Degrassi: Next Class

For other series, see Degrassi (franchise).
Not to be confused with Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Degrassi: Next Class

Degrassi: Next Class 2nd current official logo
Genre Teen drama
Created by Linda Schuyler
Yan Moore
Stephen Stohn
Sarah Glinski
Matt Huether
Starring Main Cast
Theme music composer Jody Colero
Jim McGrath
Shobha
Stephen Stohn
Rob Wells
Opening theme "Whatever It Takes"
Composer(s) Jim McGrath
Tim Welch
Country of origin Canada
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 10
(list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Linda Schuyler
Stephen Stohn
Brendon Yorke
Sarah Glinski
Matt Huether
Producer(s) Stefan Brogren
Courtney Jane Walker
Stephanie Williams
Editor(s) Jason B. Irvine
Nicholas Wong
Location(s) Toronto, Ontario
Running time 24 minutes
Production company(s) Epitome Pictures
DHX Media
Distributor Entertainment One
(Canada)
DHX Media
(International)
Release
Original network Family (F2N)
Picture format HDTV
Original release January 4, 2016 – present
Chronology
Preceded by Degrassi: The Next Generation
School's Out
Degrassi High
Degrassi Junior High
Related shows The Kids of Degrassi Street
Degrassi Talks
External links
Website

Degrassi: Next Class is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. It is the fifth series in the Degrassi franchise, following The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, and Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Like its predecessors, the series follows an ensemble cast of students at Degrassi Community School who face various challenges often seen as taboo such as sex, teen pregnancy, date rape, drug abuse, self image, homosexuality, self-injury, suicide, abortion, domestic violence, death, racism and many other issues.

The series was created by Linda Schuyler, Stephen Stohn, Sarah Glinksi, and Matt Huether and is produced by Epitome Pictures (a subsidiary of DHX Media).[1] The current executive producers are Schuyler, her husband Stephen Stohn, Sarah Glinski, Matt Huether, and Brendon Yorke. The series is filmed at Epitome's studios in Toronto, Ontario, rather than on the real De Grassi Street from which the franchise takes its name.

The first season of Next Class premiered on January 4, 2016 on Family's new teen programming block, F2N in Canada. The series saw its U.S. (and international) debut January 15, 2016, on Netflix.[2]

On January 19, 2016, Netflix confirmed season 2 will stream later in 2016.[3] In an article about the show, executive producer and series writer Sarah Glinski confirmed season 2 will stream during mid-2016.[4] Season 2 is confirmed to stream on Netflix on July 22, 2016.[5]

Ahead of the premiere of season 2 on Netflix and Family, Netflix renewed Next Class for seasons 3 & 4, both to contain 10 episodes. Both are expected to stream in 2017.[6]

Production

Concept

The original idea for "Degrassi: Next Class" was to be the 15th season of Degrassi: The Next Generation, but under a new title. After learning of the series cancellation in November 2014, the producers pitched the idea of Next Class to Nickelodeon, who later passed on the idea. The producers then sought out other means to distribute the series and later made a deal with Netflix.[7]

Episode format

Each episode of Degrassi is written following the same formula with three to four storylines (Plot A, Plot B, Plot C, and Plot D). The problems and issues presented in the episode are not always resolved by the end of the episode, and are carried over throughout the season, creating a mini-arc. With "Next Class", some episodes have the plots follow a common theme. This concept was featured in Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. Episode titles feature a "#" in the front of each episode title and occasionally refer to current social media trends.

Opening sequence

The opening sequence of "Next Class" returned to the longer openings that was featured in the first twelve seasons of “The Next Generation” but was cut to 31 seconds. The opening does not follow the characters around the school but instead, is a montage of videos and pictures from the characters social media accounts. Like the final two seasons of "Degrassi", the actors are only credited for the episodes they appear in after the opening ends.

The theme music, "Whatever It Takes", was composed by Jim McGrath, with lyrics written by Jody Colero and Stephen Stohn. The song include lines such as, "Whatever it takes, I know I can make it through/And if I hold out, I know I can make it through/Be the best, the best that I can be", to convey what Colero calls, "a sense of joy and optimism."[8] The first season of "Next Class" featured a rearranged version of "Whatever It Takes" composed by Jody Colero, Jim McGrath, Stephen Stohn, Rob Wells, and Shobha. Shobha also recorded the song.[9]

Filming locations

The Degrassi universe is set on De Grassi Street in Toronto, Ontario. The four previous series were filmed on and near the street.[10] However, Degrassi is filmed at Epitome Pictures' four soundstages and backlot located at the company's 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m2) production studios in Toronto.[11] The facade of Degrassi Community School is the exterior of Studio C, and uses the same colours and glass pattern as Centennial College, which was used to depict the school during Degrassi High. The area in front of this facade features a "hoarding area" where students gather, a street, and a bus stop across the road.[11] The studio's backlot is used for exterior shots of the characters' houses, which is one unit dressed differently for each house, and The Dot Grill.[12] The building for The Dot is the only one on the backlot large enough to allow filming inside; scenes taking places inside the school and house interiors are filmed on one of four sound stages.[11]

Studio A contains sets for the school's hallways, washrooms, cafeteria and classrooms.[11] The hallways are stenciled with phrases such as "the perfect human being is all human", which were found at the Etobicoke School for the Arts, one of the many schools that set designers used during their original research. The washroom set is used for the girls' and boys' room; urinals are installed and removed as needed."[13] It is also used as the studio's cafeteria where the cast and crew eat.[13]

In addition to being used as the exterior of the school, Studio C holds sets for the school's entrance foyer, the gymnasium, the media lab and a hallway with lockers.[11] As the franchise progressed and the budget increased, a stairway and balcony was installed in the foyer in an attempt to get characters off the floor and not all appear in the same geometric plane. For the first few seasons of The Next Generation, the gym floor was made of real wooden floorboards; due to warping, it was replaced by concrete painted to look like wood.[14]

Studio B contains the sets for the characters' houses. The fourth studio, Studio D, houses all the production offices, dressing rooms, and make-up and hair departments.

For the new series, Next Class, the interior of the school set saw a major facelift. New doors were added for all classrooms, room numbers were placed on doors, classrooms were remodeled to be more modern which included new "smart-boards" and high-definition television sets (also placed throughout the hallways, cafeteria and gym), and the lockers were repainted for a more "retro" look. Several new sets were also added which include: a new student lounge room, a remodeled classroom for Digital arts, and a restaurant called "Lola's Cantina".[15]

Cast

Main roles

Starting with season 1 of Next Class, none of the characters who debuted during the changes happening in seasons 8 and 9 of The Next Generation remain. The students featured were introduced starting in seasons eleven, thirteen, and fourteen of the previous incarnation along with several new characters for the follow-up series. Keeping ties to the early seasons of the previous incarnation and the franchise as a whole, Stefan Brogren's character remains the Principal of Degrassi Community School. Several cast members from the first incarnation will be making appearances during the second season.[16]

First run broadcast

In Canada, the series premiered on January 4, 2016, on Family’s new teen programing block, F2N. In the United States (and internationally), first-run episodes began streaming internationally on Netflix on January 15, 2016 (excluding Canada, Australia and France). Episodes will be available on Netflix in Canada, Australia and France following the conclusion of the first season.[17][18]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Family Channel's new teen block F2N launches January 4 with the premiere of Degrassi: Next... - TORONTO, Nov. 30, 2015". Newswire.ca. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
  2. ↑ "Degrassi (@Degrassi)". Twitter. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  3. ↑ "Netflix US on Twitter: "@holyjackg Hang in thereâ€"season 2 will be out later this year!"". Twitter. 2016-01-19. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  4. ↑ "CFC Alumna Sarah Glinski Introduces 'Degrassi's Next Class to Canada, Beyond". Cfccreates.com. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  5. ↑ "Stephen Stohn on Twitter: "Just announced: Degrassi: Next Class Season 2 will premiere Friday July 22 on Netflix"". Twitter. 2016-04-11. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  6. ↑ Kickham, Dylan (2016-01-14). "Degrassi: Next Class renewed for seasons 3 and 4". EW.com. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  7. ↑ Peltz, Jonathan (2015-08-03). "High School Never Ends: An Interview with the Creators of 'Degrassi' | VICE | United States". VICE. Retrieved 2015-08-11.
  8. ↑ Ellis 2005, p. 128
  9. ↑ "Degrassi: Next Class Opening Sequence". YouTube. 2015-11-30. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  10. ↑ Ellis 2005, pp. 106–111
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Epitome Pictures" (Flash (User must select the "Studios" link)). Epitome Pictures. Retrieved October 21, 2007.
  12. ↑ Ellis 2005, pp. 116–117
  13. 1 2 Ellis 2005, p. 115
  14. ↑ Ellis 2005, pp. 112–114
  15. ↑ "Inside The Studio with Ana Golja and Dante Scott - Degrassi: Next Class". YouTube. 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  16. ↑ http://www.ew.com/article/2016/05/06/degrassi-next-class-reunion-photos?xid=entertainment-weekly_socialflow_twitter
  17. ↑ "DHX Media buys Degrassi TV studio". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
  18. ↑ "Degrassi: Next Class to debut on Family Channel, Netflix". CBC News. June 9, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015.

References

External links

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