plot:

The lives and trials of students of a city high school.

Plot Keywords:

Identical Twins | School Life | Soap | Junior High School | Teenage Boy

Awards:

10 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Pat Mastroianni	...	Joey Jeremiah (59 episodes, 1987-1991)
Stefan Brogren	...	Archibald 'Archie' 'Snake' Simpson (54 episodes, 1987-1991)
Neil Hope	...	Derek 'Wheels' Wheeler (50 episodes, 1987-1991)
Dan Woods	...	Mr. Raditch (43 episodes, 1987-1991)
Stacie Mistysyn	...	Caitlin Ryan (38 episodes, 1987-1991)
Duncan Waugh	...	Arthur Kobalewscuy (38 episodes, 1987-1991)
Angela Deiseach	...	Erica Farrell (37 episodes, 1987-1991)
Anais Granofsky	...	Lucy Fernandez (36 episodes, 1987-1991)
Maureen Deiseach	...	Heather Farrell (36 episodes, 1987-1991)
Siluck Saysanasy	...	Yick Yu (36 episodes, 1987-1991)
Sara Ballingall	...	Melanie Brodie (36 episodes, 1987-1990)
Irene Courakos	...	Alexa Pappadopoulos (36 episodes, 1987-1991)
Amanda Stepto	...	Christine 'Spike' Nelson (35 episodes, 1987-1991)
Rebecca Haines	...	Kathleen Mead (33 episodes, 1987-1991)
Michelle Goodeve	...	Karen Avery (32 episodes, 1987-1990)
Michael Carry	...	Simon Dexter (29 episodes, 1988-1991)
Cathy Keenan	...	Liz O' Rourke (27 episodes, 1988-1991)
Maureen McKay	...	Michelle Accette (25 episodes, 1988-1991)

Also Known As:

"Degrassi High" (USA) (new title)
"Degrassi" (Canada: French title) (dubbed version)
"Degrassi, 25e anniversaire" (Canada: French title) (rerun title)
"Degrassi, Old School" (USA) (rerun title)

Runtime:

30 min (70 episodes)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Centennial College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Playing With Time

Trivia:

The filming schedule for Degrassi took place between April to November (with a two-week summer break in the middle). The schedule was set up that way, so the actors would miss the least amount of school. Since the show was filmed during the summer, most of the characters wear summer clothing throughout the series. Even in episodes that took place in the middle of the school year, many of the characters are walking around in shorts.

Quotes:

BLT: [rapping] Exams are done, we are free, say good bye, to Degrassi!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Summer (2002/II)

Wake up in the morning, Want to watch Degrassi, But I have to go to school...

It is truly a shame I wasn't a teenager in the 80's. I was too young when this show was first being aired, and I have to depend on those reruns.

Anyway, this is by far the best television teenage drama series I have ever seen.

The actors portraying the characters were around the same age as the characters, making it realistic, unlike many series for teens.

It dealt with real life situations teenagers face in realistic ways. There are not very many television shows for teenagers I can actually say that about. In fact, I don't think that there was any problems which weren't covered. Drug abuse, sex, sexual orientation, teenage pregnancy, abortion, dating, alcohol abuse, AIDS, stress, depression and suicide, death in the family, racism, sexism. We all felt the tension when Spike found signs of pregnancy, ending in her famous line "Mum, I'm pregnant". We all had sympathy for Wheels, when his (adoptive) parents died and how he dramaticly changed since then, ending in the tragedy in School's Out, in which he kills a small child from drunk driving (his parents having been killed from drunk driving) and is last seen in prison. We all had different reactions and attitude's towards Claude's suicide. We also all had different reactions and attitudes towards Heather's abortion. We all yelled "I knew that would happen eventually!" when Simon and Alexa got married at the end of School's Out. I could go on.

I hope Degrassi continues airing from generation to generation.