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Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 2)
Encyclopedia
The second season of Degrassi: The Next Generation commenced airing in Canada
on 29 September 2002, concluded on 23 February 2003 and contains twenty-two episodes. Degrassi: The Next Generation
is a Canadian serial
teen drama
television series
. It continues the depiction of the lives of a group of eighth
and ninth grade
school children as they deal with some of the challenges and issues teenagers face such as child abuse
, alcohol abuse
, relationships, hormones, date rape
, body image
, sexual
and racial identity, and coping with death
. This is the first season to feature high school students from grade nine. Filming began 10 June 2002, and continued into November 2002. Every episode is named after a song from the 1980s.
The second season aired Sundays at 7:00 p.m. on CTV
, a Canadian terrestrial
television network
, and premiered
with a sixty minute special
, "When Doves Cry", which form the first two episodes of season two. Additional episodes were also aired on Fridays during January 2003. In the United States, it was broadcast on The N, a digital
cable network
aimed at teenagers and young adults. The season was released on DVD as a four disc boxed set on 21 June 2005 by Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment
in Canada, and by FUNimation Entertainment
in the US. Registered users of the Canadian and US iTunes Store
s are also able purchase and download the season for playback on home computers and certain iPod
s.
A critical and popular success, the second season of Degrassi: The Next Generation was the most-watched Canadian drama series for Canada's younger viewers aged two to thirty-four. It was nominated in eight categories at the Gemini Award
s, four categories at the Directors Guild of Canada
Awards and the National Council on Family Relations Media Awards, and in two categories at the Young Artist Award
s. Four episodes were also nominated at the Awards of Excellence Gala, hosted by the Alliance for Children and Television, which recognize quality Canadian children’s programming.
as bad-boy Sean Cameron
, Ryan Cooley
as class clown James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke, Jake Goldsbie
as computer nerd Toby Isaacs, Miriam McDonald
as environmentalist Emma Nelson
, and Cassie Steele
as cute & bubbly Manuela "Manny" Santos
. The grade nine students are portrayed by Lauren Collins
as cool cheerleader Paige Michalchuk
, Aubrey Graham
as rich and athletic Jimmy Brooks, Shane Kippel
as Gavin "Spinner" Mason, the school bully, Melissa McIntyre as Toby's stepsister, the once preppy, now goth
Ashley Kerwin
, Christina Schmidt as the insecure Terri McGreggor, and Andrea Lewis
as popular cheerleader & Paige's best friend Hazel Aden, in a recurring role. Stefan Brogren
appeares as the school teacher Archie "Snake" Simpson
, Dan Woods playes school principal Mr. Raditch, and Amanda Stepto
acted as Emma's mom Christine "Spike" Nelson in a supporting role.
The two additions to the main cast are Pat Mastroianni
as Joey Jeremiah
(who had played the character in Degrassi Junior High
, Degrassi High
and School's Out
and guest-starred in the series premiere, "Mother and Child Reunion"), and Jake Epstein
as new grade nine student, and Joey's stepson, Craig Manning.
Stacey Farber
, Adamo Ruggiero
, Melissa DiMarco
, and Katie Lai are given recurring roles as grade nine students Ellie Nash and Marco Del Rossi, science teacher Daphne Hatzilakos, and seventh grader Kendra Mason, respectively. Alex Steele, who appeared briefly in "Mother and Child Reunion" as Joey's daughter, Angela Jeremiah, returns in a recurring role. Tom Melissis and Jennifer Podemski are introduced playing Mr. Perino and Ms. Sauve, and Linlyn Lue
returns to play Ms. Kwan.
Anais Granofsky
and Stacie Mistysyn
, who had acted as Lucy Fernandez
and Caitlin Ryan
in the preceding series, returns to the franchise when they guest star in "White Wedding".
and CTV. The executive producers are Epitome Pictures' CEO and Degrassi: The Next Generation co-creator Linda Schuyler
, and her husband, Epitome president Stephen Stohn
. Degrassi: The Next Generation co-creator Yan Moore
served as the creative consultant and David Lowe was the line producer. Aaron Martin served as the executive story editor. James Hurst served as the story editor, with Shelley Scarrow as the junior story editor. The writers for the season are Tassie Cameron, Craig Cornell, James Hurst, Sean Jara, Aaron Martin, Yan Moore, Susin Nielsen, Clare Ross Dunn, Shelley Scarrow, Jana Sinyor
, David Sutherland, and Brendon Yorke. The season's directors are Bruce McDonald, Philip Earnshaw, Paul Fox, Anais Granofsky, and Stefan Scaini.
The season was not without controversy, however. There are a number of episodes with scenes of one teenager being beaten by his father. When reviewing those episodes, the Ryerson University
of Toronto said the show "stands on its own" in reflecting "the kinds of issues [teenagers are] facing in their own lives ... handled with care and consideration, without all the glamour of a Hollywood soap opera." A two-part storyline about date-rape proved too risqué for The N officials, who delayed its broadcasting until suitable edits could be made, and other special treatments were available in the form of panel discussions, online parental guides and separately filmed introductions. The Gazette
said, "You've got to hand it to the creative team behind CTV's justly celebrated teen series, Degrassi: The Next Generation. They're nothing if not a clever bunch", and Brian Orloff of the St. Petersburg Times
praised the series as it "stays in touch with teens' lives".
By the end of 2003, the season had been nominated for or won several awards. The Gemini Awards named Degrassi: The Next Generation the "Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series" and nominated it for "Best Short Dramatic Program". It won the "Best Interactive" category for its connection with the official website, which also won in the "Best Website" category. Bruce McDonald took home the Gemini award for "Best Direction in a Children's or Youth Program or Series" for the episode "Weird Science", and "White Wedding" earned a nomination for Stephen Withrow in the "Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Series". "Careless Whisper" garnered Aaron Martin and Craig Cornell a nomination for "Best Writing for a Children's or Youths' Program or Series", and Jake Epstein's performance in "Tears Are Not Enough" secured him the award for "Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series". At the second annual Directors Guild of Canada Awards, "White Wedding" received recognition for Bruce McDonald in the "Outstanding Achievement in Direction - Television Series" category, and Stephen Stanley in the "Outstanding Achievement in Production Design - Short Form" category. "When Doves Cry" won in team category for "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Series - Children's", and earned Stephen Withrow an honor in the category for "Outstanding Achievement in Picture Editing - Short Form". Jake Epstein's acting earned him a second award when the Young Artist Awards gave him the award for "Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series Leading Young Actor", and the young cast was nominated for "Best Ensemble in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama)".
"White Wedding". Episode eighteen, "Dressed In Black" aired before episode seventeen, "Relax".
In the US, The N aired season two in two blocks. The first block aired 7 October 2002 to 13 January 2003. The second block of episodes aired 11 July 2003 to 29 August 2003, but the episodes did not air in the order intended by the producers. The season finale of season one, "Jagged Little Pill", had been held over, and was shown in an edited format as this season's third episode, along with season two's true third episode to form an hour-long special. Due to the sensitive subject of teenage date rape, episodes six and seven, the "Shout" two-part special, were held over until 11 July 2003 and opened the second half of the season creating an hour-and-a-half long special with episode eighteen, "How Soon Is Now?". Because of plot continuity, episode eight, "Mirror in the Bathroom", was also held back and had its first US airing in the second week of the second block of the season, before episodes thirteen through seventeen continued to air in the correct order, followed by episodes nineteen and twenty, "Tears Are Not Enough, Parts One and Two" which were broadcast as an hour-long season finale
. In re-runs and syndication, the episodes have all aired in the order the producers intended.
This list is by order of production, as they appear on the DVD.
s, blooper
s and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on 29 September 2002, concluded on 23 February 2003 and contains twenty-two episodes. Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
is a Canadian serial
Serial (radio and television)
Serials are series of television programs and radio programs that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode by episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the full run of the series, which distinguishes them from...
teen drama
Teen drama
A teen drama is a dramatic television series with a major focus on teenage characters. The genre was relatively non-existent for the first 45 years of television; it came into prominence in the early 1990s...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
. It continues the depiction of the lives of a group of eighth
Eighth grade
Eighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
and ninth grade
Ninth grade
Ninth grade is the ninth post-kindergarten year of school education in some school systems. The students are 13 to 15 years of age, depending on when their birthday occurs. Depending on the school district, ninth grade is usually the first year of high school....
school children as they deal with some of the challenges and issues teenagers face such as child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the recurring use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse eventually progresses to alcoholism, a condition in which an individual becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages in order to avoid...
, relationships, hormones, date rape
Date rape
"Date rape", often referred to as acquaintance rape, is an assault or attempted assault usually committed by a new acquaintance involving sexual intercourse without mutual consent....
, body image
Body image
Body image refers to a person's perception of the aesthetics and sexual attractiveness of their own body. The phrase body image was first coined by the Austrian neurologist and psychoanalyst Paul Schilder in his masterpiece The Image and Appearance of the Human Body...
, sexual
Sexual identity
Sexual identity is a term that, like sex, has two distinctively different meanings. One describes an identity roughly based on sexual orientation, the other an identity based on sexual characteristics, which is not socially based but based on biology, a concept related to, but different from,...
and racial identity, and coping with death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
. This is the first season to feature high school students from grade nine. Filming began 10 June 2002, and continued into November 2002. Every episode is named after a song from the 1980s.
The second season aired Sundays at 7:00 p.m. on CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
, a Canadian terrestrial
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
, and premiered
Season premiere
In North America, a season premiere is the first episode of a new season of a given television show. It often airs in September or October, after several months of reruns.-Evaluating the changes:...
with a sixty minute special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
, "When Doves Cry", which form the first two episodes of season two. Additional episodes were also aired on Fridays during January 2003. In the United States, it was broadcast on The N, a digital
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
cable network
Cable network
A cable channel is a television channel available via cable television. Such channels are usually also available via satellite television, including direct broadcast satellite providers such as DirecTV, Dish Network and BSkyB...
aimed at teenagers and young adults. The season was released on DVD as a four disc boxed set on 21 June 2005 by Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment
Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. was a Toronto-based media company that operated primarily as a specialty service operator in Canada. Alliance Atlantis also had offices in Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Shannon and Sydney.Alliance Atlantis was acquired by Canwest...
in Canada, and by FUNimation Entertainment
FUNimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
in the US. Registered users of the Canadian and US iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
s are also able purchase and download the season for playback on home computers and certain iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
s.
A critical and popular success, the second season of Degrassi: The Next Generation was the most-watched Canadian drama series for Canada's younger viewers aged two to thirty-four. It was nominated in eight categories at the Gemini Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
s, four categories at the Directors Guild of Canada
Directors Guild of Canada
The Directors Guild of Canada is a Canadian labour union, founded in 1962, which represents more than 3,700 professionals from 48 different occupations in the Canadian film and television industry. The DGC represents directors, assistant directors, location managers, production assistants and...
Awards and the National Council on Family Relations Media Awards, and in two categories at the Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
s. Four episodes were also nominated at the Awards of Excellence Gala, hosted by the Alliance for Children and Television, which recognize quality Canadian children’s programming.
Cast
The second season has fifteen roles receiving starring roles, with thirteen of them returning from the first season. The actors portraying eighth grade students are Sarah Barrable-Tishauer as high-achiever yet lonely Liberty Van Zandt, Daniel ClarkDaniel Clark (actor)
Daniel Allen Clark is a American-Canadian actor and singer. Clark is best known for his role as Sean Cameron on Degrassi: The Next Generation and as Steve Rendazo on the movie Juno.-Personal life:...
as bad-boy Sean Cameron
Sean Cameron
Sean Cameron is a fictional high schooler on the television show Degrassi: The Next Generation. He is portrayed by Daniel Clark. He left the show in season four, but returned for season six..-Personality:Sean is the token bad boy at the school...
, Ryan Cooley
Ryan Cooley
Ryan Cooley is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke on Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Career:...
as class clown James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke, Jake Goldsbie
Jake Goldsbie
Jacob "Jake" Benjamin Goldsbie is a Canadian actor.Goldsbie plays Toby Isaacs in Degrassi: The Next Generation, although he originally auditioned for the role of J.T...
as computer nerd Toby Isaacs, Miriam McDonald
Miriam McDonald
Miriam Katherine McDonald is a Canadian actress and occasional dancer. She is best known for playing Emma Nelson on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Career:...
as environmentalist Emma Nelson
Emma Nelson
Emma Nelson is a fictional student on the Degrassi: The Next Generation television series, having originated in the series' precursor, Degrassi Junior High. She is portrayed as an adolescent and adult by Miriam McDonald....
, and Cassie Steele
Cassie Steele
Cassandra Rae "Cassie" Steele is a Canadian actress and singer-songwriter best known for portraying Manny Santos on Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Life and career:...
as cute & bubbly Manuela "Manny" Santos
Manny Santos
Manuella "Manny" Santos is a fictional character portrayed by Cassie Steele on the television show Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Season 1:...
. The grade nine students are portrayed by Lauren Collins
Lauren Collins
Lauren Felice Collins is a Canadian actress that is perhaps best known for portraying Paige Michalchuk on Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Life and career:...
as cool cheerleader Paige Michalchuk
Paige Michalchuk
Paige Michalchuk is a fictional character in the TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation, portrayed by Lauren Collins.Paige was initially presented as the stereotypical "Queen bee": rich, snobby, and popular...
, Aubrey Graham
Drake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
as rich and athletic Jimmy Brooks, Shane Kippel
Shane Kippel
Shane Warren Kippel is a Canadian television actor. From 2001-2010, he appeared as a regular cast member in the part of Gavin "Spinner" Mason on Degrassi: The Next Generation, which is broadcast on CTV in Canada...
as Gavin "Spinner" Mason, the school bully, Melissa McIntyre as Toby's stepsister, the once preppy, now goth
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
Ashley Kerwin
Ashley Kerwin
Ashley Kerwin is a fictional character at high school in the TV show Degrassi: The Next Generation and is portrayed by Melissa McIntyre.-Season 1:...
, Christina Schmidt as the insecure Terri McGreggor, and Andrea Lewis
Andrea Lewis
Andrea Desiree Lewis is a Canadian-born actress and singer best known for her portrayal of Hazel Aden on the teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Television and Film:...
as popular cheerleader & Paige's best friend Hazel Aden, in a recurring role. Stefan Brogren
Stefan Brogren
Stefan Brogren is a Canadian actor and director. He is best known as Archibald "Archie"/"Snake” Simpson in the Degrassi franchise of television shows.-Career:...
appeares as the school teacher Archie "Snake" Simpson
Archie Simpson
Archibald Rupert "Snake” Simpson is a fictional character on the Degrassi series portrayed by Stefan Brogren. His first appearance in the series was as an eighth grade student on Degrassi Junior High ...
, Dan Woods playes school principal Mr. Raditch, and Amanda Stepto
Amanda Stepto
Amanda Stepto is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Christine "Spike" Nelson in the Degrassi series.-Personal life:...
acted as Emma's mom Christine "Spike" Nelson in a supporting role.
The two additions to the main cast are Pat Mastroianni
Pat Mastroianni
Pasquale "Pat" Mastroianni is a Canadian actor best known for his role as Joey Jeremiah on the Degrassi series of television shows.- Biography :...
as Joey Jeremiah
Joey Jeremiah
Joseph "Joey" Jeremiah is a fictional character from the Degrassi series portrayed by Pat Mastroianni. His first appearance in the series was as a grade 8 student on Degrassi Junior High. Since his first appearance up to Degrassi High, he has been the main focus character and arguably the most...
(who had played the character in Degrassi Junior High
Degrassi Junior High
Degrassi Junior High is a Canadian CBC Television teen drama series that was produced from 1987-1989 as part of the Degrassi series. The show followed the lives of a group of students attending the titular fictional school...
, Degrassi High
Degrassi High
Degrassi High is the third television show in the Degrassi series of teen dramas about the lives of a group of kids living on or near De Grassi Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It first aired from 1989 to 1991 and followed the kids from Kids of Degrassi Street and Degrassi Junior High through...
and School's Out
School's Out (film)
School's Out is a 1992 Canadian television movie featuring the characters of the popular Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High series. The show's longtime team of writers scripted this feature-length movie and shot it during the summer of 1991 to be shown on CBC Television during the new year...
and guest-starred in the series premiere, "Mother and Child Reunion"), and Jake Epstein
Jake Epstein
Jacob Lee "Jake" Epstein is a Canadian actor and singer, perhaps best known for playing Craig Manning, a bipolar musician, on Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Personal life:...
as new grade nine student, and Joey's stepson, Craig Manning.
Stacey Farber
Stacey Farber
Stacey Anne Farber is a Canadian actress who is best known for playing Eleanor "Ellie" Nash in seasons 2 through 7 of the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
, Adamo Ruggiero
Adamo Ruggiero
Adamo Angelo Ruggiero is an Italian-Canadian actor best known for his role of Marco Del Rossi in Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Career:...
, Melissa DiMarco
Melissa DiMarco
Melissa DiMarco is an actor, producer, and television personality. She is currently the star, creator, and a writer on Out There with Melissa DiMarco , an award-winning television comedy which airs on Citytv's national network, OMNI.1, and in syndication on OUTtv...
, and Katie Lai are given recurring roles as grade nine students Ellie Nash and Marco Del Rossi, science teacher Daphne Hatzilakos, and seventh grader Kendra Mason, respectively. Alex Steele, who appeared briefly in "Mother and Child Reunion" as Joey's daughter, Angela Jeremiah, returns in a recurring role. Tom Melissis and Jennifer Podemski are introduced playing Mr. Perino and Ms. Sauve, and Linlyn Lue
Linlyn Lue
Linlyn Lue is a Canadian actress.She was born in Jamaica and came to Canada with her family as a child. She played the strict English teacher Ms. Kwan on the Canadian television show Degrassi: The Next Generation. She also appeared in the film Black Robe, and the television series Strong Medicine...
returns to play Ms. Kwan.
Anais Granofsky
Anais Granofsky
Anais Granofsky is a Canadian actress, screenwriter, producer and director. She is best known for portraying Lucy Fernandez in the Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High series.-Early life and career:...
and Stacie Mistysyn
Stacie Mistysyn
Stacie Mo'ana Mistysyn is an American-born Canadian actress best known for her work as Caitlin Ryan on Degrassi Junior High/Degrassi High, which ran from 1987 to 1991, and for reprising her role as Caitlin on Degrassi: The Next Generation, which has been on the air since 2001 and which she joined...
, who had acted as Lucy Fernandez
Lucy Fernandez
Lucy Fernandez is a fictional character in "Degrassi Junior High;" "Degrassi High;" the Degrassi High follow-up movie, "School's Out;" and "Degrassi: The Next Generation." She is portrayed by the actress, Anais Granofsky in all of the Degrassi series....
and Caitlin Ryan
Caitlin Ryan
Caitlin Ryan is a fictional character from the Degrassi series portrayed by Stacie Mistysyn. Caitlin is a main character on both Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High, which chronicle her maturation from a seventh grader to a high school graduate...
in the preceding series, returns to the franchise when they guest star in "White Wedding".
Crew
The season was produced by Epitome PicturesEpitome Pictures
Epitome Pictures Inc. is a television production company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Epitome currently produces two television drama series aimed primarily at the youth and young-adult market...
and CTV. The executive producers are Epitome Pictures' CEO and Degrassi: The Next Generation co-creator Linda Schuyler
Linda Schuyler
Linda Schuyler, CM is a Canadian television producer involved in the creation of the Degrassi series and Instant Star series of teen programs...
, and her husband, Epitome president Stephen Stohn
Stephen Stohn
John Stephen Stohn is a Canadian-based, American-born entertainment lawyer and television producer. He is the president of Epitome Pictures Inc., and is executive producer of the teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation and Instant Star , and most recently the television movie Degrassi Goes...
. Degrassi: The Next Generation co-creator Yan Moore
Yan Moore
Yan Moore is best known as a writer for Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High and Degrassi:The Next Generation. He was also the creator and producer of Riverdale. He was nominated for a Gemini award in 1995 for Best Writer in a Dramatic Series in recognition of Road to Avonlea.-External links:...
served as the creative consultant and David Lowe was the line producer. Aaron Martin served as the executive story editor. James Hurst served as the story editor, with Shelley Scarrow as the junior story editor. The writers for the season are Tassie Cameron, Craig Cornell, James Hurst, Sean Jara, Aaron Martin, Yan Moore, Susin Nielsen, Clare Ross Dunn, Shelley Scarrow, Jana Sinyor
Jana Sinyor
Jana Sinyor is a Canadian television writer and producer. She is best known as the creator of the television comedy-drama series, Being Erica and Dark Oracle....
, David Sutherland, and Brendon Yorke. The season's directors are Bruce McDonald, Philip Earnshaw, Paul Fox, Anais Granofsky, and Stefan Scaini.
Reception
Well received by critics and audience alike, Degrassi: The Next Generations second season became the most-watched domestic drama series for Canada's three younger age groups of children aged two to eleven, teenagers aged twelve to seventeen and adults aged eighteen to thirty-four.The season was not without controversy, however. There are a number of episodes with scenes of one teenager being beaten by his father. When reviewing those episodes, the Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
of Toronto said the show "stands on its own" in reflecting "the kinds of issues [teenagers are] facing in their own lives ... handled with care and consideration, without all the glamour of a Hollywood soap opera." A two-part storyline about date-rape proved too risqué for The N officials, who delayed its broadcasting until suitable edits could be made, and other special treatments were available in the form of panel discussions, online parental guides and separately filmed introductions. The Gazette
The Gazette (Montreal)
The Gazette, often called the Montreal Gazette to avoid ambiguity, is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with three other daily English newspapers all having shut down at different times during the second half of the 20th century.-History:In 1778,...
said, "You've got to hand it to the creative team behind CTV's justly celebrated teen series, Degrassi: The Next Generation. They're nothing if not a clever bunch", and Brian Orloff of the St. Petersburg Times
St. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
praised the series as it "stays in touch with teens' lives".
By the end of 2003, the season had been nominated for or won several awards. The Gemini Awards named Degrassi: The Next Generation the "Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series" and nominated it for "Best Short Dramatic Program". It won the "Best Interactive" category for its connection with the official website, which also won in the "Best Website" category. Bruce McDonald took home the Gemini award for "Best Direction in a Children's or Youth Program or Series" for the episode "Weird Science", and "White Wedding" earned a nomination for Stephen Withrow in the "Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Series". "Careless Whisper" garnered Aaron Martin and Craig Cornell a nomination for "Best Writing for a Children's or Youths' Program or Series", and Jake Epstein's performance in "Tears Are Not Enough" secured him the award for "Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series". At the second annual Directors Guild of Canada Awards, "White Wedding" received recognition for Bruce McDonald in the "Outstanding Achievement in Direction - Television Series" category, and Stephen Stanley in the "Outstanding Achievement in Production Design - Short Form" category. "When Doves Cry" won in team category for "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Series - Children's", and earned Stephen Withrow an honor in the category for "Outstanding Achievement in Picture Editing - Short Form". Jake Epstein's acting earned him a second award when the Young Artist Awards gave him the award for "Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series Leading Young Actor", and the young cast was nominated for "Best Ensemble in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama)".
Episodes
CTV originally aired episode fourteen, "Careless Whisper", two days before episodes twelve and the thirteen, the hour long specialTelevision special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
"White Wedding". Episode eighteen, "Dressed In Black" aired before episode seventeen, "Relax".
In the US, The N aired season two in two blocks. The first block aired 7 October 2002 to 13 January 2003. The second block of episodes aired 11 July 2003 to 29 August 2003, but the episodes did not air in the order intended by the producers. The season finale of season one, "Jagged Little Pill", had been held over, and was shown in an edited format as this season's third episode, along with season two's true third episode to form an hour-long special. Due to the sensitive subject of teenage date rape, episodes six and seven, the "Shout" two-part special, were held over until 11 July 2003 and opened the second half of the season creating an hour-and-a-half long special with episode eighteen, "How Soon Is Now?". Because of plot continuity, episode eight, "Mirror in the Bathroom", was also held back and had its first US airing in the second week of the second block of the season, before episodes thirteen through seventeen continued to air in the correct order, followed by episodes nineteen and twenty, "Tears Are Not Enough, Parts One and Two" which were broadcast as an hour-long season finale
Season finale
A season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program...
. In re-runs and syndication, the episodes have all aired in the order the producers intended.
This list is by order of production, as they appear on the DVD.
| Episode # | Series # | Title | Canadian airdate | US airdate | Production code |
|---|
DVD release
The DVD release of season two was released by Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment in Canada, and by FUNimation Entertainment in the US on 21 June 2005 after it had completed broadcast on television. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including deleted sceneDeleted scene
In Entertainment, especially the film and television industry, Deleted scenes are parts of a film removed or censored from or replaced by another scene in the final "cut", or version, of a film...
s, blooper
Blooper
A blooper, also known as an outtake or boner is a short sequence of a film or video production, usually a deleted scene, containing a mistake made by a member of the cast or crew. It also refers to an error made during a live radio or TV broadcast or news report, usually in terms of misspoken words...
s and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
| The Complete Second Season | ||||
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Set details | Special features | ||
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| Release dates | ||||
  Region 1 |
 Region 4 |
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| 21 June 2005 | 8 September 2010 | |||
External links
- Season 2 episode synopses at CTV Television NetworkCTV television networkCTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
- List of Degrassi: The Next Generation episodes at IMDBInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
. - Season 2 at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
.