A look into how Degrassi tackled the realities of high school

By Severina Chu

Usually when people remember Degrassi, what comes to mind is its tumultuous on-and-off relationships as told with a soap-opera style of narrative. When I think of Degrassi, I get flashbacks to my memories of watching Degrassi, laughing with my friends about what ridiculous stunt someone was going to pull that week, my personal favourite being when Keke Palmer falls in love with one of the characters in the season 11 premiere.

But my most prominent memory of Degrassi is episode 32 of season 12 in which - spoiler alert -. a relatively new but already fan favourite character commits suicide, sending shockwaves through the school and viewers alike. The emotions shown afterwards range from sadness to anger to guilt, all depicting various stages of grief. Just like many of the characters, I found myself thinking back to previous episodes and suddenly piecing all the warning signs together, proving that mental illness often exists among us in plain sight.

Immediately after the episode, MuchMusic aired a special segment to help viewers process the impact of the events along with some of the cast and a panel of mental health specialists. It was one of my first times seeing the aftermath of suicide play out on television, and a reminder that Degrassi had always been much more rooted in very real issues beyond the dramatics.

Following the untimely passing of Canadian actor Jahmil French in March 2021, the impact of Degrassi returned to the spotlight. French played regular character, Dave Turner, from seasons 9 to 13 of the series. A high schooler with the aim of being popular, Dave was one of the many students who came and went through the fictional Degrassi Community School and one of the many characters to make an impact on young audiences.

Created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood, the show first aired in 1979 as The Kids of Degrassi and went on to span five series. Arguably the most well-known series, 2001’s Degrassi: The Next Generation was what shot the franchise into mainstream popularity with a 14 season run. Degrassi was able to stand out in a time dominated by American media, making the stories of teens from a small Toronto side street known internationally.

A beloved character that stands out to many is no doubt Adam Torres (Jordan Todosey), a witty and kind student who juggled high school life with his transition. Not only was Adam the first transgender character to have the main role in Canadian television history, but he was also the first scripted teenage trans man in television history.

Dave (Jahmil French) and Adam (Jordan Todosey). (Degrassi/Facebook)

Much of Adam’s early story arc centred around him learning to accept himself, one of his most prominent episodes even winning a Peabody Award along with being nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy. But later in the series, we get to see more of Adam as a character. While his transness was a part of his identity, it was not what defined him.

That’s what makes so many of the characters on the show; they’re shown going through issues that simply come with being human while also maintaining the essence of youth and freedom that comes with high school. A character struggling with anxiety can still have a fun day out with their friends, and a character dealing with the aftermath of a teenage pregnancy can still go on to pursue their academic dreams.

While many shows set in high school now tend to cast more professional actors in their late 20s and 30s, perhaps it’s because Degrassi stuck to casting teens that’s what made the characters feel relatable. Most Degrassi characters were played by newer actors from around the Greater Toronto Area and managed to produce many of Canada’s current stars, such as rapper Drake and actress Nina Dobrev.

For many who’ve never seen the show, the up-and-coming young actors turned big stars might be the extent of Degrassi’s impact in Canadian media. Degrassi did stay true to the teenage high school drama genre by incorporating the lighthearted humour and awkwardness that comes with adolescence, and it might not be seen as anything more than that to some.

However, the show should ultimately be remembered for the fact that it never shied away from tackling the hard issues, using its platform to impact its young audience and start much-needed conversations.

Degrassi excelled in portraying the ups and downs of teenage reality. Over the course of its run, the series managed to cover a broad range of social issues from domestic violence to mental illness that not many teen dramas dare to approach, let alone manage to do well. Degrassi achieved this with their diverse cast of characters - kids from all different upbringings and walks of life.

That’s not to say that the writers covered every topic perfectly, but there’s something to be said about the range of life experiences represented on the screen.