Degrassi: The Next Generation season 8

Degrassi: The Next Generation
Season 8
Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 8 DVD
No. of episodes22
Release
Original networkCTV (Canada)
The N (United States)
Original release5 October 2008 (2008-10-05) –
30 August 2009 (2009-08-30)
Season chronology
← Previous
Season 7
Next →
Season 9
List of episodes

The eighth season of Degrassi: The Next Generation premiered in Canada on 5 October 2008,[1] concluded on 30 August 2009, and consists of twenty-two episodes (18 episodes, and 1 movie). Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian serial teen drama television series. Although only one school year passed in the story timeline since season six, season eight is set in the fall semester of the year in which it aired. Writers have been able to use a semi-floating timeline, so that the issues depicted are modern for their viewers. This season depicts the lives of a group of high school freshmen, juniors, seniors, and graduates as they deal with some of the challenges and issues young adults face such as sex, sexism, sexual identity, financial difficulties, drug use, mental disorders, cyberbullying, child molestation, stress, hostage situations, racism, and psychological abuse. Thirteen actors are added to the ensemble cast, while fourteen cast members have either left the series or been dropped from the main cast to recurring roles. The season focuses heavily on the new generation of students at Degrassi Community School, although it included storylines about those who have graduated and gone on to university.[2]

Season eight aired Sundays at 7:30 p.m. on CTV, a Canadian television network.[1] Episodes were repeated on CTV's sister cable speciality network, MuchMusic, on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. In the United States, the season began on 10 October 2008 on The N, a cable channel spun off from Noggin's teen programming block of the same name. Unlike seasons six and seven, which premiered in the US, this season's premiere episode was broadcast in Canada first,[3] with the second episode airing a week later; in the US, however, both episodes aired together as an hour-long special.[4] As well as airing on television, the season's episodes were also streamed on the websites of CTV and The N,[5] as well as iTunes.

Production for the season began in May 2008 at Epitome Pictures' studios in Toronto, Ontario, and were completed in late October 2008.[6] The final episodes of the season were filmed in part in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, Beverly Hills, Venice Beach and Malibu[5] and were written and directed by Stefan Brogren, who plays Archie "Snake" Simpson.[2]

This is also the final season to feature (Drake) playing Jimmy Brooks, due to him wanting to focus on his music career.[7]

  1. ^ a b "Premiere episode". CTV.ca. 2008-09-18. Archived from the original on September 23, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  2. ^ a b Demara, Bruce (2008-10-05). "DeGrassi enrols a new class". Toronto Star. Toronto, Ontario. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  3. ^ Dowling, Amber (2008-08-18). "'Degrassi: The Next Generation' returns". TVGuide.ca. Archived from the original on 2008-09-27. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  4. ^ "Degrassi". The N. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  5. ^ a b "New season begins October 5 on CTV". CTV Television Network. 2008-09-29. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  6. ^ "In Production". Ontario, Canada: Ontario Media Development Corporation. 2008-09-12. Archived from the original on 2008-06-02. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  7. ^ Stewart, Chelsea (2020-10-25). "'Degrassi': Why Drake Got Kicked Off of the Show". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2024-04-25.