Degrassi Junior High: Season 1

Degrassi screen capWell I mentioned in the previous post how through a bit of luck (or at least a good understanding of odds) I was a winner of a Degrassi DVD giveaway. I think entering competitions where I perceive relatively few other people will enter has become a bit of a thing for me, however I digress… Degrassi – season 1 on DVD. Here are some highlights:

  • Everyone remembers the “all the way with Stephanie Kaye” episode (“Kiss Me, Steph”). This is the very first episode of DJH. Stephanie Kaye is now a “mature” 8th grader, and runs for school president. Her prissy nerd friend Voula can’t handle Steph’s new image and sluttish behaviour.
  • Joey Jeremiah was such a little obnoxious dweeb! Allow me to demonstrate with this visual comparison of young Joey vs Craig’s stepfather Joey in next generation. Joey can be seen in the second shot as the responsible father figure, and more importantly, the hat has been passed to the next generation:

Young Joey
Grown-up Joey

He still rules. No-one could pull off the vest, mullet and brim hat like Joey.

  • The ultimate insult seems to be “broomhead”. This term is used quite often. The poster ad for the school dance in episode 2 says “be there or be a broomhead”.
  • One word… Caitlin. She was so sweet and classy before that Claude (“Cload”) fool offed himself and blamed it on her. But that there’s a whole different post.

I also have to mention that The Next Generation has got me hooked, especially seeing the episodes (season1?) that have just aired here on the ABC have predominantly been centred around Spike and Snake getting married, and there’s a whole lot of Joey, Caitlin and Lucy to be seen. Mr Raditch is now the principal and looks like an old lech.

Spike’s daughter Emma is a central character of the new show. As some might recall, she is the lovechild of Spike and Shane back in Degrassi High. Shane didn’t want to stick around with the baby until he took some acid and jumped off a bridge and got brain damage.

19 comments

  1. i loved degrassi sooo much but my Mum wouldn’t let me watch it coz it had adult themes (like home and away) so i had to watch it in secret at friend’s houses!we were however allowed to watch flying doctors, no adult themes there, no themes at all really.
    ..love the new degrassi too-hope my mum doesnt find out

  2. I had a big stiffy for Caitlin. A few years ago I hung out with a Canadian girl that was friends with all the Degrassi dudes. She told me that ‘Caitlin’ was (at the time) a newsreader in Victoria, Canada.

    I ended up going to Canada, but didn’t see old streak-head on the telly. I did, however, stay with this Canadian chick, who had a boyfriend called Joey.

    Coincidence? I think not.

  3. It’s a shame Caitlin (Stacie Mistysyn) still doesn’t have the dark hair with the streak – she’s now full fake blonde. But still cute. At the end of the last episode of the Next Generation she was cosying up with Joey again…

  4. ah, the memories …

    I think I have the movie length finale somewhere at home, so full of tragedy… what a way to go…

  5. Oh wow are you an Aussie?

    I love degrassi, I think Voula from DJH was such a little sweetie. But Degrassi high is kind of disturbing. I’m pretty hooked onto the new generation too…

  6. Degrassi the next generation is great I have not missed an episode new episodes are coming out in July (I can’t wait) Me and my 10 year old brother sit and watch them it is like my soapbopper I wish it could be on 247 My best Friend HAlley hates the show even degrassi comes before her on friday June 24, 2005 there was a degrassi marathon and she wanted to sleepover well I told her sorry Degrassi comes first! Any way degrassi Rocks!!!!

  7. not to mention–the opening theme song kicks ass.

  8. I just LOVE Kids on Degrassi Street (when they were in greade school) Degrassi Jr. High & Degrassi High i always looked foward to those Sunday evenings on the public television station i had fallen in love with all of the characters..i was disappointed when they took it off the air i was so upset i called the tv station & they said that they lost the rights… several years after that i searched for it on VHS/DVD nowhere to be found…nearly 15 yrs later I now own season 1 & 2 of degrassi jr high IAM SO EXCITED i have checked out the next generation love it also but nothing beats the old school degrassi..i will now search for the rest of Jr High & the High school years….Viva La Zit Remedy!!!!!!!!!

  9. Awesome. I need to get season 2!

  10. degrassi rocks! i’m an Aussie who watched it heaps. one of the best show if its time. thats all i will say!

  11. pienso que degrassi es una de esas series que te enseña a actuar de una manera madura para resolver los problemas que se te presenten.

  12. soy de vanezuela.veo degrassi y quiciera conocer a emma porque pienso que es una persona muy especial ya que actua de una manera muy natural dando una percepción de agrado hacia los demás que es lo que me motiva en parte a ver degrassi.en general me parece que esta serie es una forma de aprendizaje para todos los que disfrutan de esta serie. Emma please escribeme al correo electrónico kervingrunge@hotmail.com

  13. Degrassi Sucks.This is as bad if not worse than Home and Away which screened in the same timeslot in Australia as DJH,America made better shows than this.I only watched it later on after the series was long ended on Nickelodeon.A good show for it’s day but finished.I would rather buy myself a set of Blue Water High DVD’S watch them many times and actually enjoy them than see crap like this.

  14. i love the new generation of degrassi
    i mostley like it because of daniel clark

  15. I though Stephanie Kaye was fantastic. It was so funny the way she dressed! I loved it!!!! I think Joey is so cute! I’ve always had a crush on him! I loved it when he got with Kaitlan!!!!! They so suited eachother!!! It was like the bad boy with the good girl. I loved it!

  16. Degrassi is the best thing in the world

  17. Hi,
    Im from Australia and I am now 27 yrs old and was really into watching Degrassi when i was 12 to 15 after school.

    I recently got the collectors edition of the the High school and schools out the movie. I now might get the junior high to.
    I just found it at the time to cover so many topics that other show didn’t it was very informative and the characters were very likable and you could relate to them.

    I haven’t watched the new series but hopefully it is as informative for the youth of today as it was for me in the 90s.

    I also love the canadian accent and want to visit there one day mainly because of this show!

  18. Hey!

    Who knows the episode where there’s Emma and that black beat boxer guy? Thanks!

  19. franz chong
    April 8, 2010
    1:27 pm

    The Sad thing now here in Australia Home and Away/Neighbours Aside nothing out there really exists for todays younger generation.Ok You can buy a 90210/OC/Gilmour Girls Box Set on DVD and watch any of those but is not the same.Off the topic a little Those Twins were not a Patch on Gillian and Gayle Blakeney who were Christina and Caroline Alessi on Neighbours between 1990 and 1992 or for that matter Sweet Valley High’s Jessica and Liz Wakefield or in real life Cynthia and Brittany Daniel.Erica and Heather were uglier than all the four mentioned combined.