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Degrassi Junior High was a Canadian produced show, set in
Toronto, detailing the lives and loves of a collection of
Junior High School kids. The original show ran for five seasons
between 1987 and 1991 and was known for its gritty portrayal
of school life. Many of the episodes dealt with difficult
subjects such as homosexuality, child abuse and the prevalence
of drugs in the education system. The shows sense of reality
was further enhanced by having predominantly non-actors...
The first season consisted of thirteen episodes, spread across
three discs, though the show as a whole ran for forty two,
following the cast from Junior High to High School proper.
The series
concluded with the made for TV film Schools Out which
continued to court controversy with its depiction of sexuality
and language. The show was revived as Degrassi: The Next
Generation (heard that one used before) which continues
to run in the United States.
The pilot episode, Kiss Me, Steph, throws the audience
straight in at the deep end with Stephanie's first day of
Junior High School where she decides to run for class president.
Not a bad episode, considering its purpose is to introduce
the cast. The season contains some highlights of teenage angst.
In The Great Race, Melanie goes through that awful
problem of having your first bra, a high point for some young
girls but for Melanie it makes her an object of derision.
One of the best episodes is The Best Laid Plans wherein
Wheels asks Stephanie out on a date. Up for a good time he
goes to buy condoms, oblivious to that fact that the woman
in the drug store is Stephanie's mother, a fact not lost on
the mother when he turns up for his date.
The
show is presented in its original 4:3 format with stereo sound.
If we're being honest the show has not dated well and the
print is at best ok. For very good reasons of attracting their
audience the cast are dressed in what was considered fashionable
at the time, but fashions change and nothing dates a show
quicker than its clothing.
The
acting, also, remains a variable factor. Whilst many of the
inexperienced cast do justice to their roles, there are others
who would not have passed the auditions for Grange Hill.
It is a little obvious that, apart from appearing in the follow
up shows, few, if any of the cast went on to be successful
actors.
What
really pulls the package back from the brink for Degrassi
fans is the extras, which are plentiful if a little teachy
preachy at times. On disc one you get Degrassi on drugs
and alcohol (apparently these are bad things, if you didn't
already know) as well as a Pop
Quiz,
some wallpaper as well as teaching materials as a PDF. If
that weren't cheery enough for you, disc two has features
on sexuality and depression as well as another Pop Quiz,
Wallpaper and teaching materials. Not to be outdone
by the first two discs, disc three looks at sex and abuse.
Although high in educational content, the extras do not make
for easy viewing. You get the massive feeling that the makers
are packaging the set for school classes.
Whilst the real issues of growing up are still with us, my
feeling is that a modern teenage audience will find the characters
a little too naive for their liking. That said it's no worse
than the early seasons of Grange Hill.
Charles
Packer
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