MYSTIFYING DEGRASSI LONGEVITY CONTINUES
Edmonton Sun, Sept. 17, 2005
By Bill Brioux

Got to admit, I was never a fan of the whole Degrassi deal.

I was a few years older than Snake, Joey, Caitlyn and Wheels so, like a senior who sneered at sophomores, I never hung with these kids.

But if you did, CTV has a treat for you tonight: The Degrassi Story (7 p.m.), an hour-long look at the enduring teen TV franchise.

Starting in 1979, Degrassi went through several stages and titles, including The Kids of Degrassi Street and Degrassi Junior High before taking a decade-long rest. The hallmark of the original series was the authenticity of the casting. For the first time, actual pimply-faced teens were playing pimply-faced teens on television.

One of them, Stefan Brogren (a.k.a. Archie "Snake" Simpson), who now appears on Degrassi: The Next Generation, is the host of tonight's W-Five nostalgia tour.

Back in the day, these kids were exactly the kind of kids you would find in any classroom in Canada. The extended cast was a diverse bunch representing a real rainbow collection of cultures. Degrassi deserves every kudo for cracking that colour barrier.

The problem for me was the shoddy production values. As my late, great photographer pal Gene Trindl used to say, it looked like it was shot through a silk stocking with a leg still in it.

For fans (especially No. 1 fan, Jay & Silent Bob director Kevin Smith, who hijacked the series with an extended guest spot last season), the results of the show's seat-of-the-pants approach is all part of Degrassi's very Canadian charm.

Degrassi is also lauded for tackling tough issue stories: the first teen pregnancy, the abortion episode, interracial dating, AIDs, homophobia, the first use of the f-word on Canadian TV screens, etc.

After decades of phoney teen shows such as Dawson's Creek, Americans can't seem to get enough of it. The Television Critics Association bestowed its Best Children's Series Award upon it this past summer in L.A.

Instead of being relatable, Degrassi seems to my family more like Crisis High. Especially the current series. The ubiquitous promos for Degrassi: The Next Generation are like watching those lurid, late night Girls Gone Wild ads, only with less boob flashing. Don't these kids ever just struggle with math or geography?

Clearly, my family is not the only one immune to the fuss. Degrassi is the lowest-rated prime-time series on the regular-season CTV schedule. It generally loses more than half the audience of its Canadian-made lead-in, Corner Gas. Whatever U.S. series follows it spikes to two or three times its numbers.

Degrassi: The Next Generation returns for a fifth season on Monday.