Degrassi

Degrassi
The Degrassi logo used from 2013 to 2017. A variation of this logo was used for Degrassi: Next Class (with the subtitle below the long "g") from 2016 to 2017.
Created by	Kit Hood Linda Schuyler
Original work	"Ida Makes a Movie" (The Kids of Degrassi Street)
Owner	WildBrain
Years	1979–present
Print publications
Novel(s)	Kids Of Degrassi Street novels Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High novels
Graphic novel(s)	Degrassi: Extra Credit
Films and television
Television series	The Kids of Degrassi Street (1979–1986) Degrassi Junior High (1987–1989) Degrassi High (1989–1991) Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2015) Degrassi: Next Class (2016–2017) Degrassi (cancelled)
Web series	Degrassi Minis (2005–2016)
Television special(s)	Degrassi Talks (1992)
Television film(s)	School's Out! (1992) Degrassi Goes Hollywood (2009) Degrassi Takes Manhattan (2010) Don't Look Back (2015)
Audio
Soundtrack(s)	Degrassi soundtracks
Miscellaneous
Production companies	Playing With Time, Inc. (1979–1992) Epitome Pictures (2001–2017) WildBrain (2023–present)
Networks	Canada CBC (1979–1992) CTV (2001–2009) MuchMusic (2010–2013) MTV Canada (2013–2015) Family Channel (2016–2017)
Official website
http://www.degrassi.tv

Degrassi is a Canadian teen drama television franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler, that follows the lives of youths attending the eponymous secondary school in Toronto. Each entry since 1987 has taken place in the same continuity. Outside of television, the franchise comprises a variety of other media, such as companion novels, graphic novels, documentaries, soundtracks, and non-fiction works.

In 1979, Schuyler and Hood adapted the Kay Chorao book Ida Makes A Movie into a live-action short film, and expanded upon its universe with a series of subsequent installments until 1982, when it evolved into the critically acclaimed children's series The Kids of Degrassi Street, which aired for 26 episodes until 1986. That year, the duo developed Degrassi Junior High, which focused on the teenage demographic they felt was underserved by contemporary media. Running for three seasons (1987–1989), it became one of Canada's most popular television series and was highly regarded for its realistic portrayal of adolescence and serious social issues; this was followed by Degrassi High (1989–1991), which chronicled the cast's high school years and met similar critical and commercial success. The initial run of the franchise ended with the controversial television film School's Out (1992), which received mixed reviews but drew double the average viewership of the series, followed by the docuseries Degrassi Talks (1992), in which actors spoke to teens nationwide about various issues.

In the 1990s, the series increasingly developed a cult following through re-runs, and a successful televised cast reunion in 1999 helped spark the franchise's revival with Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2015), which originally aired on CTV in Canada and The N in the United States. It focused on a new generation of students, augmented by select original characters in supporting roles. It was similarly critically and commercially successful, especially in the United States, and launched the careers of musician Drake and actress Nina Dobrev. After nine seasons, The Next Generation was rebranded to Degrassi and changed to a telenovela-style format. After five more seasons, it was cancelled in 2015. It was superseded by Degrassi: Next Class (2016–2017), a short-lived Netflix co-production geared toward Generation Z, whose cancellation was revealed in 2019. In January 2022, a new series was announced for HBO Max in which Schuyler would not be involved; it was cancelled in November following a lack of updates, though WildBrain later indicated that they still intend to produce the series.^[1]

Degrassi is regarded as one of Canada's greatest television achievements and is one of the most successful media franchises in Canadian history. It has been widely acclaimed over its four-decade history for its approach to adolescence and serious issues faced by adolescents. It has courted controversy on several occasions for episodes depicting teenage pregnancy, abortion, and LGBT issues, with various episodes facing some form of editing or censorship outside of Canada since the late 1980s. Among the awards and accolades it has received^[2] include numerous Gemini Awards, two International Emmys in 1985 and 1987, and a Peabody Award in 2010. The franchise was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in December 2023.^[3]