Everybody Wants Somethin’: Part V - Degrassi
Whatever it takes to use this IP.
Shared experience has the power to provide both the
nostalgia and cultural relevance needed to communicate between generations. No
show has accomplished that, especially across such a long period of time, as well
as the Degrassi franchise. The only reason I knew Degrassi:
The Next Generation was a reboot, other than the context clues within the
title, was by catching “based on Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High” in the
credits. I thought it was loosely based on those earlier shows and did not
realize the extent of the story until quarantine and streaming combined to give
me access to Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. Yes, this
80s teen drama was my quarantine binge.
Watching Junior High and High are what
first sparked my interest in analyzing reboots. Initially, I thought the best
thing to come out of that binge was the ability to sing the lyrics to Everybody
Wants Somethin, but instead I received a deeper understanding and
appreciation for reboot television.
If Raven’s Home functions as a handoff, Lizzie
as a continuation, and A Year in the Life as a conclusion, the
Degrassi franchise manages to do all three. It does so successfully because it
exists across a long time span which allows it to surpass being a television
show and become a cultural institution. Degrassi is always for
the current generation of young people, not the previous, or original,
audience. However, because Degrassi aired on and off for 30 years, they
were able to do what most reboots do not have the time to do. Rather than an
abrupt transition, they could handoff to the next generation by slowly
introducing and phasing out characters. This allowed for the conclusion of some
stories for closure and the introduction of new ones for franchise continuation.
Because Degrassi, in any iteration, is a children’s program, it is
crucial that it is for the new audience of children.
The most interesting creator of the series to emerge
was Stefan Brogan, who played a teenage “Snake” in the original two series and
returned as everyone’s favorite teacher, Mr. Simpson (Snake) in Degrassi:
The Next Generation. He is the most consistent entity of the Degrassi franchise
as he moved from child actor à actor à director à producer.
While The Next Class may be the most inauthentic of the series, a
throughline is preserved due to consistent producers in the early years and one
individual, Brogan, giving great care for the series in its later years.
An interesting paradox emerges when a series lasts
this long. It can honor its source material in a way most reboots and revivals
cannot because it has the time to do so. Yet simultaneously, when a show lasts
30 years, the newest series simply can’t look anything like the original if
they want new ideas or want to mirror current youth culture.
I mentioned that The Next Class is the most
inauthentic of the franchise. A case can be made for gradual gentrification with
each new iteration of Degrassi. Much like Sesame Street the
original series of Degrassi shows an urban, working-class neighborhood that
is relatable and authentic, while the newer episodes show a polished, suburban
setting. That said, maybe the shift in visual tone makes Degrassi all
the more reflective of changing generations – as neighborhoods change, as does
the show that reflects them, for better or worse.
Many consider Degrassi ahead of its time for its
subject matter (abortion was addressed in several iterations of the franchise,
even in the 1980s). They were also ahead of their time for their form. As, in
2001, they were far ahead of the reboot craze. While many are talking about
reboots and looking at this trend, I want everyone to take a page out of
Degrassi’s book. While I may criticize its representative gentrification, I
think no other show has balanced the challenges of both making reboots and
making children’s programming like they have.
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Use of Shared Experience and Audience Focus in
Reboot Television |
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Use of A tool to connect a previous product to a new
one. To wrap up the loose ends and move on to your new audience. |
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Use of To continue, and ultimately finish, a story for
the same audience. |
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For Whom: Original
or New Audience |
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