Article on the original Degrassi Junior High

[bekkah]

I grew up with TNG. It was great back then :). I did see some of the original too when they aired them. I enjoyed that show but stop watching when all the original was off. I did start watching some of the new episodes but I just can't stand some of the characters especially the Indian bother/sister ones....

[Dhani_C]

I grew up with TNG. It was great back then :). I did see some of the original too when they aired them. I enjoyed that show but stop watching when all the original was off. I did start watching some of the new episodes but I just can't stand some of the characters especially the Indian bother/sister ones....

I know. The new freshmen are awful. XP

[lilwriter85]

The girl who played Ellie moved to New York a few years back. I don't if she is still there. A friend of mine who lived there said he saw her a few times. Some of the other TNG kids come here often to the States to try out for pilots and to try and get record deals, but so far none of them have been able to get big breaks that Shanae Grimes or Drake got.

[FireIsCatching89]

Can't say I watch Degrassi (a couple of my friends are into it), but Skins UK is pretty solid in the "real teen/real life" stuff. The kids are all pretty good looking, but they are kids playing kids, not 28 year olds playing HS juniors (GLEE!), plus the show has started a lot of unknowns careers. In the six seasons they've addressed suicide, anorexia, parent's death, accidental death, genetic disease (and death from), abortion, becoming a teen parent, sex, STIs, juvenile offenders, murder, psychosis, divorce, pressure to go to university, coming out, gender identity, teen marriage, etc etc. A couple times the episodes veer off into soap opera territory, but on the whole, I love it, especially the last generation. If you think the current Degrassi is weaksauce, check out Skins; the first five seasons are on youtube.

And no, they didn't pay me to say that, I just really like the show. And the fact that it would make most fundies faint dead away.

[shesinsane]

The girl who played Ellie moved to New York a few years back. I don't if she is still there. A friend of mine who lived there said he saw her a few times. Some of the other TNG kids come here often to the States to try out for pilots and to try and get record deals, but so far none of them have been able to get big breaks that Shanae Grimes or Drake got.

Nina Dobrev played Mia on Degrassi, she was a teen mom. All I remember about her character was Holly J always called her Mamma Mia. Now she's on the Vampire Diaries, plus she got to be in that Glee sketch that opened the 2010 Emmys.

[Dhani_C]

Nina Dobrev played Mia on Degrassi, she was a teen mom. All I remember about her character was Holly J always called her Mamma Mia. Now she's on the Vampire Diaries, plus she got to be in that Glee sketch that opened the 2010 Emmys.

Plus, isn't Cassie Steele (Manny) on 90210 or some other CW show?

[lilwriter85]

Nina Dobrev played Mia on Degrassi, she was a teen mom. All I remember about her character was Holly J always called her Mamma Mia. Now she's on the Vampire Diaries, plus she got to be in that Glee sketch that opened the 2010 Emmys.

I forgot about Nina Dobrev. Kick myself for that. I really liked Mia as a character. She has a couple of movies coming out. Out of the three TNG alums who have made it big in the states, Nina is the most talented one. Shanae Grimes is an ok actress.

[lilwriter85]

Plus, isn't Cassie Steele (Manny) on 90210 or some other CW show?

The show that she is on is a Canadian produced show that the CW got reair rights for. I haven't seen tthat show, but I do hope it helps Cassie out.

[FloraDoraDolly]

I forgot about Nina Dobrev. Kick myself for that. I really liked Mia as a character. She has a couple of movies coming out. Out of the three TNG alums who have made it big in the states, Nina is the most talented one. Shanae Grimes is an ok actress.

Mia was OK at first, but then the writers gave her a modeling career. So much for a typical Canadian teen mom. :roll: Maybe I'm just getting old, but it bothers me when shows like Degrassi and Glee send the message to their teen viewers that all it takes is a little talent and a few auditions and you'll be on the road to fame in no time.

[FJismyheadship]

What is this about Emma and Spinner marrying? Sure it wasnt Emma and Sean? I havent kept up since the movie really so I dont know. I just cant see Emma and Spinner together.

I used to love how NORMAL Emma used to look. I remember missing a few seasons and when I turned it back on Emma was all glamorous looking.

I also liked the episode where Emma met her dad.

I cant believe I typed TJ. I knew it was JT. They never should have killed him. He was terrific.

[Dhani_C]

What is this about Emma and Spinner marrying? Sure it wasnt Emma and Sean? I havent kept up since the movie really so I dont know. I just cant see Emma and Spinner together.

I used to love how NORMAL Emma used to look. I remember missing a few seasons and when I turned it back on Emma was all glamorous looking.

I also liked the episode where Emma met her dad.

I cant believe I typed TJ. I knew it was JT. They never should have killed him. He was terrific.

Emma married Spinner during some off-shoot spring break/winter break/Degrassi movie thing. And JT was killed off because the actor who portrayed him wanted to go to college.

[eohiken]

Mr Ohiken used to work with Stephen Brogan (Snake), so I've met him and Pat, saw the twins on a number of occasions booting around TO as well.

[Kitty]

The girl who played Ellie moved to New York a few years back. I don't if she is still there. A friend of mine who lived there said he saw her a few times. Some of the other TNG kids come here often to the States to try out for pilots and to try and get record deals, but so far none of them have been able to get big breaks that Shanae Grimes or Drake got.

I know Lauren Collins has been in a few movies. I also believe some of them didn't necessarily want to make acting a career, or wanted to put it aside for education (the guy who played JT).

It's a shame only Shanae Grimes and Drake have had big breaks, all of those actors are pretty talented.

[Kitty]

What is this about Emma and Spinner marrying? Sure it wasnt Emma and Sean? I havent kept up since the movie really so I dont know. I just cant see Emma and Spinner together.

I used to love how NORMAL Emma used to look. I remember missing a few seasons and when I turned it back on Emma was all glamorous looking.

I also liked the episode where Emma met her dad.

I cant believe I typed TJ. I knew it was JT. They never should have killed him. He was terrific.

That was my favorite aspect of the show- you could tell the actors had acne at times, and Terri actually was shown having acne on-screen (Paige wasn't just pointing at a random spot on her face, that zit was pretty damn big). They were all clearly in their "awkward stage" in the first few seasons. That was a big draw for me.

Later on they started looking more glamorous and less... teenage. Bleh.

I'm with anyone who says that JT shouldn't have been killed off. Couldn't he just have like, joined the military or something? Or just moved in with another relative to get his shit together? :( At least give him a chance to return to the show after college/in between breaks! :( His death was horrific, and I don't think I've ever bawled harder over a goddamn TV show.

[Visionoyahweh]

What is this about Emma and Spinner marrying? Sure it wasnt Emma and Sean? I havent kept up since the movie really so I dont know. I just cant see Emma and Spinner together.

They got married in Degrassi Takes Manhattan, though I haven't seen it yet. She dropped Kelly like a hot potato on the show.

Totally random, but I liked how there was no swearing in the original show. So, the whole 'I fucked Tessa Campanelli' thing had that much more drama. Didn't she have an abortion, too? They seemed pretty bored with abortion plotlines by that point, so I don't think it was really ever shown.

ETA: Here's the Tessa scene

[lilwriter85]

Yup Tessa had an abortion too. She was the resident homewrecker.

[lilwriter85]

That was my favorite aspect of the show- you could tell the actors had acne at times, and Terri actually was shown having acne on-screen (Paige wasn't just pointing at a random spot on her face, that zit was pretty damn big). They were all clearly in their "awkward stage" in the first few seasons. That was a big draw for me.

Later on they started looking more glamorous and less... teenage. Bleh.

I'm with anyone who says that JT shouldn't have been killed off. Couldn't he just have like, joined the military or something? Or just moved in with another relative to get his shit together? :( At least give him a chance to return to the show after college/in between breaks! :( His death was horrific, and I don't think I've ever bawled harder over a goddamn TV show.

I also wish JT wasn't killed off. His death was really sad.

[FloraDoraDolly]

Emma married Spinner during some off-shoot spring break/winter break/Degrassi movie thing. And JT was killed off because the actor who portrayed him wanted to go to college.

JT's character could have moved or transferred to another school. Happens all the time in real life. They never made it clear why he lived with his grandmother, but maybe they could have done something with that?

And yes, I liked the episode where Emma met her dad. As a fan of the original old school Degrassi, I remember the whole Spike-Shane saga.

I was disappointed when the latest incarnation of Degrassi brought back the child actor who played Angela Jeremiah as a totally different character. I would have LOVED to see Joey as the single father of a teenage girl, especially if she's getting into trouble at school and Snake has to intervene.

[StarrieEyedKat]

I was disappointed when the latest incarnation of Degrassi brought back the child actor who played Angela Jeremiah as a totally different character. I would have LOVED to see Joey as the single father of a teenage girl, especially if she's getting into trouble at school and Snake has to intervene.

Agreed, that was a huge let down, and I'm not a huge fan of her new character so far, although I'm (obviously) not a fan of any of the new characters at this point...

[dawn9476]

I used to watch Degrassi Junior High all the time on CBC out of Windsor here in Detroit back in the ninties. I loved it.

JT's character could have moved or transferred to another school. Happens all the time in real life. They never made it clear why he lived with his grandmother, but maybe they could have done something with that?

Where's the drama in that? Much more dramatic to have the kids deal with a death of a classmate.

[FJismyheadship]

I used to watch Degrassi Junior High all the time on CBC out of Windsor here in Detroit back in the ninties. I loved it.

Where's the drama in that? Much more dramatic to have the kids deal with a death of a classmate.

So kill off Toby and have JT leave town because he cant bear life without his best friend. (Toby used to annoy me a little)

Remember when JT had a wet dream about Liberty?

[tropaka]

I watched this from the beginning - before Spike got knocked up by Shane (and they conveniently had Shane become mentally disabled from an acid trip)..."all the way with Stephanie Kaye"!

Had a mild obsession with it (have a VHS of "School's Out" when everything went haywire), but after watching a bit of TNG when Spike and Snake got together along with Joey and Caitlin lost interest.

When I was a middle/high schooler the appeal was that the kids looked real, and, as a rural kid in Ontario, from Toronto (the centre of cool). The abortion epis struck a chord because they weren't black and white. I think Linda Schuyler sold out late in the game for cash.

[FloraDoraDolly]

I used to watch Degrassi Junior High all the time on CBC out of Windsor here in Detroit back in the ninties. I loved it.

Where's the drama in that? Much more dramatic to have the kids deal with a death of a classmate.

They already dealt with the death of a classmate when Rick was killed during the school shooting.

With JT, I was thinking of something along the lines of a custody battle. Granny dies or gets sick and so one of JT's parents shows up. JT doesn't want to go with this parent and we finally find out what's the deal with his family situation. I guess later on, they did something like this with the KC character and his mother, but by then I wasn't watching regularly anymore.

[lilwriter85]

I watched this from the beginning - before Spike got knocked up by Shane (and they conveniently had Shane become mentally disabled from an acid trip)..."all the way with Stephanie Kaye"!

Had a mild obsession with it (have a VHS of "School's Out" when everything went haywire), but after watching a bit of TNG when Spike and Snake got together along with Joey and Caitlin lost interest.

When I was a middle/high schooler the appeal was that the kids looked real, and, as a rural kid in Ontario, from Toronto (the centre of cool). The abortion epis struck a chord because they weren't black and white. I think Linda Schuyler sold out late in the game for cash.

Wasn't Shane high on acid and he feel off a bridge or something?

[StarrieEyedKat]

Wasn't Shane high on acid and he feel off a bridge or something?

Yeah, he took LSD and either jumped or fell off of a bridge and ended up in a coma for a number of weeks, I believe.