Henry Tapia

Under Arts + entertainment, TV

Degrassi: Generations The Official 411

I, like many others my age who grew up in front of the box, would come home to enjoy Degrassi Junior High (and later Degrassi High), after school. If you grew up watching this on the ABC (Australia), you would remember the introductory warning from The Afternoon Show host (James Valentine, later Michael Tunn) about the serious adolescent issues covered in Degrassi, such as teen drinking, drug use, homesexuality, AIDS, suicide, youth pregnancy and abortion, and getting locked in the janitor closet with no clothes on while being called a “broom-head”. If you were a younger viewer, you were politely asked to go away for half an hour.

In more recent times, Degrassi has returned in the form of The Next Generation, with a cast of new young characters along with the return of some of the original characters we grew up with, which I’ve talked about in a previous post. Anyway, I’ve recently gotten my hands on the new Degrassi book, Degrassi Generations The Official 411. If you like Degrassi the way I do, this book has everything you need. Actor and character profiles, where are they now, theme song (and zit remedy) lyrics, episode guide and just about anything you would ever want to know about all the Degrassi programs – Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, Schools Out (the Degrassi movie) and Degrassi: The Next Generation. Here are some bits of knowledge:

Did you know?

• Degrassi is named after Captain Filippo De Grassi, an Italian soldier and early Canadian settler in the 1830s.
• The actors who played The Zit Remedy didn’t actually know how to play their instruments (No way!)
• Executive producer Linda Schuyler was actually a high school teacher who wanted to make films with students about high school life.
• Kevin Smith (of Clerks, Mallrats, etc fame) is a huge fan. He wrote the introduction to the book and talks about how he got to snog Caitlin (LUCKY!) on his guest appearance in The Next Generation.

The book itself is well designed and has hundreds of photos throughout. Fans won’t be disappointed.

I am giving away 2 copies of Degrassi: Generations

If you would like a copy of the book, just write a comment below outlining which Degrassi character you are most like and why. Keep it short and sweet.

I will give one copy away to a random commenter, and another to the person giving the best answer. Make sure you submit a valid email address (will never be published) with your comment. You have until 14 November 2005.