History Series / DegrassiJuniorHigh

''Degrassi Junior High'': the second series in the ''Franchise/{{Degrassi}}'' franchise and the one that put the Degrassi name on the map for good. It aired on Creator/{{CBC}} from January 18, 1987 to February 27, 1989, with a total of forty-two episodes in three seasons. It is generally considered to be the TropeMaker of teen drama, predating the American wave in the 90s spearheaded by ''Series/BeverlyHills90210''. The series was followed by the sequel series ''Series/DegrassiHigh''.

* ExtravertedNerd: Alex and Dorothy are both pretty outspoken and participative in the school's extracurricular activities.

By today's standards of course it might look [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny tame and laughably quaint]] to a modern audience. Later teen dramas (including [[Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration its own successors]]) have pushed the envelope so much in the ensuing decades that modern viewers might fail to see what the big deal was. In addition, a mixture of [[SequelDisplacement]] and [[PopCultureIsolation]] has rendered this version of the show largely overshadowed by its 2001-2015 revival, perhaps perpetually denying it a proper re-evaluation. Nonetheless, interest in this version continues, with TheNewTwenties spawning some video essays about it.

Upon release it immediately stood out to critics and viewers for the way it dealt with controversial topics, and it was hailed as a superior and more grounded alternative to family sitcoms such as ''Series/TheCosbyShow'', ''Series/FamilyTies'', and ''Series/OurHouse''. Schuyler claims it was the first prime-time show to tackle TeenPregnancy. It also portrayed an interracial couple where not even American television 5-10 years later would and even featured the utterance of the N-word to depict racism. Also adding to its reputation was that it defied the DawsonCasting trend prevalent in a lot of high school-centered shows and movies, with pretty much everyone, background characters included, being played by legitimate teens. Initially in a 5.30pm Sunday time slot, CBC [[AdoredByTheNetwork showed a lot of enthusiasm for the show]] and had it moved to Monday night primetime (between the American sitcoms ''Series/KateAndAllie'' and ''Series/{{Newhart}}''). From there, it became a ratings smash for the network. It was the #1 drama in Canada, and was extremely popular there, with the show also gaining a small cult following in the United States (where it aired on Creator/{{PBS}}) and a bigger international following in Australia. The [=BBC=] attempted to air the first season, but after relegating a few controversial episodes to a later timeslot, [[NoExportForYou dropped the show altogether]]. It won nearly thirty awards during the two years it aired on television, including '''four''' Gemini Awards in a single year. By the time the series became ''Degrassi High'', it was averaging over a million viewers weekly.

The series was created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler, who noticed a lack of teenage-centered programming on television at the time, as an educational tool for teens, to teach them about various hot button topics like eating disorders, teen pregnancy, losing parents, etc. Most episodes followed a fairly standard formula: one of the kids has ADayInTheLimelight where they deal with some nightmarish problem. At the same time, another kid has a comic adventure that mirrors the main A plot (TwoLinesNoWaiting). At the same time, several arc plots floated around the show, and each episode would move the arc forward a bit (often serving as {{Foreshadowing}} for the A and B plots of later episodes). Described like that, it sounds like a crappy VerySpecialEpisode. But [[SubvertedTrope what made it more than that]] was the willingness to not solve every problem with a neat little bow, and for the consequences to last more than an episode -- when a character fails a grade, the whole next season shows then struggling with the stigma.

The show tackled many contentious societal issues in a very dignified manner, and it eschewed the moralistic adult condescension of the big sitcoms, notably focusing on the kids themselves navigating their problems, instead of adults telling them what to do. It introduced the first primetime TV depiction of TeenPregnancy (and the [[ValuesDissonance treatment that said teenager received by adults]]), it portrayed an interracial couple where not even American television 5-10 years later would and even featured the utterance of the N-word to depict racism. Most notably, it defied the DawsonCasting trend prevalent in a lot of high school-centered shows and movies, with pretty much everyone, background characters included, being played by legitimate teens. Not only that, but even the [[BreakTheHaughty haughtiest would end up breaking]] at some point, with AlphaBitch Stephanie Kaye becoming suicidal, and TheBully Dwayne Myers getting HIV in the sequel series.

While the show featured a recognizable ensemble cast, it wasn't fixed and would rotate every episode. It is not uncommon to see a major character as a glorified extra in the background if they aren't the main focus of the episode, and a minor extra in the background get ADayInTheLimelight, or become [[AscendedExtra a major character later]]. Some of the show's biggest, or most iconic characters include fedora-wearing Joey Jeremiah (Creator/PatMastroianni), [[SpikyHair spiky-haired]] teen mom punk Christine "Spike" Nelson (Creator/AmandaStepto), passionate activist Caitlin Ryan (Stacie Mistysyn), GentleGiant and future Degrassi principal Archie "Snake" Simpson (Stefan Brogren), and bespectacled, [[{{Wangst}} wangsty]] Derek "Wheels" Wheeler (Neil Hope).

Initially in a 5.30pm Sunday time slot, CBC [[AdoredByTheNetwork showed a lot of enthusiasm]] and had it moved to Monday night primetime (between the American sitcoms ''Series/KateAndAllie'' and ''Series/{{Newhart}}''). From there, it became a ratings smash for the network. It was the #1 drama in Canada, and was extremely popular there, with the show also gaining a small cult following in the United States (where it aired on Creator/{{PBS}}) and a bigger international following in Australia. The [=BBC=] attempted to air the first season, but after relegating a few controversial episodes to a later timeslot, [[NoExportForYou dropped the show altogether]]. It won nearly thirty awards during the two years it aired on television, including '''four''' Gemini Awards in a single year. By the time the series became ''Degrassi High'', it was averaging over a million viewers weekly.

By today's standards of course, with how far teen dramas (largely influenced by this show and its successors) have pushed the envelope especially in the post-''Beverly Hills, 90210'' era, ''Degrassi Junior High'' may look pretty tame and even laughable to a modern audience. Some may point to the filming quality, uneven acting performances, and [[ValuesDissonance certain poorly-aged aesops]] as reasons to discredit the show in the modern landscape. In addition, thanks to a mixture of PopCultureIsolation (huge in Canada, largely unknown in the States) and SequelDisplacement, not many are overly familiar with the original series to begin with, and it doesn't get acknowledged much today. If it does, expect it to be written of as a minor footnote of the franchise's history in spite of its huge success during its day. That doesn't mean it gets no attention at all, though. The Toronto International Film Festival listed it as one of Canada's 150 most important contributions to television in 2017, and TheNewTwenties has spawned a number of video essays on [=YouTube=] about it.

The most notable American fan was one Creator/KevinSmith, who later achieved his life's dream of romancing the character Caitlin (whom he named Caitlin Bree in ''Film/{{Clerks}}'' after) in the later series. Another American fan was Albert of Website/TheAgonyBooth, [[http://www.agonybooth.com/recaps/Degrassi/ who planned to recap every DJH episode, but stopped after the first episode of season 2 back in 2010]]. However, another guy has taken it upon himself to review the entire show [[http://degrassijuniorhighreviewed.wordpress.com here]], in a much more CausticCritic tone.

The show tackled many contentious societal issues in a very dignified manner, and it eschewed the moralistic adult condescension of the big sitcoms in favor of focusing solely on the kids and how they themselves navigated their issues. It introduced the first primetime TV depiction of TeenPregnancy (and the [[ValuesDissonance treatment that said teenager received by adults]]), it portrayed an interracial couple where not even American television 5-10 years later would and even featured the utterance of the N-word to depict racism. Most notably, it defied the DawsonCasting trend prevalent in a lot of high school-centered shows and movies, with pretty much everyone, background characters included, being played by legitimate teens. Not only that, but even the [[BreakTheHaughty haughtiest would end up breaking]] at some point, with AlphaBitch Stephanie Kaye becoming suicidal, and TheBully Dwayne Myers getting HIV in the sequel series.

* GayBravado: Before Snake realizes his brother is. [[UnfortunateImplications Also, the stereotype that all gays have AIDS. And you can get AIDS from shaking hands.]] As Lucy would say, it's the 80s.

Initially in a 5.30pm Sunday time slot, CBC [[AdoredByTheNetwork showed a lot of enthusiasm]] and had it moved to Monday night primetime (between the American sitcoms ''Series/KateAndAllie'' and ''Series/{{Newhart}}''). From there, it became a ratings smash for the network. It was the #1 drama in Canada, and was extremely popular there, with the show also gaining popularity in the United States (where it aired on Creator/{{PBS}}) and Australia. The [=BBC=] attempted to air the first season, but after relegating a few controversial episodes to a later timeslot, [[NoExportForYou dropped the show altogether]]. It won nearly thirty awards during the two years it aired on television, including '''four''' Gemini Awards in a single year. By the time the series became ''Degrassi High'', it was averaging over a million viewers weekly.

By today's standards of course, with how far teen dramas (largely influenced by this show and its successors) have pushed the envelope especially in the post-''Beverly Hills, 90210'' era, ''Degrassi Junior High'' may look pretty tame and even laughable to a modern audience. Some may point to the filming quality, uneven acting performances, and [[ValuesDissonance certain poorly-aged aesops]] as reasons to discredit the show in the modern landscape. While it's always been more of a cult show that received little mainstream recognition, the SequelDisplacement caused by ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' has pretty much relegated the original ''Degrassi'' into near-total obscurity. News articles will only focus on ''The Next Generation'' and sometimes even proclaim it to be the original, and if the classic series are mentioned, are done so as if they were a minor footnote in the franchise's history, ignoring things like its canon connection to the later series. However, it does continue to receive interest from fans of the franchise, including with ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' fans interested in Degrassi's origins.

By today's standards of course, with how far teen dramas (largely influenced by this show and its successors) have pushed the envelope especially in the post-Beverly Hills 90210 era, ''Degrassi Junior High'' may look pretty tame and even laughable to a modern audience. Some may point to the filming quality, uneven acting performances, and [[ValuesDissonance certain poorly-aged aesops]] as reasons to discredit the show in the modern landscape. While it's always been more of a cult show that received little mainstream recognition, the SequelDisplacement caused by ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' has pretty much relegated the original ''Degrassi'' into near-total obscurity. News articles will only focus on ''The Next Generation'' and sometimes even proclaim it to be the original, and if the classic series are mentioned, are done so as if they were a minor footnote in the franchise's history, ignoring things like its canon connection to the later series. However, it does continue to receive interest from fans of the franchise, including with ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' fans interested in Degrassi's origins.

By today's standards of course, with how far teen dramas (largely influenced by this show and its successors) have pushed the envelope especially in the post-Beverly Hills 90210 era, ''Degrassi Junior High'' may look pretty tame and even laughable to a modern audience. Some may point to the filming quality, uneven acting performances, and [[ValuesDissonance certain poorly-aged aesops]] as reasons to discredit the show in the modern landscape. SequelDisplacement as a result of the massive popularity of ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' has also led to it receiving seldom acknowledgement in the contemporary landscape for its accomplishments and extent of its success. However, it does continue to receive interest from fans of the franchise, including with ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' fans interested in Degrassi's origins.

Initially in a 5.30pm Sunday time slot, CBC [[AdoredByTheNetwork showed a lot of enthusiasm]] and had it moved to Monday night primetime (between the American sitcoms ''Series/KateAndAllie'' and ''Series/{{Newhart}}''). From there, it became a ratings smash for the network. It was the #1 drama in Canada, and was extremely popular there, with the show also gaining popularity in the United States (where it aired on Creator/[=PBS=]) and Australia. The [=BBC=] attempted to air the first season, but after relegating a few controversial episodes to a later timeslot, [[NoExportForYou dropped the show altogether]]. It won nearly thirty awards during the two years it aired on television, including '''four''' Gemini Awards in a single year. By the time the series became ''Degrassi High'', it was averaging over a million viewers weekly.

''Degrassi Junior High'': the second series in the ''Franchise/{{Degrassi}}'' franchise and the one that put the Degrassi name on the map for good. It aired on Creator/{{CBC}} from January 18, 1987 to February 27, 1989, with a total of forty-two episodes in three seasons. It is generally considered to be the TropeMaker of teen drama, predating the American wave in the 90s spearheaded by ''Series/BeverlyHills90210''.

The series was created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler, who noticed a lack of teenage-centered programming on television at the time, as an educational tool for teens, to teach them about various hot button topics like eating disorders, teen pregnancy, losing parents, etc. Most episodes followed a fairly standard formula: one of the kids has ADayInTheLimelight where they deal with some nightmarish problem. At the same time, another kid has a comic adventure that mirrors the main A plot (TwoLinesNoWaiting). At the same time, several arc plots floated around the show, and each episode would move the arc forward a bit (often serving as {{Foreshadowing}} for the A and B plots of later episodes). Described like that, it sounds like a crappy VerySpecialEpisode. But what made it more than that was the willingness to have unhappy endings, and for the consequences to last more than an episode -- when a character fails a grade, the whole next season shows then struggling with the stigma.

When it first aired, the show was groundbreaking for dealing with these hot topics without censorship or neat happy endings. Initially in a 5.30pm Sunday time slot, CBC [[AdoredByTheNetwork showed a lot of enthusiasm]] and had it moved to Monday night primetime (between the American sitcoms ''Series/KateAndAllie'' and ''Series/Newhart''). From there, it became a ratings smash for the network, and it even became a cult hit in America via Creator/{{PBS}}. It eschewed the moralistic adult condescension of the big sitcoms, in favor, it introduced the first primetime TV depiction of TeenPregnancy (and the [[ValuesDissonance treatment that said teenager received by adults]]), it portrayed an interracial couple where not even American television 5-10 years later would and even featured the utterance of the N-word to depict racism. Most notably, it mostly avoided the DawsonCasting trend that would become par for the course with the teen drama genre, with pretty much everyone, background characters included, being played by legitimate teens. Not only that, but even the [[BreakTheHaughty haughtiest would end up breaking]] at some point, with AlphaBitch Stephanie Kaye becoming suicidal, and TheBully Dwayne Myers getting HIV in the sequel series. This is a far cry from ''Next Generation'', who features the indestructible Paige Michalchuk.

By today's standards of course, with how far teen dramas (largely influenced by this show and its successors) have pushed the envelope especially in the post-Beverly Hills 90210 era, ''Degrassi Junior High'' may look pretty tame and even laughable to a modern audience. Some may point to the filming quality, uneven acting performances, and [[ValuesDissonance certain poorly-aged aesops]] as reasons to discredit the show in the modern landscape. The SequelDisplacement that ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' caused has also led to it receiving seldom acknowledgement for its achievements and extent of its popularity. However, it does continue to receive interest from fans of the franchise, including with ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' fans interested in Degrassi's origins, and is occasionally acknowledged by the media for what it really was.

The series was immediately followed by the sequel series ''Series/DegrassiHigh''.

-> ''"I've often tried to figure out why I liked it so much. I thought it might have been due to all the teenage girls with pert breasts and cute accents ("what are you talking aboot?" was a fave-rave thing for some time), but in the end, I think it had something to do with high school in general, a time that - until Clerks took off - I assumed were the the best years of my life. The show calls to mind an era when one's largest crises were wondering when you were finally going to get to third with a girl, or the possibility of a shitty grade in gym."''

The second series in the ''Degrassi'' franchise (third if you count the half-hour film ''Ida Makes a Movie'' as freestanding, as it originally had been intended), and the one that put ''Franchise/{{Degrassi}}'' on the map for good. It re-used some of the actors from ''Series/TheKidsOfDegrassiStreet'', but playing different characters. The series lasted from January 1987 to March 1989 with a total of 42 episodes in three seasons. There is a reason ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'' has "''Next Generation''" in the title!

The series was created by Creator/{{CBC}} as an educational tool for teens, to teach them about "hot button" topics like eating disorders, teen pregnancy, losing parents, etc. Most episodes followed a fairly standard formula: one of the kids has ADayInTheLimelight where they deal with some nightmarish problem. At the same time, another kid has a comic adventure that mirrors the main A plot (TwoLinesNoWaiting). At the same time, several arc plots floated around the show, and each episode would move the arc forward a bit (often serving as {{Foreshadowing}} for the A and B plots of later episodes).

Described like that, it sounds like a crappy VerySpecialEpisode. What made it more than that was the willingness to (sometimes) have unhappy endings, and for the consequences to last more than an episode -- when a character fails a grade, the whole next season shows then struggling with the stigma.

When it first aired, the show was ground-breaking for dealing with these hot topics without censorship or neat happy endings; it became a cult hit in America via Creator/{{PBS}}. It eschewed [[ParentExMachina parents always being right]] for [[ParentsAsPeople parents sometimes being quite unsympathetic, bigoted and abusive]] (and at one point dying), it introduced the first primetime TV depiction of TeenPregnancy (and the [[ValuesDissonance treatment that said teenager received by adults]]), it portrayed an interracial couple where not even American television 5-10 years later would and even featured the utterance of the N-word to depict racism. Most notably, it mostly avoided the DawsonCasting trend that would become par for the course with the teen drama genre, with the majority of the characters being played by legitimate teens. Not only that, but even the [[BreakTheHaughty haughtiest would end up breaking]] at some point, with AlphaBitch Stephanie Kaye becoming suicidal, and TheBully Dwayne Myers getting HIV in the sequel series. This is a far cry from ''Next Generation'', who features the indestructible Paige Michalchuk.

By today's standards of course, with how far teen dramas (largely influenced by this show and its successors) have pushed the envelope especially in the post-Beverly Hills 90210 era, ''Degrassi Junior High'' could very well radiate SeinfeldIsUnfunny to a modern audience. Its raw, gritty filming style, as well as its cast consisting of real late 1980s Toronto teenagers instead of experienced actors, makes it resemble the very after-school specials the show was partially rebelling against. However, the show has remained a cult favorite, including with ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' fans interested in Degrassi's origins.

There are also persistent rumors that Creator/AaronSpelling attempted to buy the rights to the show to adapt it for American audiences but was refused, so he created ''Series/BeverlyHills90210'' instead. These rumors have never been confirmed outright, but it is plausible to compare ''90210''[='=]s first season to ''Degrassi'' as it was very issue-based and episodic (and even possibly nicked some plotlines from this show).

It is also worth noting that the character Christine "Spike" Nelson (played by Amanda Stepto) would gain unsung popularity in the mid-late 2010s in the vaporwave and [=TikTok=] communities, as it is her voice saying [[Music/BlankBanshee "I'm just a kid...it was just a little mistake."]]

-->--'''Creator/KevinSmith''', [[https://www.viewaskew.com/details/nov96/ 1996]].

* SoundtrackDissonance: The theme song is cheerful and upbeat, but this show is DarkerAndEdgier than most {{Team Drama}}s. This often causes the episode's DownerEnding to be followed by the cheery theme tune of the closing credits (an instrumental version of the opening).

* CanadaEh: Downplayed. While the [[UsefulNotes/CanadianAccents accents and some of the language]] used were a dead giveaway, there was nothing really stereotypical Canadian about the show. It really demonstrated just how Rust Belt UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}} in the '80s was. Despite this, most people think ''Next Generation'' became overly Americanized over time, and think of ''Junior High'' as being more Canadian.

* ParentalAbandonment: Wheels, as both his adoptive parents die in a car accident in early season 3.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Many of the stories were based on real life incidents with the actors, or off of real events
throughout Toronto. Head writer Yan Moore recalled that the cast would come into his office and tell stories about their lives, and they would find weeks later their stories in the script.

* ThemeTune: The opening/ending theme serves as general incidental music during exterior shots of the school.

%%* PowerTrio: Joey, Wheels, and Snake.
* ProductPlacement: LD and Melanie are seen with [=McDonald's=] sodas in "The Great Race".

** Spike in particular was probably one of the nicest, most politely spoken punks to be portrayed on TV in the entire 1980s. At least when Shane wasn't in her vicinity.

%%* SchoolPlay

* StuffedIntoALocker: In Season 1, it was tradition to be stuffled in a broom cupboard rather than a locker.

* TeenDrama: TropeMaker. While this wasn't the first teenage, school centered television series (Grange Hill, which debuted in 1978), ''Degrassi Junior High'' was the first TV melodrama centered around a school, although it is overshadowed by the likes of TropeCodifier ''Series/BeverlyHills90210'', and even [[Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration its own successor]].

** Spike with Emma. This was likely one of the most groundbreaking portrayals of such a subject at the time it aired and it won the show an International Emmy, for which Emma was named.
** Wheels and Spike were both the result of one. Wheels was given up for adoption while Spike's mom kept her. It is unknown however what happened to Spike's father.

* The Zit Remedy's song always plays when one of them does something stupid. Which is often.

%%* YouGoGirl

%%* ParentExMachina

While the show featured a recognizable ensemble cast, it wasn't fixed and would rotate every episode. It is not uncommon to see a major character as a glorified extra in the background if they aren't the main focus of the episode, and a minor extra in the background get ADayInTheLimelight, or become [[AscendedExtra a major character later]]. Some of the show's biggest, or most iconic characters include fedora-wearing Joey Jeremiah (Pat Mastroianni), [[SpikyHair spiky-haired]] teen mom punk Christine "Spike" Nelson (Creator/AmandaStepto), passionate activist Caitlin Ryan (Stacie Mistysyn), GentleGiant and future Degrassi principal Archie "Snake" Simpson (Stefan Brogren), and bespectacled, [[{{Wangst}} wangsty]] Derek "Wheels" Wheeler (Neil Hope).

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Many.
** Voula was the first one. Despite her relatively prominent role in season 1, she disappears in season 2 without any explanation.

** Jason Cox, the sexist sports kid from the season 1 episode "The Great Race", is never seen again after that episode. (Fun fact: He is mentioned over the intercom in the season 3 episode "The Whole Truth" at exactly 14:38 in the episode)
* ClipShow: The 4th episode of season 3 ''Season's Greetings''.

* DemotedToExtra:Happened at least once an episode with some of the leads who clearly appeared not being billed in the closing credits.

* BritishBrevity: Seasons 1 and 2 have 13 episodes, while Season 3 has 16. Some fans feel that this wasn't enough to accommodate the show's ensemble cast.

-> ''"Canadians have always been innovators, and this show was a trend-setter. There would be no Series/BeverlyHills90210 if Degrassi Junior High hadn't done it first with poorer, uglier kids."''
-->--'''Host''', 2008 Gemini Awards

* CanadaEh: Downplayed. While the [[UsefulNotes/CanadianAccents accents and some of the language]] used were a dead giveaway, there was nothing really stereotypical Canadian about the show. It really demonstrated just how Rust Belt UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}} in the '80s was.