Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 8)
Encyclopedia
The eighth season of Degrassi: The Next Generation premiered in Canada on 5 October 2008, 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 in seasons six and seven, season eight is set in the first semester in which the year 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 freshman, juniors, seniors, and college freshmen as they deal with some of the challenges and issues young adults face such as relationships, sex, violence, sexual identity, police involvement, drug abuse, dropping out, cyberbullying, mental illness, child molestation, gunpoint robbery and shooting. 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, younger students of Degrassi Community School, although it included storylines about the school seniors, and those who have graduated and gone on to university.
Season eight aired Sundays at 7:30 p.m. on CTV
, a Canadian television network. 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 and aired in its usual timeslot on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. on The N. Unlike seasons six and seven, which premiered in the US, "Uptown Girl Part One", this season's premiere episode, was broadcast in Canada first, with "Uptown Girl Part Two" airing a week later; in the US, however, both parts aired together as an hour-long special. As well as airing on television, the season's episodes were also streamed
on the websites of CTV and The N, and registered users of the Canadian and US iTunes Store
s can purchase and download the season for playback on home computers and certain iPod
s.
Production for the season began in May 2008 at Epitome Pictures
' studios in Toronto, Ontario, and were completed in late October 2008. The final episodes of the season were filmed in part in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
, and were written and directed by Stefan Brogren
, who plays Archie "Snake" Simpson
.
This was the last season to air on The N, before its change to the TeenNick
name, in the United States
.
For the eighth season, twenty-four actors have star billing and appear in the title sequence
, an increase of four over the previous season. Stefan Brogren
, Sarah Barrable-Tishauer, Shane Kippel
, Miriam McDonald
, and Cassie Steele
, all original cast members, returned in their respective roles as Archie "Snake" Simpson
, Liberty Van Zandt, Gavin "Spinner" Mason
, Emma Nelson
, and Manuela "Manny" Santos
. Returning cast members introduced in earlier seasons are Jamie Johnston
as Peter Stone, Paula Brancati
as Jane Vaughn, Marc Donato
as Derek Haig, Dalmar Abuzeid as Danny Van Zandt, Nina Dobrev
as Mia Jones, and Charlotte Arnold
as Holly J. Sinclair
.
Since season six, Jake Goldsbie
, portraying Toby Isaacs, has been a recurring cast
member, and is only credited in the episodes in which he appears, during the opening credits
after the title sequence. Beginning in this season, Adamo Ruggiero
, Aubrey Graham, Mike Lobel
, and Amanda Stepto
as Marco Del Rossi, Jimmy Brooks, Jay Hogart
, and Christine "Spike" Nelson respectively, are dropped to recurring status, as well as Lauren Collins
(Paige Michalchuk
), who also appears in Life with Derek
, Stacey Farber
(Ellie Nash), who was signed on to appear in a new series for the 2010 television season, 18 to Life
, and Shenae Grimes
(Darcy Edwards
), who has taken a leading role in the new American television series 90210
, which premiered in September 2008 and is filmed in Los Angeles, California
.
Following the departure of Melissa DiMarco
(Daphne Hatzilakos) at the end of season seven, Kevin Jubinville
plays the new Degrassi principal, Mr. Shepherd ("The Shep"), previously the principal of Lakehurst before the merger of the two schools. Other actors from season seven not returning this season are Deanna Casaluce as Alex Nuñez
, Melissa McIntyre as Ashley Kerwin
, Mazin Elsadig
as Damian Hayes, Steve Belford
as Jesse Stefanovic, and Nathan Stephenson
as Griffin Pierce-Taylor.
To replace the outgoing actors, seven new characters are introduced to the series. Melinda Shankar
plays Alli Bhandari, Sav's younger sister, A.J. Saudin
plays Snake's godson, Connor Deslauriers, and Sam Earle plays K.C. Guthrie. The three characters, and Clare, are new ninth graders attending Degrassi Community School's new Gifted Students program. Judy Jiao and Jordan Hudyma play Leia Chang and Blue Chessex, new eleventh grade
students, Argiris Karras plays Riley Stavros, and Evan Williams
plays Smithdale University freshman Kelly Ashoona. Raymond Ablack, Samantha Munro
, Jajube Mandiela, Aislinn Paul
, Natty Zavitz and Scott Paterson, who previously held recurring roles as Sav Bhandari, Anya MacPherson, Chantay Black, Clare Edwards, Bruce and Johnny DiMarco, are also given star billing.
Kevin Smith
and Jason Mewes
, who both made guest appearances in seasons four
and five
, and former cast members Jake Epstein
(Craig Manning) returned with "many other guest stars" for a four-part season finale, which is set and filmed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
in association with CTV. Funding was provided by The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, the Canadian Television Fund
and BCE-CTV Benefits, The Shaw Television Broadcast Fund, the Independent Production Fund, Mountain Cable Program, and RBC Royal Bank
.
Linda Schuyler
, co-creator of the Degrassi franchise and CEO of Epitome Pictures, served as an executive producer
with her husband, and President of Epitome Pictures, Stephen Stohn
. Sara Snow is also credited as an executive producer. David Lowe was the producer, and Stephanie Cohen the supervising producer. As well as playing Snake Simpson, Stephen Brogren also served as the creative producer, and, for the first time, directed episodes, after previously writing, producing, and directing the exclusive online series Degrassi Minis. The casting director was Stephanie Gorin, and the editor was D. Gillian Truster.
The executive story editor was Sarah Glinski, and Matt Heuther the story editor. The script supervisor was Nancy Markle. Episode writers for the season are Duana Taha and Brendon Yorke. The director of photography was Jim Westenbrink, and the director was Phil Earnshaw.
Also this season is another "Halloween special", titled The Curse of Degrassi, which CTV aired on 26 October 2008 and The N aired it 28 October 2008. This time it deals with the anniversary of Rick Murray's death and his haunting former classmates.
, Bill Brioux, the television columnist for The Canadian Press, was surprised that Degrassi: The Next Generation had reached its eighth season with such poor ratings, asking "What other show in the history of Canadian or American television has so consistently drawn so few viewers yet gets renewed year after year?" Viewing figures continued to drop when an average of 220,000 viewers watched the second and sixth episodes; the lowest figures Degrassi: The Next Generation has ever received. That number was even lower for episode eleven, when overnight ratings showed it received 139,000 viewers. The overall number of viewers rose slightly for the thirteenth episode, the first of a two-parter, when it was watched by 157,000 people, but the viewing figures for the key 18–34 demographics was at a low of 81,000. The following week, the episode that concluded the two-parter picked up viewers, reaching an estimated total of 206,000. Brioux commented again about Degrassi: The Next Generation still being on the schedules, wondering when CTV was going to announce its cancellation and noting that The Amazing Race
, which follows it in the scheduling, was watched by ten times the number of Degrassis viewers. That pattern was repeated the following week, when Degrassi: The Next Generation was watched by 222,000 viewers, compared to 1,834,000 viewers for The Amazing Race, 1,579,000 viewers for Desperate Housewives
and 1,106,000 viewers for The Mentalist
, which were broadcast later in the evening.
Despite the low viewing figures, the season was still a critical hit. The influx of new actors and characters was described as being "fresh", a "chance to bring new energy into the show", and "stir up the school right from its very heart", although original cast member Aubrey Graham criticised the producers and the way it happened. "One day we came in and all the names were just changed on the dressing rooms. Everyone got cut. We go upstairs and it’s like, 'Who are all these people auditioning in the front?' They owe us a lot of money. The amount of loyalty, the years we put in with these people... they did us foul. As far as the producers go, I don’t talk to anybody over there." Writing about specific new actors, Dani Ng-See-Quan of andPop praised Charlotte Arnold for being able to study a full-time journalism course at Ryerson University
and to act full-time in a television series at the same time. Ryerson University's on-campus newspaper, The Eyeopener
also praised Arnold for this achievement, as well as fellow cast members and students Raymond Ablack, Nina Dobrev and Evan Williams. Calgary Herald
and National Post
writer Michael Morrison said Paula Brancati "has become my favorite Canadian actress", admiring her ability to play two different characters on two different series – Jane Vaugn on Degrassi: The Next Generation and Jenny on Being Erica – with an age difference of about thirteen years, and in playing Jane, a character who is the victim of child molestation "[it] is never an easy thing for an actor to portray, but Brancati does it convincingly." This season also promoted awareness in Asperger syndrome
; A.J. Saudin's character Connor is a sufferer. Melinda Shankar's portrayal of a first-generation Canadian whose family comes from India was acknowledged, as her character struggles to deal with the culture clash of acting, dressing and dating who she likes, against her conservative parents' wishes. At AfterElton.com, a magazine a website that focuses on the portrayal of bisexual and homosexual men in the media
, was critical that the sexuality of new character Riley, played by Argiris Karras, has so far been through the eyes of Peter Stone, Riley's unrequited love interest, and that the storyline served only to advance Peter's character. There was praise, however, that Riley is a departure from previous gay characters Marco Del Rossi, Alex Nuñez, and Dylan and Paige Michalchuck, in that he is confused about his sexuality, and unlike sweet and sensitive Marco, Riley is an alpha male jock who is very much in denial about himself. Jamaican-Canadian screenwriter Annmarie Morais
said of the Canadian television industry that Degrassi: The Next Generation is a prime example of a Canadian television series that has garnered international acclaim while maintaining a strong and realistic portrayal of life in Canada. "While in the States, I work with a lot of teenagers and pre-teens, and every one of them knows about Degrassi. Now, that show doesn't have an O.C. formula or Beverly Hills 90210 formula; it's unique and it has a Canadian voice. Shows like Degrassi prove that we can develop shows that have strength across the border."
Linda Schuyler was honoured with the Female Eye Maverick Award at the annual Female Eye Film Festival held in Toronto in March 2009. Leslie Ann Coles, director of the festival, said Schuyler is "one of the most successful, innovative and progressive women" in the TV industry. At the 2009 Young Artist Award
s, Jamie Johnson was nominated as a Leading Young Actor in the Best Performance in a TV Comedy or Drama Series.
The Degrassi Goes Hollywood Movie premiered in the US on The N 14 August 2009, before it premiered in Canada on 30 August 2009. The show garnered the highest rating in The N network history, attracting nearly one million viewers.
. The TV movie follows the students during the winter break of the school year.
This list is by order of production, as they appear on the DVD, which is also the order they originally aired.
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 teen drama television series. Although only one school year passed in the story timeline in seasons six and seven, season eight is set in the first semester in which the year it aired. Writers have been able to use a semi-floating timeline
Floating timeline
A Floating timeline is a device used in fiction, particularly in comics and animation, to explain why characters age little or not at all over a period of time - despite real-world markers like notable events, people and technology appearing in the works and correlating with the real world.A...
, so that the issues depicted are modern for their viewers. This season depicts the lives of a group of high school freshman, juniors, seniors, and college freshmen as they deal with some of the challenges and issues young adults face such as relationships, sex, violence, sexual identity, police involvement, drug abuse, dropping out, cyberbullying, mental illness, child molestation, gunpoint robbery and shooting. Thirteen actors are added to the ensemble cast
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
, 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, younger students of Degrassi Community School, although it included storylines about the school seniors, and those who have graduated and gone on to university.
Season eight aired Sundays at 7:30 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 television network. Episodes were repeated on CTV's sister cable speciality network, MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
, on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. In the United States, the season began on 10 October 2008 and aired in its usual timeslot on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. on The N. Unlike seasons six and seven, which premiered in the US, "Uptown Girl Part One", this season's premiere episode, was broadcast in Canada first, with "Uptown Girl Part Two" airing a week later; in the US, however, both parts aired together as an hour-long special. As well as airing on television, the season's episodes were also streamed
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
on the websites of CTV and The N, and 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 can 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.
Production for the season began in May 2008 at Epitome Pictures
Epitome 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...
' studios in Toronto, Ontario, and were completed in late October 2008. The final episodes of the season were filmed in part in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, and were written and directed by 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:...
, who plays 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 ...
.
This was the last season to air on The N, before its change to the TeenNick
TeenNick
TeenNick, formerly The N, is an American television network aimed at the teenage market. TeenNick is owned by the MTV Networks subsidiary, Viacom. The channel was originally known as The N from its April 1, 2002 launch until September 28, 2009....
name, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Cast
Title sequence
A Title Sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound...
, an increase of four over the previous season. 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:...
, Sarah Barrable-Tishauer, 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...
, 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:...
, 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:...
, all original cast members, returned in their respective roles as 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 ...
, Liberty Van Zandt, Gavin "Spinner" Mason
Spinner Mason
Gavin Reginald "Spinner" Mason, is a fictional high-school graduate in Degrassi: The Next Generation, portrayed by Shane Kippel.-Characterization:...
, 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 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:...
. Returning cast members introduced in earlier seasons are Jamie Johnston
Jamie Johnston
James "Jamie" Johnston is a Canadian actor and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his role as Peter Stone on Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Personal life and career:...
as Peter Stone, Paula Brancati
Paula Brancati
Paula Brancati is a Canadian actress who performs in live theatre, television, and film. She is most notable for her roles as Jenny Zalen on Being Erica, Cally Stone on Dark Oracle and Jane Vaughn on Degrassi: The Next Generation.Brancati was born in Markham, Ontario, Canada. She is a fan of Al...
as Jane Vaughn, Marc Donato
Marc Donato
-Life and career:Donato portrayed the character Derek Haig on Degrassi: The Next Generation. Other roles include those in Doc, Locked in Silence, The Blue Butterfly, and other cartoon voices, recently as Ethan in The Future Is Wild...
as Derek Haig, Dalmar Abuzeid as Danny Van Zandt, Nina Dobrev
Nina Dobrev
Nina Dobrev is a Bulgarian-Canadian actress. She played the role of Mia Jones, the single teenage mother, on Degrassi: The Next Generation, from the show's sixth to ninth season...
as Mia Jones, and Charlotte Arnold
Charlotte Arnold
Charlotte Arnold is a Canadian film actress and television actress best known as the character of Holly J. Sinclair in Degrassi: The Next Generation and Sadie Hawthorne in the Canadian TV series Naturally, Sadie.- Biography :...
as Holly J. Sinclair
Holly J. Sinclair
Holly J. Sinclair is a fictional character on the Canadian television drama Degrassi: The Next Generation and is portrayed by Charlotte Arnold. Holly J., the adopted sister of unseen character Heather Sinclair, is the Queen Bee of Degrassi Community School. Holly J...
.
Since season six, 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...
, portraying Toby Isaacs, has been a recurring cast
Recurring character
A recurring character is a fictional character, usually in a prime time TV series, who appears from time to time during the series' run. Recurring characters often play major roles in an episode, sometimes being the main focus...
member, and is only credited in the episodes in which he appears, during the opening credits
Opening credits
In a motion picture, television program, or video game, the opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. There...
after the title sequence. Beginning in this season, 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:...
, Aubrey Graham, Mike Lobel
Mike Lobel
Michael Ryan "Mike" Lobel is a Canadian actor.-Life and career:Lobel is the oldest of three siblings. At a young age he began showing interest in music and visual arts which drew him to Etobicoke School of the Arts. He attended ESA from 1998 to 2003, first majoring in music then later switching...
, 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:...
as Marco Del Rossi, Jimmy Brooks, Jay Hogart
Jay Hogart
Jason "Jay" Hogart, played by Mike Lobel, is a fictional character on Degrassi: The Next Generation. He is usually portrayed as the school bully and bad boy, but later throughout the series he displays instances of conscience that make him more of an anti-hero...
, and Christine "Spike" Nelson respectively, are dropped to recurring status, as well as 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:...
(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...
), who also appears in Life with Derek
Life with Derek
Life with Derek is a Canadian television sitcom that aired on Family and VRAK.TV in Canada and on Disney Channel in the United States. The series premiered on Family on September 18, 2005 and ran for four seasons ending on March 25, 2009. The series starred Michael Seater and Ashley Leggat as the...
, 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....
(Ellie Nash), who was signed on to appear in a new series for the 2010 television season, 18 to Life
18 to Life
18 to Life is a Canadian television sitcom that debuted on January 4, 2010 on CBC Television. The series is shown in Quebec on Vrak.TV with the title Majeurs et mariés.-Synopsis:...
, and Shenae Grimes
Shenae Grimes
Shenae Grimes is a Canadian actress. She currently portrays the role of Annie Wilson on 90210, a spinoff of Beverly Hills, 90210. Prior to that she played Darcy Edwards on Degrassi: The Next Generation...
(Darcy Edwards
Darcy Edwards
Darcy Edwards is a fictional character on Degrassi: The Next Generation. She is portrayed by Shenae Grimes. As of 2010, she is one of two Degrassi characters whose actor independently exists within the Degrassi fictional universe, Grimes having been spoken of in Degrassi Goes Hollywood, and Drake...
), who has taken a leading role in the new American television series 90210
90210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
, which premiered in September 2008 and is filmed in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Following the departure of 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...
(Daphne Hatzilakos) at the end of season seven, Kevin Jubinville
Kevin Jubinville
Kevin Jubinville is a Canadian actor, best known for playing The Shep in Degrassi: The Next Generation and Bob Venton in Rabbit Fall.- Filmography :- External links :...
plays the new Degrassi principal, Mr. Shepherd ("The Shep"), previously the principal of Lakehurst before the merger of the two schools. Other actors from season seven not returning this season are Deanna Casaluce as Alex Nuñez
Alex Nuñez
Alexandra "Alex" Nuñez is a fictional character on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. She is portrayed by Deanna Casaluce....
, Melissa McIntyre as 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:...
, Mazin Elsadig
Mazin Elsadig
Mazin Elfadil Elsadig is an American actor. He had a role in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Jump In!. Elsadig later joined the cast of Degrassi: The Next Generation as Damian Hayes, for the 6th and 7th seasons. He is also the voice of Broseph on the Canadian TV series...
as Damian Hayes, Steve Belford
Steve Belford
Steve Belford is a Canadian known for various roles in television, best known for his roles in Paradise Falls, Degrassi: The Next Generation, and Radio Free Roscoe.-Filmography:-External links:*...
as Jesse Stefanovic, and Nathan Stephenson
Nathan Stephenson
Nathan Stephenson is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his starring roles in Radio Free Roscoe as Robbie and in System Crash as James . He has also guest starred on Naturally, Sadie, Dark Oracle and in the TV film Cyber Seduction: His Secret Life. As of 2008 he has a recurring role in...
as Griffin Pierce-Taylor.
To replace the outgoing actors, seven new characters are introduced to the series. Melinda Shankar
Melinda Shankar
Melinda Shankar is a Canadian actress who is best known for playing Alli Bhandari beginning in season 8 of Degrassi: The Next Generation...
plays Alli Bhandari, Sav's younger sister, A.J. Saudin
A.J. Saudin
A.J. Saudin is a Canadian film and television actor best known for his role as Connor in Degrassi: The Next Generation.In 2006, he starred in the film Aruba.-Career:...
plays Snake's godson, Connor Deslauriers, and Sam Earle plays K.C. Guthrie. The three characters, and Clare, are new ninth graders attending Degrassi Community School's new Gifted Students program. Judy Jiao and Jordan Hudyma play Leia Chang and Blue Chessex, new eleventh grade
Eleventh grade
Eleventh Grade is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16 or 17 years of age, depending on the country and the students' birthdays.-Brazil:...
students, Argiris Karras plays Riley Stavros, and Evan Williams
Evan Williams (actor)
Evan Williams is a Canadian actor and musician. He is best known for playing Kelly Ashoona in Degrassi: The Next Generation. He is a series regular. Evan Williams was born in Alberta and spent most of his childhood in Calgary...
plays Smithdale University freshman Kelly Ashoona. Raymond Ablack, Samantha Munro
Samantha Munro
Samantha Munro is an actress who currently lives in Courtice, Ontario, Canada. She is best known for her role as Anya MacPherson on Degrassi: The Next Generation....
, Jajube Mandiela, Aislinn Paul
Aislinn Paul
Aislinn Paul is a Canadian actress, best known for her role in Degrassi: The Next Generation as Clare Edwards, the younger sister of Darcy Edwards.-Career:...
, Natty Zavitz and Scott Paterson, who previously held recurring roles as Sav Bhandari, Anya MacPherson, Chantay Black, Clare Edwards, Bruce and Johnny DiMarco, are also given star billing.
Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
and Jason Mewes
Jason Mewes
Jason Edward Mewes is an American television, film actor, and internet radio show host best known for playing Jay, the vocal half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, in longtime friend Kevin Smith's films.-Early life:...
, who both made guest appearances in seasons four
Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 4)
The fourth season of Degrassi: The Next Generation commenced airing in Canada on 7 September 2004, concluded on 14 February 2005 and contains twenty-two episodes. Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian serial teen drama television series...
and five
Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 5)
The fifth season of Degrassi: The Next Generation commenced airing in Canada on 19 September 2005, concluded on 20 March 2006 and contains nineteen episodes. Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian serial teen drama television series...
, and former cast members 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:...
(Craig Manning) returned with "many other guest stars" for a four-part season finale, which is set and filmed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
Crew
Season eight 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...
in association with CTV. Funding was provided by The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, the Canadian Television Fund
Canadian Television Fund
The Canadian Television Fund supported the production and broadcast of Canadian television programs. On 1 April 2010, the Canadian Television Fund became the Canada Media Fund...
and BCE-CTV Benefits, The Shaw Television Broadcast Fund, the Independent Production Fund, Mountain Cable Program, and RBC Royal Bank
Royal Bank of Canada
The Royal Bank of Canada or RBC Financial Group is the largest financial institution in Canada, as measured by deposits, revenues, and market capitalization. The bank serves seventeen million clients and has 80,100 employees worldwide. The company corporate headquarters are located in Toronto,...
.
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...
, co-creator of the Degrassi franchise and CEO of Epitome Pictures, served as an executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
with her husband, and President of Epitome Pictures, 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...
. Sara Snow is also credited as an executive producer. David Lowe was the producer, and Stephanie Cohen the supervising producer. As well as playing Snake Simpson, Stephen Brogren also served as the creative producer, and, for the first time, directed episodes, after previously writing, producing, and directing the exclusive online series Degrassi Minis. The casting director was Stephanie Gorin, and the editor was D. Gillian Truster.
The executive story editor was Sarah Glinski, and Matt Heuther the story editor. The script supervisor was Nancy Markle. Episode writers for the season are Duana Taha and Brendon Yorke. The director of photography was Jim Westenbrink, and the director was Phil Earnshaw.
Also this season is another "Halloween special", titled The Curse of Degrassi, which CTV aired on 26 October 2008 and The N aired it 28 October 2008. This time it deals with the anniversary of Rick Murray's death and his haunting former classmates.
Reception
The season premiere was watched by 398,000 Canadian viewers, a figure almost 200,000 fewer than season seven's premiere of 585,000 viewers. When reporting on the figures in his blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, Bill Brioux, the television columnist for The Canadian Press, was surprised that Degrassi: The Next Generation had reached its eighth season with such poor ratings, asking "What other show in the history of Canadian or American television has so consistently drawn so few viewers yet gets renewed year after year?" Viewing figures continued to drop when an average of 220,000 viewers watched the second and sixth episodes; the lowest figures Degrassi: The Next Generation has ever received. That number was even lower for episode eleven, when overnight ratings showed it received 139,000 viewers. The overall number of viewers rose slightly for the thirteenth episode, the first of a two-parter, when it was watched by 157,000 people, but the viewing figures for the key 18–34 demographics was at a low of 81,000. The following week, the episode that concluded the two-parter picked up viewers, reaching an estimated total of 206,000. Brioux commented again about Degrassi: The Next Generation still being on the schedules, wondering when CTV was going to announce its cancellation and noting that The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams...
, which follows it in the scheduling, was watched by ten times the number of Degrassis viewers. That pattern was repeated the following week, when Degrassi: The Next Generation was watched by 222,000 viewers, compared to 1,834,000 viewers for The Amazing Race, 1,579,000 viewers for Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
and 1,106,000 viewers for The Mentalist
The Mentalist
The Mentalist is an American police procedural television series which debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS. The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also the show's executive producer...
, which were broadcast later in the evening.
Despite the low viewing figures, the season was still a critical hit. The influx of new actors and characters was described as being "fresh", a "chance to bring new energy into the show", and "stir up the school right from its very heart", although original cast member Aubrey Graham criticised the producers and the way it happened. "One day we came in and all the names were just changed on the dressing rooms. Everyone got cut. We go upstairs and it’s like, 'Who are all these people auditioning in the front?' They owe us a lot of money. The amount of loyalty, the years we put in with these people... they did us foul. As far as the producers go, I don’t talk to anybody over there." Writing about specific new actors, Dani Ng-See-Quan of andPop praised Charlotte Arnold for being able to study a full-time journalism course at 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...
and to act full-time in a television series at the same time. Ryerson University's on-campus newspaper, The Eyeopener
The Eyeopener
The Eyeopener is one of two weekly student newspapers at Ryerson University in Toronto. It has a circulation of 10,000 copies per week during the school year....
also praised Arnold for this achievement, as well as fellow cast members and students Raymond Ablack, Nina Dobrev and Evan Williams. Calgary Herald
Calgary Herald
The Calgary Herald is a daily newspaper published in the Canadian city of Calgary, Alberta.- History :The paper was first published on August 31, 1883 by Andrew Armour and Thomas Braden as The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate and General Advertiser. It started as a weekly paper with only...
and National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
writer Michael Morrison said Paula Brancati "has become my favorite Canadian actress", admiring her ability to play two different characters on two different series – Jane Vaugn on Degrassi: The Next Generation and Jenny on Being Erica – with an age difference of about thirteen years, and in playing Jane, a character who is the victim of child molestation "[it] is never an easy thing for an actor to portray, but Brancati does it convincingly." This season also promoted awareness in Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome
Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
; A.J. Saudin's character Connor is a sufferer. Melinda Shankar's portrayal of a first-generation Canadian whose family comes from India was acknowledged, as her character struggles to deal with the culture clash of acting, dressing and dating who she likes, against her conservative parents' wishes. At AfterElton.com, a magazine a website that focuses on the portrayal of bisexual and homosexual men in the media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, was critical that the sexuality of new character Riley, played by Argiris Karras, has so far been through the eyes of Peter Stone, Riley's unrequited love interest, and that the storyline served only to advance Peter's character. There was praise, however, that Riley is a departure from previous gay characters Marco Del Rossi, Alex Nuñez, and Dylan and Paige Michalchuck, in that he is confused about his sexuality, and unlike sweet and sensitive Marco, Riley is an alpha male jock who is very much in denial about himself. Jamaican-Canadian screenwriter Annmarie Morais
Annmarie Morais
Annmarie Morais is a Jamaican-Canadian screenwriter best known for writing the film How She Move. She earned a BFA from York University in Film and Video in 1995....
said of the Canadian television industry that Degrassi: The Next Generation is a prime example of a Canadian television series that has garnered international acclaim while maintaining a strong and realistic portrayal of life in Canada. "While in the States, I work with a lot of teenagers and pre-teens, and every one of them knows about Degrassi. Now, that show doesn't have an O.C. formula or Beverly Hills 90210 formula; it's unique and it has a Canadian voice. Shows like Degrassi prove that we can develop shows that have strength across the border."
Linda Schuyler was honoured with the Female Eye Maverick Award at the annual Female Eye Film Festival held in Toronto in March 2009. Leslie Ann Coles, director of the festival, said Schuyler is "one of the most successful, innovative and progressive women" in the TV industry. At the 2009 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, Jamie Johnson was nominated as a Leading Young Actor in the Best Performance in a TV Comedy or Drama Series.
The Degrassi Goes Hollywood Movie premiered in the US on The N 14 August 2009, before it premiered in Canada on 30 August 2009. The show garnered the highest rating in The N network history, attracting nearly one million viewers.
Episodes
This season had no hour long specials, however a two-hour movie aired as the season finale, which was four episodes combined, called Paradise City: Degrassi Goes HollywoodDegrassi Goes Hollywood
Paradise City: Degrassi Goes Hollywood is a 2009 Canadian film adaptation of the popular, long-running teenage drama Degrassi: The Next Generation. The movie premiered in the United States on The N on 14 August 2009, and in Canada on CTV on 30 August 2009. It was directed by veteran Degrassi...
. The TV movie follows the students during the winter break of the school year.
This list is by order of production, as they appear on the DVD, which is also the order they originally aired.
| |Title | 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. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features the Degrassi Goes Hollywood movie and is packed with bonus material including deleted scene Deleted 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.
External links
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
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