Degrassi: The Next Generation

Degrassi: The Next Generation
Logo used in seasons 1–5 and 8 & 9
Also known as	Degrassi (seasons 10–14)
Genre	Teen drama Telenovela
Created by	Yan Moore Linda Schuyler
Starring	Main cast
Theme music composer	Jody Colero Ben Nelson Jim McGrath Stephen Stohn
Opening theme	"Whatever It Takes" by Lisa Dalbello
Composers	Jim McGrath Tim Welch
Country of origin	Canada
Original language	English
No. of seasons	14
No. of episodes	385 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Linda Schuyler Stephen Stohn Aaron Martin James Hurst Brendon Yorke Sara Snow Sarah Glinski
Producers	David Lowe Stefan Brogren Seyedeh Haerihendi
Production locations	Toronto, Ontario
Cinematography	Gavin Smith John Berrie Jim Westenbrink Alwyn J. Kumst Mitchell T. Ness
Editors	Stephen Withrow Jason B. Irvine D. Gillian Truster Gordon Thorne Nicholas Wong
Running time	approx. 22 minutes
Production companies	Epitome Pictures Bell Media Alliance Atlantis (2001–2008) Echo Bridge Entertainment (2008–2011) DHX Media (2015)
Original release
Network	CTV (2001–2009) MuchMusic (2010–2013) MTV Canada (2013–2015)[1]
Release	October 14, 2001 (2001-10-14) – August 2, 2015 (2015-08-02)
Related
Degrassi franchise
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Degrassi: The Next Generation (renamed to Degrassi for seasons 10 to 14) is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Yan Moore and Linda Schuyler. It is the fourth series in the Degrassi franchise and a revival of Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. It premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001 and concluded on August 2, 2015 on MTV Canada.

The series centers around a new ensemble cast of students at the fictional Degrassi Community School who face challenges such as sex, teen pregnancy, bullying, date rape, drug abuse, body image, homosexuality, domestic violence, gang violence, self-injury, suicide, abortion, mental disorders, and others. Various characters from the previous two series also returned as adults in recurring or guest roles.

The series was created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore, who was previously the head writer of Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. This was the first series to feature no involvement from Kit Hood, who was a co-creator and director of all previous Degrassi series. It was produced by Epitome Pictures (now a subsidiary of WildBrain) in association with Bell Media.

The series premiered to mixed reviews, with some critics expressing doubts about whether the show would achieve the same impact as its predecessors. However, it would ultimately garner both critical and commercial success similar to its forerunners. It received favourable reviews from critics of Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, and AfterElton.

In its initial years, the show was frequently the most watched domestic drama series in Canada. In the United States, it became the highest-rated show on Noggin's teen block The N.^[2] By 2004, the series had averaged nearly a million viewers in Canada and half a million viewers in the United States. In Canada, the series received awards from the Geminis, Writers Guild of Canada, and the Directors Guild of Canada. Internationally, it also won several Teen Choice Awards, Young Artist Awards, and Prix Jeunesse. The episode "My Body Is a Cage", in which a character is outed as transgender, won a Peabody Award in 2011.^[3]

During its later seasons, the show's format underwent several changes following Viacom's involvement. In the tenth season, the airing schedule transitioned to a telenovela format during the summer months before returning to its standard schedule for the fall and spring.^[4] The series was also moved to MuchMusic in Canada.

The thirteenth season reverted to a weekly schedule and, part way through, it had moved to MTV Canada, where it aired until its final episode on August 2, 2015, after fourteen seasons. The show was followed by Degrassi: Next Class, which followed the remaining underclassmen characters from the show's later seasons as well as introducing newer ones, in 2016.