Degrassi

[Kitty]

I've watched Degrassi since the 80s. Honestly, nowadays it doesn't seem like the same show. In some ways it's trying to be more like an American soap opera than it is a show about a group of average teens struggling to grow up. Plus the fanbase is getting younger and crazier (either that or I'm getting older and grouchier).

Still, I do watch it if only for the LGBT* positive message it spreads.

Well, the youngest fans are probably the same age, so you're getting older. But you're right, they do seem to be getting crazier. I've been on board since I was about 13, either I didn't know that many Degrassi fans then or they really are getting nuttier.

I also don't like soap-opera type shows, I can't keep up with so much scandal/intrigue/whatever, especially if its just sexified. It's just another sexy soap opera now, with fewer silly costumes than the Tudors.

[Kitty]

I read somewhere that in the original Degrassi there was no cast wardrobe and the kids were filmed in whatever they wore to the set that day. Contrast that to the current season, with the pretty faces and fashionable clothes, and I just can't get into it.

Degrassi TNG during the Emma years was the best.

That was also the case for the early seasons of TNG. Ellie was the only exception, as she was goth while the actress playing her was not. Over.time the wardrobe changed and then there was a cast wardrobe.

[JoanHolloway]

I really miss that sense of realism Degrassi brought. I saw a post on Tumblr last year regarding Holly J's last storyline that was along the lines of "Hey remember that time in high school when you needed a new kidney and discovered that you were adopted so you paid $20k to harvest your birthmom's organs?" ...which pretty much sums up the direction the show has gone in recent years.

It still has its relatable moments, but they're few and far between.

[Guest Anonymous]

I wonder... if they had killed off Toby instead of JT, would fans have been as upset? I personally liked JT a lot better. Did they kill him off just to kill him or did the guy that played him want out, or what?

[2xx1xy1JD]

I read somewhere that in the original Degrassi there was no cast wardrobe and the kids were filmed in whatever they wore to the set that day. Contrast that to the current season, with the pretty faces and fashionable clothes, and I just can't get into it.

Degrassi TNG during the Emma years was the best.

Original Degrassi has a tiny budget. The kids weren't professional actors, and yes, they wore their own clothes. The outfits may look funny now, but at the time, they really did look just like kids that you would actually see at school, zits and awkwardness and all.

[JoanHolloway]

I wonder... if they had killed off Toby instead of JT, would fans have been as upset? I personally liked JT a lot better. Did they kill him off just to kill him or did the guy that played him want out, or what?

I don't know that anyone would have been too concerned if they killed Toby. I mean, he was all but written off the show after that storyline and no one seemed to notice.

I'm not exactly sure why they chose JT, but I think it was probably because they wanted it to have an effect on fans. If it was a periphery character it wouldn't have the same impact as a character that was well-established and had a place in the fanbase's hearts.

[BlondeAgent007]

I don't know that anyone would have been too concerned if they killed Toby. I mean, he was all but written off the show after that storyline and no one seemed to notice.

I'm not exactly sure why they chose JT, but I think it was probably because they wanted it to have an effect on fans. If it was a periphery character it wouldn't have the same impact as a character that was well-established and had a place in the fanbase's hearts.

the cast didnt even know they were killing off tv till they sat down together and read through that episodes script for the first time. they wanted the kids to have some raw emotion about jt leaving. if they had prepared all season for the death it wouldnt have been as genuine.

i think they picked jt because it helped to muddle the libertys pregnancy storyline. toby didnt have any running storylines, so he would have faded into obscurity. kind of like how they picked basketball star jimmy to be crippled. fans cared about him and it allowed them to really develop his character.

[Kailis]

Original Degrassi has a tiny budget. The kids weren't professional actors, and yes, they wore their own clothes. The outfits may look funny now, but at the time, they really did look just like kids that you would actually see at school, zits and awkwardness and all.

Oh, how I miss Emma's dolphin pants from seasons 1 & 2! Those are the best pants EVER!!11!1!

I really do miss the early Degrassi. I have gone back and watched every episode, including all the 80's variations, until this past season. Degrassi can be a little ridiculous when you combine the plots, but each individual plot was generally relatable. And I like single episode stories, rather than all the damn two-part ones they have now. I have a short attention span, even for one of my favorite shows of all time. :text-bump:

Although I have learned to channel my energy and focus into knitting while watching Degrassi. It's how I get my Christmas presents done- put some Degrassi on, grab a drink, and knit. What's that, Emma just gave Jay a blowjob in a creepy van in the ravine for a cheap bracelet? OMG, so intense, MUST KNIT FASTER! ...And that's how my dad's scarf got knitted in an hour last year. Never had the heart to tell him. :lol:

[MrsKay]

I've never been able to get into the new generation. The episode when Emma ran away to meet Shane was good, but I think mainly because it brought one of the main stories from the original back to life for an episode. With Spike giving birth, especially, it kind of brought back the feeling of the first generation, and it was neat to see all of those old cast members in the episode as well (esp. since Shane hadn't been seen since his accident). I was quite a bit younger than the original cast members, but I still watched it with my oldest brother, and loved it - it was also a secret guilty pleasure for my mom. I love watching old episodes online, totally takes me back to the 80s!

[tropaka]

As I recall, they replaced the original Shane with Jonothan Torrens (sp), but everyone else showed up.

[MrsKay]

Well, I meant the character of Shane - I didn't know whether or not it was the same actor, he wasn't one of the characters that made me think unchaste thoughts as a preteen. :P

[KitCatCadillac]

The show's become too polished for my taste these days, but I still tune in occasionally. Even if I have no idea what's going on with this pretty new people. It really appealed to me as a teen because the characters were all gawky looking, and sometimes mean, and never one-dimensional. They seemed to treat issues at least somewhat realistically, and not just in a "very special episode" way.

[JoanHolloway]

It's way too polished, although it's gotten a bit better in recent years. A few years ago it seemed to be trying to be like Gossip Girl rather than staying true to its roots. I enjoy watching it though.

Does anyone else get really irritated at the "movies" they put out every few years though? (Degrassi Goes Hollywood, Degrassi Takes Manhattan, Degrassi Las Vegas, etc...). They seem completely crackish and not at all canon. Maybe that's what happens when you take the characters away from Toronto...

[Shirley MacLaine]

I have been watching (the current iteration of) Degrassi since I was just a year older than the original Grade 8s. And I'm still watching it. Sometimes I feel a little sad about it, like, what am I doing with my life? How have I been watching this show for like twelve years? But I guess since I haven't quit yet, I probably won't ever :P I'm liking the past few seasons more than some of the earlier ones, say... 6-10, maybe? Of course, it's a lot different than in the ~golden years~ of Spinner's boner, but I think the daily episode soap format works for it, and the storylines seem to have been scaled back a little in terms of '100% intense'ness, which I like.

I keep wondering when they're going to do a suicide. I mean, the original show had the Caitlin-Claude thing. I want a suicide!

[Jani]

. Marco, Jane, and Adam are my favorites.