History Franchise / Degrassi

''Degrassi'' is a [[LongRunner long running]] Canadian television franchise, created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood, that focuses on the lives of teenagers attending the eponymous secondary school. Named after (and originally set in) the real De Grassi Street in UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}}, Ontario, it is one of the most iconic franchises in Canadian history. ''Degrassi'' can be separated into two distinct phases: the "classic" series, produced from 1979-1992 by Playing With Time, and the revival era, produced from 2001-2017 by Epitome Pictures. Co-creator Linda Schuyler has been the sole mainstay of the franchise since its inception; her original creative partner was co-creator Kit Hood from 1979 to 1992, and then executive producer Stephen Stohn from 2001 to 2017.

Linda Schuyler was a Toronto schoolteacher in the mid 1970s who incorporated media into her curriculum and got into filmmaking to create material to show her class. She met experienced editor Kit Hood in a local filmmaker collective and found that they suited each other's creative needs, forming a partnership and the company Playing with Time to produce documentaries. What would become ''Degrassi'' had its roots in a 1979 after-school special ''Ida Makes A Movie'', which they adapted from a children's book of the same name. They subsequently created three more films over the next three years, with the same continuity and characters. By late 1982, the CBC turned it into a weekly series, which is now known as ''Series/TheKidsOfDegrassiStreet''.

The show gained some serious critical attention in Canada for its down-to-earth portrayal of children, and by 1985 had won an International Emmy and other prestigious awards. By this point, Linda and Kit wanted to tackle more complex and mature issues. Fed up with the {{Anvilicious}} nature of most American programming directed at teenagers and noticing the largely untapped nature of the teen media market, they developed a new series with the ''Degrassi'' name throughout 1986, with many of the ''Degrassi Street'' kids retained playing new characters. The aim was to create a series that would simply portray the lives of teenagers and the things they went through, as accurately as they could and without moralising. The result, ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'', began in 1987 and soon became the show that cemented the ''Degrassi'' name as a Canadian institution, introducing important characters such as Joey Jeremiah, Caitlin Ryan, Christine "Spike" Nelson, and Archie "Snake" Simpson. Tackling teenage pregnancy, abuse, eating disorders and many other complex topics, it was DarkerAndEdgier, took on many SoapOpera tropes and featured a large ensemble cast, the result being what many consider to be the true TropeMaker for the TeenDrama genre. After having gained serious critical attention, became the country's number-one drama, and won numerous awards, ''Degrassi Junior High'' evolved into ''Series/DegrassiHigh'' and tackled even more serious topics like HIV/AIDS and suicide, before ending with the controversial feature-length finale ''Film/DegrassiSchoolsOut'', which is said to have featured the first F-bomb in Canadian television history.

The ''Degrassi'' franchise comprises:

* VerySpecialEpisode: Subverted; while the series, specifically the Playing With Time era, has been frequently (and often negatively) likened to these, upon closer inspection it is nowhere near as one-shot and hamfisted as the stereotypical Very Special Episode.

* VerySpecialEpisode: Practically every episode in the franchise is one as its roots partly lie in a need for educational material for teenagers. However it is generally considered an exception to the stereotypical examples of this trope.

* UnbuiltTrope: Despite being the TropeMaker of TeenDrama, ''Degrassi Junior High'' feels like a deconstruction reacting to stereotypical teen drama tropes.

* GenreShift: From children's series (''The Kids Of Degrassi Street'') to TeenDrama (''Degrassi Junior High'').
* LineOfSightName: The name "Degrassi" came from the real-life Toronto street the first series was set in, which is actually called De Grassi Street after Italian-Canadian soldier Filippo De Grassi. In 1979, Toronto used all-caps stamped street signs, leaving it ambiguous whether the name was one word or two; newer mixed-case screen-printed ones appeared well after the producers had committed to "Degrassi" as one word.
* OnceOriginalNowOverdone: ''Degrassi Junior High'' was hailed as a breath of fresh air by critics and fans alike for subverting many tropes and being more down-to-earth than most of what teen media had to offer, and many who are aware of the show believe it to be the TropeMaker, or at least the UrExample of TeenDrama. Later teen drama and teen drama-adjacent TV shows, including future versions of ''Degrassi'', would push that envelope significantly, so to some ''Junior High'' might look a bit tame.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Quite a few of the storylines in the show, particularly the "classic" era, were influenced by real events in the actors' lives, whether for better or worse. Other episodes, particularly the "Next Generation" era, were influenced by real life events and tragedies.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: ''Degrassi Junior High'' was hailed as a breath of fresh air by critics and fans alike for subverting many tropes and being more down-to-earth than most of what teen media had to offer, and many who are aware of the show believe it to be the TropeMaker, or at least the UrExample of TeenDrama. Later teen drama and teen drama-adjacent TV shows, including future versions of ''Degrassi'', would push that envelope significantly, so to some ''Junior High'' might look a bit tame.

Despite ending in 1992, ''Degrassi'' found a strong and loyal fanbase on the nascent internet throughout TheNineties, and this continued interest culminated in Creator/JonathanTorrens reuniting the ''Junior High/High'' cast on his show ''Jonovision'' in December 1999. Around that time, Linda Schuyler and original head writer Yan Moore conceived a revival on the basis that the daughter of Spike would be old enough to be a junior high student. In 2001, ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'', helmed by Schuyler and new partner Stephen Stohn, made its premiere on CTV and did pretty fine at home, but [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff it was American audiences that proved to be the largest and most loyal]]; while ''Degrassi'' previously had a small stateside following, it was the revival that really cemented its notoriety south of the border, so severely that a large amount of people to this day are unaware that it was a revival of an iconic Canadian cultural touchstone. This iteration was the one that boasted pre-fame Music/{{Drake}), whose character was famously paralyzed by a school shooter, and Creator/NinaDobrev before her breakout role in Series/TheVampireDiaries.

One of the most iconic franchises in the history of Canadian television, ''Degrassi'' is a [[LongRunner long running]] series of dramas that follow the lives of a group of teenagers who lived on or near De Grassi Street in UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}}, Ontario. The franchise can be separated into two distinct phases: the "classic" series (1979-1992) which were non-union and produced by the DIY independent company Playing With Time, and the "Next Generation" era (2001-2017), produced by Epitome Pictures and defined by more conventional production values. Co-creator Linda Schuyler (as well as cinematographer Philip Earnshaw) are virtually the only creative mainstays of the franchise; Schuyler has had two creative partners; co-creator Kit Hood (1979-92) and executive producer Stephen Stohn (2001-17).

Linda Schuyler was a Toronto schoolteacher in the mid 1970s who incorporated media into her curriculum and got into filmmaking to create material to show her class. She met experienced editor Kit Hood in a local filmmaker collective and they began a partnership. What would become ''Degrassi'' had its roots in a 1979 short film called ''Ida Makes A Movie'', which they adapted from a children's book of the same name. From there they produced a string of annual follow-up films each year with the same characters and the CBC turned it into a full-time series. Now called ''Series/TheKidsOfDegrassiStreet'', it garnered a lot of critical praise domestically for its realistic and down-to-earth portrayal of children.

While the show began to win some prestigious awards by 1985, Linda and Kit's sights were set on the teenage demographic whom they felt to be short-changed when it came to proper educational programming. Fed up with the {{Anvilicious}} nature of most American programming, they developed a new series with the ''Degrassi'' name throughout 1986, with many of the ''Degrassi Street'' kids retained playing new characters. The aim was to create a series that would simply portray the lives of teenagers and the things they went through, as accurately as they could and without moralising. The result, ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'', began in 1987 and soon became the show that cemented the ''Degrassi'' name as a Canadian institution, introducing important characters such as Joey Jeremiah, Caitlin Ryan, Christine "Spike" Nelson, and Archie "Snake" Simpson. Tackling teenage pregnancy, abuse, eating disorders and many other complex topics, it was DarkerAndEdgier, took on many SoapOpera tropes and featured a large ensemble cast, the result being what many consider to be the true TropeMaker for the TeenDrama genre. After having gained serious critical attention, became the country's number-one drama, and won numerous awards, ''Degrassi Junior High'' evolved into ''Series/DegrassiHigh'' and tackled even more serious topics like HIV/AIDS and suicide, before ending with the controversial feature-length finale ''Film/DegrassiSchoolsOut'', which is said to have featured the first F-bomb in Canadian television history.

One of the most iconic franchises in the history of Canadian television, ''Degrassi'' is a [[LongRunner long running]] series of dramas that follow the lives of a group of teenagers who lived on or near De Grassi Street in UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}}, Ontario. The franchise can be separated into two distinct phases: the "classic" series (1979-1992) which were non-union and produced by the DIY independent company Playing With Time, and the "Next Generation" era (2001-2017), which was a unionized and more conventional production by Epitome Pictures. Each company (and production) was helmed by Linda Schuyler and her partner-in-crime of the period (Kit Hood for the "classic" era, Stephen Stohn of the "Next Generation" era).

While the show began to win some prestigious awards by 1985, Linda and Kit's sights were set on the teenage demographic whom they felt to be short-changed when it came to proper educational programming. Fed up with the {{Anvilicious]] nature of most American programming, they developed a new series with the ''Degrassi'' name throughout 1986, with many of the ''Degrassi Street'' kids retained playing new characters. The aim was to create a series that would simply portray the lives of teenagers and the things they went through, as accurately as they could and without moralising. The result, ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'', began in 1987 and soon became the show that cemented the ''Degrassi'' name as a Canadian institution, introducing important characters such as Joey Jeremiah, Caitlin Ryan, Christine "Spike" Nelson, and Archie "Snake" Simpson. Tackling teenage pregnancy, abuse, eating disorders and many other complex topics, it was DarkerAndEdgier, took on many SoapOpera tropes and featured a large ensemble cast, the result being what many consider to be the true TropeMaker for the TeenDrama genre. After having gained serious critical attention, became the country's number-one drama, and won numerous awards, ''Degrassi Junior High'' evolved into ''Series/DegrassiHigh'' and tackled even more serious topics like HIV/AIDS and suicide, before ending with the controversial feature-length finale ''Film/DegrassiSchoolsOut'', which is said to have featured the first F-bomb in Canadian television history.

While the show began to win some prestigious awards by 1985, Linda and Kit's sights were set on the teenage demographic whom they felt to be short-changed when it came to proper educational programming. Also annoyed at what they perceived to be a [[VerySpecialEpisode inadequately heavy-handed portrayal of social issues]] in American TV shows, they developed a new series with the ''Degrassi'' name throughout 1986, with many of the ''Degrassi Street'' kids retained playing new characters. The aim was to create a series that would simply portray the lives of teenagers and the things they went through, as accurately as they could and without moralising. The result, ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'', began in 1987 and soon became the show that cemented the ''Degrassi'' name as a Canadian institution, introducing important characters such as Joey Jeremiah, Caitlin Ryan, Christine "Spike" Nelson, and Archie "Snake" Simpson. Tackling teenage pregnancy, abuse, eating disorders and many other complex topics, it was DarkerAndEdgier, took on many SoapOpera tropes and featured a large ensemble cast, the result being what many consider to be the true TropeMaker for the TeenDrama genre. After having gained serious critical attention, became the country's number-one drama, and won numerous awards, ''Degrassi Junior High'' evolved into ''Series/DegrassiHigh'' and tackled even more serious topics like HIV/AIDS and suicide, before ending with the controversial feature-length finale ''Film/DegrassiSchoolsOut'', which is said to have featured the first F-bomb in Canadian television history.

* {{Expy}}: ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' started off with expies of previous characters.

The''Degrassi'' franchise comprises:

!!The''Degrassi'' franchise comprises:

* ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'' (1987 — 1989)

* There was an untitled Creator/HBOMax series planned for 2023, but this was cancelled amidst Creator/WarnerBrosDiscovery's restructuring.

!!See also:
* ''Series/TheLAComplex'' was [[WhatMightHaveBeen originally conceived as]] a SpinOff of ''The Next Generation'', but was made a freestanding franchise, presumably so it could be sold to a US network outside the Viacom group.

[[redirect:Series.{{Degrassi}}]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/degrassi_logo_2013.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350: ''Whatever it takes, I know I can make it through.'']]

One of the most iconic franchises in the history of Canadian television, ''Degrassi'' is a [[LongRunner long running]] series of dramas that follow the lives of a group of teenagers who lived on or near De Grassi Street in UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}}, Ontario. The franchise can be separated into two distinct phases: the "classic" series (1979-1992) which were non-union and produced by the DIY independent company Playing With Time, and the "Next Generation" era (2001-2017), which was a unionized and more conventional production by Epitome Pictures. Each company (and production) was helmed by Linda Schuyler and her partner-in-crime of the period (Kit Hood for the "classic" era, Stephen Stohn of the "Next Generation" era).

Linda Schuyler was a Toronto schoolteacher in the mid 1970s who incorporated media into her curriculum and got into filmmaking to create material to show her class. She met experienced editor Kit Hood in a local filmmaker collective and they began a partnership. What would become ''Degrassi'' had its roots in a 1979 short film called ''Ida Makes A Movie'', which they adapted from a children's book of the same name. From there they produced a string of annual follow-up films each year with the same characters and the CBC turned it into a full-time series. Now called ''Series/TheKidsOfDegrassiStreet'', it garnered a lot of critical praise domestically for its realistic and down-to-earth portrayal of children.

While the show began to win some prestigious awards by 1985, Linda and Kit's sights were set on the teenage demographic whom they felt to be short-changed when it came to proper educational programming. Also annoyed at what they perceived to be a [[VerySpecialEpisode inadequately heavy-handed portrayal of social issues]] in American TV shows, they developed a new series with the ''Degrassi'' name throughout 1986, with many of the ''Degrassi Street'' kids retained playing new characters. The aim was to create a series that would simply portray the lives of teenagers and the things they went through, as accurately as they could and without moralising. The result, ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'', began in 1987 and soon became the show that cemented the ''Degrassi'' name as a Canadian institution, introducing important characters such as Joey Jeremiah, Caitlin Ryan, Christine "Spike" Nelson, and Archie "Snake" Simpson. Tackling teenage pregnancy, abuse, eating disorders and many other complex topics, it was DarkerAndEdgier, took on many SoapOpera tropes and featured a large ensemble cast, the result being what many consider to be the true TropeMaker for the TeenDrama genre. After having gained serious critical attention, became the country's number-one drama, and won numerous awards, ''Degrassi Junior High'' evolved into ''Series/DegrassiHigh'' and tackled even more serious topics like HIV/AIDS and suicide, before ending with the controversial feature-length finale ''Film/DegrassiSchoolsOut'', which is said to have featured the first F-bomb in Canadian television history.

Despite ending in 1992, ''Degrassi'' found a strong and loyal fanbase on the nascent internet throughout TheNineties, and this continued interest culminated in Creator/JonathanTorrens reuniting the ''Junior High/High'' cast on his show ''Jonovision'' in December 1999. Around that time, Linda Schuyler and original head writer Yan Moore conceived a revival on the basis that the daughter of Spike would be old enough to be a junior high student. In 2001, ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'', helmed by Schuyler and new partner Stephen Stohn, made its premiere on CTV and did pretty fine at home, but [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff it was American audiences that proved to be the largest and most loyal]]; while ''Degrassi'' previously had a small stateside following, it was the revival that really cemented its notoriety south of the border, so severely that a large amount of people to this day are unaware that it was a revival of an iconic Canadian cultural touchstone. This iteration was the one that boasted pre-fame Music/{{Drake}), whose character was famously paralyzed by a school shooter, and Creator/NinaDobrev before her breakout role in Series/TheVampireDiaries.

Despite its continued US success through the late 2000s, ''The Next Generation'' was actually declining in popularity back home after peaking at a million or more viewers halfway through, and CTV cancelled it in 2009, but before too long Stephen Stohn was able to rescue the series after striking a deal with Creator/TeenNick. This brought a wave of changes to the series, such as it being renamed to simply "Degrassi" and adopting a telenovela approach. The rebrand fared pretty well, but after [[ChannelHop changing networks multiple times]], it was finally cancelled in 2015, but the show was again saved when what would have been season 15 of ''The Next Generation'' was instead retooled into the Netflix produced ''Series/DegrassiNextClass'', which managed four seasons before cancelled.

!!The''Degrassi'' franchise comprises:
* ''Series/TheKidsOfDegrassiStreet'' (1979 — 1986)
* ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'' (1987 — 1989)
* ''Series/DegrassiHigh'' (1989 — 1991) and its MadeForTVMovie ''Film/DegrassiSchoolsOut'' (1992)
* ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'' [[note]]known as simply ''[[OfficiallyShortenedTitle Degrassi]]'' from season 10 onwards[[/note]] (2001 — 2015)
** ''Degrassi: Next Class'' (2016 — 2017) [[note]]direct continuation of ''The Next Generation''[[/note]]
* There was an untitled Creator/HBOMax series planned for 2023, but this was cancelled amidst Creator/WarnerBrosDiscovery's restructuring.
* ''Series/DegrassiTalks'', a documentary mini-series where ''Degrassi High'' actors interviewed teens on the street, aired after ''School's Out'' from February to March 1992.

!!Tropes relating to the entire franchise include:
* CanadaDoesNotExist: As historically ''Degrassi'' has had a degree of American involvement, this trope is present in almost every iteration, although [[CanadaEh hindsight shows it didn't really work]]. For example, ''Junior High'' was said to be set in an "unnamed North American city". The post-''Next Generation'' seasons in the early 2010s start moving into EaglelandOsmosis territory with the frequent mentioning of American universities and the like.
* CanadaEh: As stated above, the previous trope has not stopped anybody from commenting on the show's Canadian-ness, whether it'd be with the accents (e.g. Wheels) or the obvious fact it is set in Toronto regardless of what any press release tells you.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: ''The Kids Of Degrassi Street'' differs extremely from the format ''Degrassi'' came to be known for by centering on children living in and around the real life De Grassi Street rather than teenagers attending the titular middle/high school. In addition, ''Degrassi Street'' did not even start as a series but as a bunch of short films with the same continuity.
* {{Expy}}: ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' started off with expies of previous characters.
* FleetingDemographicRule: Being a long-running show aimed at teenagers it has consistently recycled plotlines every generation as certain issues have pervaded throughout the last half century. Teen pregnancy was dealt with a total of seven times from ''Junior High'' to ''Next Class'' (three carrying to term, three having abortions, one having a miscarriage). Suicide was visited twice, once in 1991 and again in 2012. Other less serious plotlines have also been recycled; the second episodes of both ''Junior High'' and ''Next Generation'' revolve around a character getting drunk before going to the school dance, and both of their second seasons feature an episode where a kid and his friends joyrides a parent's vehicle.
* LineOfSightName: The name "Degrassi" came from the real-life Toronto street the first series was set in, which is actually called De Grassi Street after Italian-Canadian soldier Filippo De Grassi. In 1979, Toronto used all-caps stamped street signs, leaving it ambiguous whether the name was one word or two; newer mixed-case screen-printed ones appeared well after the producers had committed to "Degrassi" as one word.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Quite a few of the storylines in the show, particularly the "classic" era, were influenced by real events in the actors' lives, whether for better or worse. Other episodes, particularly the "Next Generation" era, were influenced by real life events and tragedies.
* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: ''Degrassi Junior High'' was hailed as a breath of fresh air by critics and fans alike for subverting many tropes and being more down-to-earth than most of what teen media had to offer, and many who are aware of the show believe it to be the TropeMaker, or at least the UrExample of TeenDrama. Later teen drama and teen drama-adjacent TV shows, including future versions of ''Degrassi'', would push that envelope significantly, so to some ''Junior High'' might look a bit tame.
* SoundtrackDissonance: Bar ''Degrassi Street'', each series has an upbeat theme with motivational and inspirational lyrics, which leads to MoodWhiplash if it follows, precedes, or accompanies an extremely dramatic scene.
* TeenPregnancy: As noted above in FleetingDemographicRule, this is a frequently revisited storyline in each generation. Most notably, Spike gives birth to future protagonist Emma in ''Degrassi Junior High''. After this was Erica in ''Degrassi High'' who had an abortion, Manny in ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' who had an abortion, Mia from ''The Next Generation'' whose daughter was already a few years old when she was introduced, Clare in 2010s ''Degrassi'' who had a miscarriage, and Lola in ''Degrassi: Next Class'' who had an abortion.
* UnbuiltTrope: Despite being the TropeMaker of TeenDrama, ''Degrassi Junior High'' feels like a deconstruction reacting to stereotypical teen drama tropes.
* VerySpecialEpisode: Practically every episode in the franchise is one as its roots partly lie in a need for educational material for teenagers. However it is generally considered an exception to the stereotypical examples of this trope.
* VoxPops: A major part of ''Degrassi Talks'', the real-life documentary miniseries that followed ''Degrassi High'', where they would ask teens in the street about social issues.


!!See also:
* ''Series/TheLAComplex'' was [[WhatMightHaveBeen originally conceived as]] a SpinOff of ''The Next Generation'', but was made a freestanding franchise, presumably so it could be sold to a US network outside the Viacom group.
----

* VerySpecialEpisode: Given its roots half lie in a need for educational material aimed at teens, practically every episode in the entire franchise is one of these, as each show was intended just as much as a tool as it was mere entertainment.

Despite ending in 1992, ''Degrassi'' found a strong and loyal fanbase on the nascent internet throughout TheNineties, and this continued interest culminated in Creator/JonathanTorrens reuniting the ''Junior High/High'' cast on his show ''Jonovision'' in December 1999. Around that time, Linda Schuyler and original head writer Yan Moore conceived a revival on the basis that the daughter of Spike would be old enough to be a junior high student. In 2001, ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'', helmed by Schuyler and new partner Stephen Stohn, made its premiere on CTV and did pretty fine at home, but [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff it was American audiences that proved to be the largest and most loyal]]; while ''Degrassi'' previously had a small stateside following, it was the revival that really cemented its notoriety south of the border, so severely that a large amount of people to this day are unaware that it was a revival of an iconic Canadian cultural touchstone. This iteration was the one that boasted pre-fame Music/{{Drake}} and Creator/NinaDobrev.

* TeenPregnancy: A very common plotline that runs throughout the franchise with different scenarios and outcomes portrayed. Most notably, Spike gives birth to future protagonist Emma in ''Degrassi Junior High''. After this was Erica in ''Degrassi High'' who had an abortion, Manny in ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' who had an abortion, Mia from ''The Next Generation'' whose daughter was already a few years old when she was introduced, Clare in 2010s ''Degrassi'' who had a miscarriage, and Lola in ''Degrassi: Next Class'' who had an abortion.
* UnbuiltTrope: Despite being TropeMaker of TeenDrama, ''Degrassi Junior High'' feels more like a deconstruction of the genre than anything else.

* MoodWhiplash: Each ''Degrassi'' series bar the first has an upbeat and encouraging theme song that will quite often [[SoundtrackDissonance contrast heavily with the heavy content that follows or proceeds it]] in a really oxymoronic manner.

What would become ''Degrassi'' had its roots in a 1979 short film called ''Ida Makes A Movie'', which was adapted from a children's book of the same name (which was about [[TalkingAnimal talking cats!]]). From there, the small production company produced a string of annual follow-up films each year with the same characters. Eventually, the CBC ordered five more episodes, and in 1982 it officially became ''Series/TheKidsOfDegrassiStreet'', which became popular and garnered a lot of critical attention in Canada for its uniquely down-to-earth portrayal of children.

Frustrated with what they perceived to be a lack of proper teenage entertainment by 1986, Hood and Schuyler began work on a new show with the ''Degrassi'' label, with many of the ''Degrassi Street'' kids retained playing new characters. The result, ''Series/DegrassiJuniorHigh'', began on January 18, 1987 and soon became the show that cemented the ''Degrassi'' name as a Canadian institution, introducing important characters such as Joey Jeremiah, Caitlin Ryan, Christine "Spike" Nelson, and Archie "Snake" Simpson. Tackling teenage pregnancy, abuse, eating disorders and many other complex topics, it was DarkerAndEdgier, took on many SoapOpera tropes and featured a large ensemble cast, the result being what many consider to be the true TropeMaker for the TeenDrama genre. After having gained serious critical attention, became the country's number-one drama, and won numerous awards, ''Degrassi Junior High'' evolved into ''Series/DegrassiHigh'' and tackled even more serious topics like HIV/AIDS and suicide, before ending with the controversial feature-length finale ''Film/DegrassiSchoolsOut'', which is said to have featured the first F-bomb in Canadian television history.

Despite ending in 1992, ''Degrassi'' found a strong and loyal fanbase on the nascent internet throughout TheNineties, and this continued interest culminated in Creator/JonathanTorrens reuniting the ''Junior High/High'' cast on his show ''Jonovision'' in December 1999. Around that time, Linda Schuyler and original head writer Yan Moore conceived a revival on the basis that the daughter of Spike would be old enough to be a junior high student. In 2001, ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'' made its premiere on CTV and did pretty fine at home, but [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff it was American audiences that proved to be the largest and most loyal]] to the point of affecting the general perception of the franchise for most people. This iteration was the one that boasted pre-fame Music/{{Drake}} and Creator/NinaDobrev.

Despite its continued US success, ''The Next Generation'' was not faring well domestically, and CTV cancelled it in 2009, but before too long Stephen Stohn was able to rescue the series after striking a deal with Creator/TeenNick. This brought a wave of changes to the series, such as it being renamed to simply "Degrassi" and adopting a telenovela approach. The rebrand fared pretty well, but after [[ChannelHop changing networks multiple times]], it was finally cancelled in 2015, but the show was again saved when what would have been season 15 of ''The Next Generation'' was instead retooled into the Netflix produced ''Series/DegrassiNextClass'', which managed four seasons before cancelled.

* LineOfSightName: The name "Degrassi" came from the real-life Toronto street the first series was set in. In 1979, Toronto used all-caps stamped street signs, leaving it ambiguous whether the name was one word or two; newer mixed-case screen-printed ones appeared well after the producers had committed to "Degrassi" as one word.

* CanadaDoesNotExist: As historically ''Degrassi'' has had a degree of American involvement, this trope is present in almost every iteration, although [[CanadaEh hindsight shows it didn't really work]]. For example, ''Junior High'' was said to be set in an "unnamed North American city". The post-''Next Generation'' seasons in the early 2010s also start falling into EaglelandOsmosis territory.
* LineOfSightName: After the first few shorts were sold to the US, Creator/{{PBS}} wanted an umbrella title for all of them, so they named it after the main filming location. In 1979, Toronto used all-caps stamped street signs, leaving it ambiguous whether the name was one word or two; newer mixed-case screen-printed ones appeared well after the producers had committed to "Degrassi" as one word.