History YMMV / Degrassi

** "Your eyes are so blue, they look like pimming swools!", "She's not a lesbian, she's my best friend", and for ''Degrassi Junior High''

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is the most recognizable version of the show (arguably mostly because of its [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff its success in the United States]], whereas [[PopCultureIsolation the original trilogy remained an obscure PBS program that only a select few seemed to be aware of]]). This has also led to a widely spread and deeply entrenched misconception that ''The Next Generation'' is [[FanonDiscontinuity the only important and legitimate entry]].

* AmericansHateTingle: CBC programming chief Ivan Fecan [[https://web.archive.org/web/20051024204911/http://news.degrassi.ca/article.php?a_id=403 invoked this]] when the premiere episode of ''Degrassi High'', in which Erica gets an abortion, was edited by PBS, leading to accusations of censorship and typical American ExecutiveMeddling.

** ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'' surprisingly get this treatment a lot; even though they are the direct predecessors of the ''Next Generation'' and are directly connected to future iterations in every way ''Degrassi Street'' isn't, they are kind of just scrubbed from existence by popular and "comprehensive" online fan retrospectives about the show, whether because of a lack of familiarity or because of a preconceived notion that those series don't count because "nobody" has heard of them.

* OnceOriginalNowOverdone: ''Degrassi Junior High'' was praised as a breath of fresh air with the way it dealt with adolescence, and now it is regarded as the TropeMaker, or at least the UrExample, of TeenDrama. In the wake of all the teen shows of the ensuing decades, including later ''Degrassi'' series, it might be hard to see why its concept was so novel.

* PopCultureIsolation: ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'' were both Canadian prime-time smash hits; in the United States, they were largely obscure PBS programs with a very niche cult following. This goes a long way in explaining the SequelDisplacement caused by ''The Next Generation'', which was many Americans' introduction to ''Degrassi'', and

** The original generation had a significant fanbase in Australia, where it aired on the [=ABC=]'s ''The Afternoon Show'' hosted by James Valentine and later Michael Tunn. Wheels wearing a Footscray Bulldogs geurnsey in "It's Late", which was later revealed to be a deliberate ShoutOut to the Australian fanbase, is regarded as having fueled this. Australia got ''School's Out'' on VHS nearly a decade before anybody else.
** While ''Degrassi'' always had a cult following south of the border, America didn't truly take notice of it until ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' took off in the US on Creator/TheN, where it was arguably more popular there than it was back home. It continued to thrive in the US even as its Canadian ratings declined to a point where [[https://web.archive.org/web/20110723173833/http://tvfeedsmyfamily.blogspot.com/2008/10/degrassi-lost-generation.html local critics were questioning why it was still even going]]. The Canadian decline led to CTV cancelling the show, for a brief period, until Stephen Stohn repurposed a teen soap deal he had with [=TeenNick=] into a rejuvenated ''TNG'', therefore giving the show a new lease on life thanks to this trope at play.

* PopCultureIsolation: The "first" generation (''Junior High'' and ''High'', specifically) was a massive prime-time success in Canada, but was marginally popular on PBS in the States; while it did attract a stateside cult following, including [[Creator/KevinSmith one particular filmmaker]], it didn't have any tangible cultural impact the way it did in its home country. When comparing it to [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff how later iterations were arguably more popular in the US than in Canada]], this explains a lot about why the original series ''seems'' so disproportionately obscure in comparison to ''The Next Generation''. This is rumoured to be why scenes of Wheels apologizing to Lucy were cut from the American debut of ''TNG'', because they allegedly thought the reference would be lost on American audiences. Not younger audiences, but American audiences.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Virtually every single character in the entire franchise is one, but some examples are more apparent than others.
** Christine "Spike" Nelson, who appeared in ''Junior High'', ''High'', and as an adult in ''Next Generation'' with her daughter Emma, appears to be very polarising, even if there isn't any massive wars fought over her: she has many fans from both the original and ''Next Generation'' who view her as an independent, open-minded and compassionate person. Her detractors view her as an annoyingly frosty {{Jerkass}} who treated the father of her child badly and actively kept him out of Emma's life. ''Next Generation'' viewers who dislike her usually point to her "best friend" treatment and lack of adequate discipline of Emma, which they feel possibly led to the latter's "annoying" personality.

* FanonDiscontinuity: ''The Kids of Degrassi Street'' is commonly disregarded because of its lack of relation to the rest of the franchise.
** ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'' surprisingly get this treatment a lot; even though they are the direct predecessors of the ''Next Generation'' and are directly connected to future iterations in every way ''Degrassi Street'' isn't, they are kind of just scrubbed from existence by popular and "comprehensive" online fan retrospectives about the show, whether because of a lack of familiarity or because of a preconceived notion that those series don't count because "nobody" has heard of them.
* FranchiseKiller: ''Next Class'' is largely regarded as one by ''Next Generation'' fans, who felt ''Next Class'' to be a failed attempt at appealing to the zeitgeist of 2016 with its gratuitous social media references (e.g. episode titles named after hashtags) and more heavy-handed approach to its topics, a far cry from the perceived authenticity of ''Next Generation''. While every iteration since ''Junior High'' has faced some form of TheyChangedItNowItSucks, ''Next Class'' stands out because that sentiment is more or less popular consensus, and is generally regarded as an AudienceAlienatingEra. Its cancellation in 2017 happened without fanfare and was only confirmed two years later, when Stefan Brogren casually tweeted about it.
* MoodWhiplash: ''Degrassi'' has a penchant for going straight from dramatic moments into their jaunty motivational "I can do this" theme songs. In one instance, ''Degrassi Junior High'' ended with the namesake school in flames as its perky theme plays on. The only real subversion to this is late-era ''Next Generation'',[[note]]Seasons 9 to 14, and only those seasons[[/note]] which ends with a quiet solo acoustic rendition of its theme song, "Whatever It Takes".
* OddballInTheSeries: ''The Kids of Degrassi Street'' is the only series that isn't connected to the rest, save for several actors who went on to play better-known roles in ''Junior High'' and beyond. In addition, it's a children's show than a teen show, and the main setting is the street itself, rather than a school bearing its name. As a result, most modern-day ''Degrassi'' fans tend to disregard it.
* PopCultureIsolation: The "first" generation (''Junior High'' and ''High'', specifically) was a massive prime-time success in Canada, but was marginally popular on PBS in the States; while it did attract a stateside cult following, including [[Creator/KevinSmith one particular filmmaker]], it didn't have any tangible cultural impact the way it did in its home country. When comparing it to [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff how later iterations were arguably more popular in the US than in Canada]], this explains a lot about why the original series ''seems'' so disproportionately obscure in comparison to ''The Next Generation''. This is rumoured to be why scenes of Wheels apologizing to Lucy were cut from the American debut of ''TNG'', because they allegedly thought the reference would be lost on American audiences. Not younger audiences, but American audiences.
* ShortLivedBigImpact: The franchise has a few in-universe examples. Since ''Degrassi High'', there has been at least one minor or short-lived character that ends up having a huge impact on the events of his respective show.

** In the ''Next Class'' era, Maya still shows signs of Campbell's death affecting her while dealing with her own depression. When she attempts suicide via [=ODing=], she's on an empty bus sitting in a similar catatonic-like state Cam was in after coming home from an away hockey game.

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is the most recognizable version of the show (arguably mostly because of its [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff its success in the United States]], whereas [[PopCultureIsolation the original trilogy remained an obscure PBS program that only a select few seemed to be aware of]]). This has also led to a misconception that ''The Next Generation'' is [[FanonDiscontinuity the only legitimate entry]].

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is the most recognizable version of the show (arguably mostly because of its [[GermansLoveDavidHassellhoff its success in the United States]], whereas [[PopCulturalIsolation the original trilogy remained an obscure PBS program that only a select few seemed to be aware of]]). This has also led to a misconception that ''The Next Generation'' is [[FanonDiscontinuity the only legitimate entry]].

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is the most well-known version, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff mainly because of its American popularity]], and has coloured many people's perception of the franchise as a whole. Because of this, it is not uncommon to see it pushed by fans as the meat and potatoes of the franchise, usually with disregard for ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'', of which ''Next Generation'' was a continuation of. Examples of this affecting the way the franchise is discussed include "The Ultimate Degrassi Video" by [=YouTuber=] Jane Mulcahy, which while acknowledging the original series briefly in the beginning, still centres the video entirely around the later period despite its all-encompassing title, and frames ''Junior High'' and ''High'' as mere predecessors of "the big thing". This is even apparent in contemporary marketing and promotion, such as ''Creator/TheN'''s marathon "Every Degrassi Ever", a marathon of literally just ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' episodes, named so despite the same channel airing the original series under the banner ''Degrassi Old School''.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: The franchise has had many, likely because of its attempt to be morally grey.

* FranchiseKiller: ''Next Class'' is largely regarded as one by ''Next Generation'' fans, who felt ''Next Class'' to be a failed attempt at appealing to the zeitgeist of 2016 with its gratuitous social media references (e.g. episode titles named after hashtags) and more heavy-handed approach to its topics, a far cry from the perceived grittier and more down to earth nature of ''Next Generation''. While each version of ''Degrassi'' was met with at least some pushback for being glossier and seemingly less down to earth than the previous,[[note]]''Next Generation'' itself is frequently criticised for being glossier than ''Degrassi Junior High'', and according to ''[=BlogTO=]'', even ''Junior High'' [[https://www.blogto.com/film/2022/05/kids-of-degrassi-street/ came under fire]] for apparently being glossier than ''The Kids of Degrassi Street''[[/note]] ''Next Class'' stands out, as that sentiment is widespread enough to be somewhat popular consensus. Netflix silently cancelled ''Next Class'' in 2017, and the news wasn't even made public until Stefan Brogren casually announced it on Twitter in 2019.

* PopCulturalIsolation: The "first" generation (''Junior High'' and ''High'', specifically) was a massive prime-time success in Canada, but was marginally popular on PBS in the States; while it did attract a stateside cult following, including [[Creator/KevinSmith one particular filmmaker]], it didn't have any tangible cultural impact the way it did in its home country. When comparing it to [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff how later iterations were arguably more popular in the US than in Canada]], this explains a lot about why the original series ''seems'' so disproportionately obscure in comparison to ''The Next Generation''. This is rumoured to be why scenes of Wheels apologizing to Lucy were cut from the American debut of ''TNG'', because they allegedly thought the reference would be lost on American audiences. Not younger audiences, but American audiences.

* BrokenBase: Between those who appreciate the vibe of the earlier iterations (namely ''Junior High'', ''High'', and to an extent, early ''Next Generation''), and those who prefer when it moved away from that vibe and became a full-blown teen drama (later ''Next Generation'' and ''Next Class''). Many of those who prefer the later vibe look down on the earlier stuff ([[PopCulturalIsolation if they're aware of it]]) as afterschool special-esque cheese, while those who prefer the earlier vibe may dismiss the later stuff as encompassing the worst of teen drama stereotypes.

* OddballInTheSeries: ''The Kids of Degrassi Street'' is the only series that isn't connected to the rest. In addition, it's a children's show than a teen show, and the main setting is the street itself, rather than a school bearing its name.

** In the ''Next Class'' era, Maya still shows signs of Campbell's death affecting her while dealing with her own depression. When she attempts suicide via [=ODing=], she's on an empty bus sitting in a similar catatonic-like state Cam was in after coming home from an away hockey game

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is the most well-known version, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff mainly because of its American popularity]], and has coloured many people's perception of the franchise as a whole. It is very frequently pushed as '''''the''''' ''Degrassi'' series with little regard for ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'', of which ''Next Generation'' was a continuation of; examples include "The Ultimate Degrassi Video" by [=YouTuber=] Jane Mulcahy, which while acknowledging the original series briefly in the beginning, still centres the video entirely around the later period despite its all-encompassing title. Examples from marketing include ''Creator/TheN'''s marathon "Every Degrassi Ever", a marathon of literally just ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' episodes; this is in spite of the same network airing the original series as ''Degrassi Old School''.

* ArchivePanic: There are '''''521 episodes''''' of Degrassi in total, out of five individual series; ''The Next Generation'' alone makes up the bulk of this, with 14 seasons and 385 episodes. If you were to [[ArchiveBinge binge all five series and three TV movies non-stop]], from "Ida Makes A Movie" to "#[=KThxBye=]", it would take you approximately a week.

* ArchivePanic: There are '''''521 episodes''''' of Degrassi in total, out of five individual series; ''The Next Generation'' alone makes up the bulk of this, with 14 seasons and 385 episodes. If you were to [[ArchiveBinge binge all five series and three TV movies non-stop]], from "Ida Makes A Movie" to "#KThxBye", it would take you approximately a week.

* ArchivePanic: There are '''''521 episodes''''' of Degrassi in total, out of five individual series; ''The Next Generation'' alone makes up the bulk of this, with 14 seasons and 385 episodes.

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is the most well-known version, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff mainly because of its American popularity]], and has coloured many people's perception of the franchise as a whole. It is very frequently pushed as '''''the''''' ''Degrassi'' series with little regard for ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'', of which ''Next Generation'' was a continuation of; examples include "The Ultimate Degrassi Video" by [=YouTuber=] Jane Mulcahy, which while acknowledging the original series briefly in the beginning, still centres the video entirely around the later period despite its all-encompassing title. Examples from marketing include ''Creator/TheN'''s marathon "Every Degrassi Episode Ever", a marathon of literally just ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' episodes; this is in spite of the same network airing the original series as ''Degrassi Old School''. Since the early 2020s, however, there has been a slow but steadily growing awareness of the original series online, such as on the series subreddit, which has led to some becoming annoyed at this trope's effect on ''Degrassi'' discourse.

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is the most well-known version, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff mainly because of its American popularity]], and has coloured many people's perception of the franchise as a whole. It is very frequently pushed as '''''the''''' ''Degrassi'' series with little regard for ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'', of which ''Next Generation'' was a continuation of; examples include "The Ultimate Degrassi Video" by [=YouTuber=] Jane Mulcahy, which while acknowledging the original series briefly in the beginning, still centres the video entirely around the later period despite its all-encompassing title. Examples from marketing include ''Creator/TheN'''s marathon "Every Degrassi Episode Ever", a marathon of literally just ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' episodes; this is in spite of the same network airing the original series as ''Degrassi Old School''. Since the early 2020s, however, there has been a slow but steadily growing awareness of the original series online, such as on the series subreddit, which has led to some expressing their annoyance at the effects of this trope on general ''Degrassi'' discourse.

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is the most well-known version, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff mainly because of its American popularity]], and has coloured many people's perception of the franchise as a whole. It is very frequently pushed as '''''the''''' ''Degrassi'' series with little regard for ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'', of which ''Next Generation'' was a continuation of; examples include "The Ultimate Degrassi Video" by [=YouTuber=] Jane Mulcahy, which while acknowledging the original series briefly in the beginning, still centres the video entirely around the later period despite its all-encompassing title. Examples from marketing include ''Creator/TheN'''s marathon "Every Degrassi Episode Ever", a marathon of literally just ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' episodes; this is in spite of the same network airing the original series as ''Degrassi Old School''. Since the early 2020s, however, there has been a slow but steadily growing awareness of the original series online, such as on the Degrassi subreddit, which has led to some expressing their annoyance at the effects of this trope on general ''Degrassi'' discourse.

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is the most well-known version, [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff mainly because of its American popularity]], and has coloured many people's perception of the franchise as a whole. It is very frequently pushed as '''''the'''''' ''Degrassi'' series with little regard for ''Degrassi Junior High'' and ''Degrassi High'', of which ''Next Generation'' was a continuation of; examples include "The Ultimate Degrassi Video" by [=YouTuber=] Jane Mulcahy, which while acknowledging the original series briefly in the beginning, still centres the video entirely around the later period despite its all-encompassing title. Examples from marketing include ''Creator/TheN'''s marathon "Every Degrassi Episode Ever", a marathon of literally just ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' episodes; this is in spite of the same network airing the original series as ''Degrassi Old School''), which would have most likely made a lot of people think that the entire franchise began in 2001.

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is the most well-known version (at least to Americans, who are [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff by far the most significant and influential part of the fanbase]]), and as a result has largely become the "original" or "default" version of the franchise for many people; the popular consensus for many years seems to be that ''Next Generation'' '''''is''''' ''Degrassi'', and that everything else merely orbits around it. It's not uncommon to see many discussions and even mainstream media articles about "the franchise" only ever concern the 2001-17 period; an example of this is "The Ultimate Degrassi Video" by [=YouTuber=] Jane Mulcahy, which while acknowledging the original series briefly in the beginning, still centres the video entirely around the later period. This isn't entirely on the fanbase however; the marketing for ''Next Generation'' has contributed to this trope being so prevalent, one example being ''Creator/TheN'''s marathon "Every Degrassi Ever", a marathon of literally just ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' episodes (this is in spite of the same network airing the original series as ''Degrassi Old School''), which would have most likely made a lot of people think that the entire franchise began in 2001.