Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 7)

Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 7)

Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 7 DVD
Country of origin Canada
No. of episodes 24
Release
Original network CTV (Canada)
The N (United States)
Original release 14 January (2008-01-14) – 23 June 2008 (2008-06-23)

The seventh season of Degrassi: The Next Generation commenced airing in Canada on 14 January 2008, concluded on 23 June 2008, and consists of twenty-four episodes. Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian serial teen drama television series. This season takes place during the second semester of the school year that began in season six and continues to depict the lives of a group of high school sophomores, juniors, seniors and college freshman as they deal with some of the challenges and issues young adults face, such as rape, school violence, cancer, drug use, prostitution, sexual misconduct, racism, sexism, parenthood, HIV and relationships.

Season seven aired Mondays at 7:30 p.m. (7:00 p.m. in Quebec) on CTV, a Canadian terrestrial television network. In the United States it aired Fridays at 8:00 p.m. on The N, a digital cable network aimed at teenagers and young adults. Season seven premiered in the US three months before it began broadcasting in Canada, on 5 October 2007.[1] In total sixteen episodes aired in the US before they did Canada. Further to being broadcast on television, episodes were made available for free streaming on CTV's website;[2] registered users of the Canadian and US iTunes Stores are also able to purchase and download the season for playback on home computers and certain iPods.[2][3] The second Degrassi dedicated soundtrack, Music from Degrassi: The Next Generation, was released 9 December 2008.

Production took place in Toronto, Ontario between April and December 2007.[4] In addition to the twenty-four regular episodes, two "special episodes" were produced, not part of the Degrassi continuity. In the U.S. Bust, "A Move Part 1 and 2" were formed together to form "Degrassi Spring Break Movie". The first, "Degrassi in Kenya" depicted the cast members travelling to Africa to assist the building of a school.[5][6] It aired 18 October 2007 on MTV Canada, and 14 March 2008 on The N.[7] The second, "Degrassi of the Dead", was a Halloween special, and featured the characters being turned into zombies.[8] It aired on 26 October 2007 on The N, and four days later on CTV.[9]

Viewing figures for season seven were not as high as previous seasons; by the twelfth episode, figures were down to 314,000 viewers, a 46% decrease from the season premiere which was watched by 585,000 viewers. Despite the decrease in viewers, however, reviews for the season were of praise, rather than criticism.

Cast

The seventh season features twenty actors who receive star billing with fourteen of them returning from the previous season. Returning cast members include:

Joining the main cast are Charlotte Arnold, Paula Brancati, and Mazin Elsadig as Holly J. Sinclair (11 episodes), Jane Vaughn (11 episodes), and Damian Hayes (7 episodes). Dalmar Abuzeid, Nina Dobrev, and Marc Donato as Danny Van Zandt (13 episodes), Mia Jones (6 episodes), and Derek Haig (11 episodes) were promoted after recurring in the previous seasons.

The three actors from season six who did not return this season were Deanna Casaluce as Alex Nuñez, Daniel Clark as Sean Cameron, and Ryan Cooley as James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke, Jake Epstein as Craig Manning, Jake Goldsbie as Toby Isaacs, and Melissa McIntyre as Ashley Kerwin. All left the series, except for Deanna Casaluce, who appeared in two episodes, and Daniel Clark and Jake Epstein, who both guest starred later on this season. Jake Goldsbie and Melissa McIntyre returned in recurring capacities this season.

Returning in their recurring roles are Scott Paterson as Johnny DiMarco, Steve Belford as Jesse Stefanovic, Linlyn Lue as Ms. Kwan, and Jennifer Podemski as Ms. Sauve. Raymond Ablack, Marc Minardi and Samantha Munro are introduced in recurring roles as former Lakehurst students Sav Bhandari, Lucas Valieri and Anya MacPherson. Nathan Stephenson also joins the roster of recurring cast members as Griffin, the new roommate in Ellie, Marco and Paige's apartment.

Stacie Mistysyn, who portrayed Caitlin Ryan in the earlier incarnations of Degrassi, as well as seasons one to five of Degrassi: The Next Generation, guest stars in episode eight, "Jessie's Girl". The fourteenth episode "Bust a Move, Part Two", which features a guest appearance from Shirley Douglas as Smithdale University's Professor Dunwoody. Episode twenty features a guest appearance from Free the Children founder Craig Kielburger as himself. English pop singer Natasha Bedingfield appears in the season finale performing her songs "Unwritten" and "Pocketful of Sunshine" at the prom.

Crew

The season was produced by Epitome Pictures in association with CTV. Funding was provided by The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, the Canadian Television Fund and BCE-CTV Benefits, The Shaw Television Broadcast Fund, the Independent Production Fund, Mountain Cable Program, and RBC Royal Bank.[10]

Linda Schuyler, co-creator of the Degrassi franchise and CEO of Epitome Pictures, was an executive producer of season seven, as were Stephen Stohn (Epitome Pictures' president) and Brendon Yorke. David Lowe served as producer, and Stefan Brogren as co-creative producer. In several episodes James Hurst was credited as executive creative consultant. Vera Santamaria was executive story editor, with Duana Taha serving as story editor. The editor was Stephen Withrow, Stephen Stanley the production designer, and the cinematographers were Gavin Smith and John Berrie.[10]

The writers for season seven are Emily Andras, Nicole Demerse, Brian Hartigan, Matt Huether, James Hurst, Aaron Martin, Kate Miles Melville, Vera Santamaria, Sara Snow, Duana Taha, and Brendon Yorke.

Directors of the episodes include Phil Earnshaw, Sturla Gunnarsson, Eleanore Lindo, Graeme Lynch, Bruce McDonald, Stefan Scaini, Gilbert Shilton, and Pat Williams.[10]

Reception

Viewing figures of the seventh season of Degrassi: The Next Generation did not fare as well as previous seasons. The first twelve episodes averaged only 455,000 viewers, compared to the same number of episodes in season six, which averaged 500,000 viewers.[11] The season premiere achieved the highest figures with 585,000 viewers.[12] This progressively dropped over the forthcoming weeks from 446,000 viewers on 28 January 2008,[13] to 407,000 viewers on 11 February 2008,[14] and continued to fall to 314,000 viewers over forthcoming weeks.[15]

Despite the poor ratings, the mass media still reacted positively to the season. Joel Rubinoff of the Waterloo Region Record praised the show for "remaining consistent ... [in] its ability to shock and surprise in a way that never lets us [the viewers] down ... Shenae Grimes, whose complex portrayal of a young woman in mental pain—and the conflicting emotions that entails—makes her depiction not only believable, but to those who have had similar experiences, entirely relatable."[16] Raju Mudhar of the Toronto Star also had praise for the season, commenting that "the way that it has managed to deal with aging—which has been the destruction for many of its peers, and the level of honesty and attempted authenticity has always set Degrassi apart. The fact that show has always cast actors within a year or two of their characters' ages has always helped."[17] AfterElton.com, a website which focuses on the portrayal of homosexual and bisexual men in the media, and owned by MTV Networks' Logo cable television network, named the character Marco del Rossi as one of their "Top 25 Gay TV Characters".[18]

Season seven also won awards for its gay-oriented storylines; it was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award in the Best Drama Series category, alongside Dirty Sexy Money, Greek, The L Word and the winner, Brothers & Sisters.[19][20] In the US, The N was presented with The Trevor Commitment Award by The Trevor Project for breaking new ground in the positive representation of gay and questioning youth.[21] The season was also nominated for a Teen Choice Award in the Choice TV: Comedy category, but lost to Hannah Montana.[22] In the 2008 Directors Guild of Canada Awards, which were held on 8 November, "Standing in the Dark" Part Two was nominated in the Television Series Sound Editing category.[23] "Pass the Dutchie", directed by Patrick Williams, won the award for best direction in the Team Television Series – Family category.[24] In the 2008 Gemini Awards the season picked up four nominations. The series won the award for Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series; Shane Kippel and Lauren Collins were vying for the award for "Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series" for their performances in the episodes "Death or Glory Part Two" and "Talking in Your Sleep", respectively, but ultimately lost to Alexz Johnson from Epitome Pictures' Instant Star; and Phil Earnshaw was nominated for Best Direction in a Children's or Youth Program or Series for "Standing in the Dark Part One".[25][26][27]

It was also during this season that Degrassi won a 2008 TV.com award for best teen clique; Hannah Montana, Greek and Gossip girl were among the other nominees included in this category.

Episodes

Season seven premiered on The N three months before its CTV debut;[1][28] Canadian viewers had to wait until the thirteenth episode to watch an episode before American viewers. The N broadcast the season in three separate blocks, airing the first seven episodes from 5 October to 16 November 2007, before putting the show on hiatus. It returned on 8 February 2008, and went off air 9 May, before returning once again on 11 July for the remaining six episodes. In Canada, the season premiere aired 14 January 2008 and aired a new episode each week until the season finale on 23 June.

The N aired Bust a Move Part 1 & 2 together as The Degrassi Spring Break Movie. The N aired episode 718, "Another Brick in the Wall" before 717, "Talking in Your Sleep", and 721, "Everything She Wants" before 720, "Ladies Night".[29] CTV held back episode 703, "Love is a Battlefield," and broadcast it after episode 719, "Broken Wings".[30]

This list is by order of production, as they appear on the DVD.

No. in
season		 No. in
series		 Title Canadian airdate US airdate Production code
1120"Standing in the Dark" Part One14 January 2008 (2008-01-14)5 October 2007701
The Degrassi students return from winter break to find the school has merged with Lakehurst following a devastating fire. Meanwhile, Darcy begins openly dating Peter despite their parents' disdain. Also, Toby is angry over Lakehurst's presence so soon after J.T.'s death and lets his feelings be known through his podcast.
2121"Standing in the Dark" Part Two21 January 2008 (2008-01-21)5 October 2007702
Darcy believes that she and Peter had sex at the party, but when news spreads about a "roofie-rapist" in the area, she is forced to come to terms with the possibility that she might have been raped. Meanwhile, Ellie decides to fix Marco up with another guy, since Dylan seems to be neglecting their relationship.
3122"Love is a Battlefield"19 May 2008 (2008-05-19)12 October 2007703
Paige gets a job as a fashion assistant as Alex spends her days being lazy. Soon Paige's job and Alex's attitude threaten their relationship. Meanwhile, Manny considers picking things up where she left off with Damian but finds it impossible when they disagree on a unified Degrassi–Lakehurst student body.
4123"It's Tricky"28 January 2008 (2008-01-28)19 October 2007704
Ashley decides to practice music again after she does not receive credit for a song she wrote on Craig's album but finds herself outshone by Jimmy. Meanwhile, Mia has problems with her locker buddy and mean girl, Holly J., when they both vie for Sav's affection.
5124"Death or Glory" Part One4 February 2008 (2008-02-04)2 November 2007705
Life is looking better for Spinner, but after getting into a fight at school, he begins to feel pain in his groin and finds out he has testicular cancer. Meanwhile, Darcy believes she has come to terms with her rape, but her actions prove this to be wrong when she acts out in class.
6125"Death or Glory" Part Two11 February 2008 (2008-02-11)9 November 2007706
Spinner seems to be doing himself in before his illness kills him when he begins acting out recklessly and picking fights with the Lakehurst thugs. Meanwhile, Marco finally begins to accept that Dylan is really gone and starts to socialize with other people.
7126"We Got the Beat"18 February 2008 (2008-02-18)16 November 2007707
Manny's 18th birthday Debut is approaching and, weary of her father's incessant micromanagement of her life, invites bad-boy Jay to be her escort in the hopes of ruining the event. Jimmy finds out about Ashley's betrayal and makes a new friend in physical therapy.
8127"Jessie's Girl"25 February 2008 (2008-02-25)8 February 2008708
Caitlin returns to Toronto for a guest lecture at Toronto University, which Ellie is covering for the newspaper. When Ellie catches Jesse and Caitlin hooking up, she spirals down a drunken path. Meanwhile, Mia wants Anya to stand up to Holly J.
9128"Hungry Eyes"3 March 2008 (2008-03-03)15 February 2008709
Emma, tired of being "predictable," auditions to be a model for Purple Dragon. She finds herself liking the attention she gets but soon learns of the hypocrisy of the company. Meanwhile, Mia asks Sav to help her be better at Badminton, and he agrees but only if she helps him learn how to kiss.
10129"Pass the Dutchie"10 March 2008 (2008-03-10)22 February 2008710
Spinner is trying to cope with the effects of cancer and chemotherapy and starts smoking marijuana, which turns Jane away, especially when he begins hanging out with his ex-girlfriend Darcy. Meanwhile, Paige hates her job and decides to take a few days off to relax.
11130"Owner of a Lonely Heart"17 March 2008 (2008-03-17)29 February 2008711
Marco is low on cash, and after meeting a friend who takes an interest in him, he considers doing something he never thought he ever would have to do. Manny grows closer to Jay and concocts a sham engagement on the spot to keep her meddling parents at bay.
12131"Live to Tell"24 March 2008 (2008-03-24)7 March 2008712
Unable to cope with her rape, Darcy descends down a self-destructive path of lies, promiscuity and disturbing behaviour that could cost her everything about which she cares. Meanwhile, Jimmy is tired of relying on Ashley for everything, and with his friend Trina to help him spread his wings, Jimmy is left with a tough decision to make.
13132"Bust a Move" Part One31 March 2008 (2008-03-31)4 April 2008713

Manny wants to attend Smithdale University, which has a great acting department. After an argument, Jay gets revenge and switches her audition tape with their sex tape. Feeling guilty, Jay attempts to fix his mistake. Meanwhile, Darcy's parents send her to a camp for troubled youths.

Note: Aired as a one-hour special titled "Degrassi Spring Break Movie" in the US.
14133"Bust a Move" Part Two7 April 2008 (2008-04-07)4 April 2008714

Manny finds out what Jay did and is furious. Jay arrives at Smithdale a little too late and finds out Manny blew her audition. It is now up to Jay to correct his wrongdoing and win Manny back. Meanwhile, Darcy is faced with hard lessons of discipline and rigorous self-respect-building exercises.

Note: Aired as a one-hour special titled "Degrassi Spring Break Movie" in the US.

Note: This marks the final appearance of Melissa McIntyre.
15134"Got My Mind Set on You"14 April 2008 (2008-04-14)11 April 2008715
Danny and Derek team up with Peter and a girl named Rachel on a class assignment. Their friendship is threatened when they both develop feelings for her. Meanwhile, Emma finds it hard to deal with the false accusation made against Snake, and when Damian offers comfort, she develops feelings for him.
16135"Sweet Child o' Mine"21 April 2008 (2008-04-21)18 April 2008716
Mia has finally been granted a spot on Spirit Squad, and she's ecstatic. But trying to be a normal teenager proves to difficult when having to remember her parental responsibilities. Manny and Jay's relationship is going well until she wants to meet his parents.
17136"Talking in Your Sleep"28 April 2008 (2008-04-28)9 May 2008717
Things heat up between Paige and Griffin, and they culminate in a night of passion. When Paige finds bottles of medicine in his room, she grows scared for her life when she realizes what they treat. Meanwhile, Jane gets closer to Darcy, but her friendship skills need work.
18137"Another Brick in the Wall"5 May 2008 (2008-05-05)25 April 2008718
When Snake is finally allowed back to work following the sexual misconduct allegations, he receives a cold welcome from the students. After Holly J. asks Toby to tutor her, she finds herself liking him but is too embarrassed to be seen with him.
19138"Broken Wings"12 May 2008 (2008-05-12)11 July 2008719
Jimmy gets into his dream school and wants to have stem cell surgery in order to regain use in his legs. When his father refuses, Jimmy makes a shocking discovery that changes everything. Meanwhile, Peter starts a band with Sav and Danny and tries to get Spinner to be their drummer.
20139"Ladies' Night"26 May 2008 (2008-05-26)18 July 2008720

Anya is put in charge of a Free the Children Freedom Fast and tries to make Holly J. and Sav get along. When her plan fails, Anya is thrust into a battle against the Queen Bee herself. Meanwhile, Jay and Manny attempt to get her engagement ring from a pawn shop.

Special Guest Star: Craig Kielburger.
21140"Everything She Wants"2 June 2008 (2008-06-02)11 July 2008721
Mia is finally getting her life back on track with the help of Lucas, but when Lucas suggests she live a little, things get out of hand, leaving Mia to face the consequences. Meanwhile, Sean returns while on leave from the military and stays at the Simpson–Nelson household.
22141"Don't Stop Believin'"9 June 2008 (2008-06-09)25 July 2008722
Paige, Marco, and Ellie realize that they will soon be going their separate ways. Marco and Ellie realize how much they depend on each other for everything, leading to a night that will change their friendship forever. Meanwhile, Liberty and Damian compete to be class valedictorian.
23142"If This Is It"16 June 2008 (2008-06-16)8 August 2008723
Spinner puts his future in jeopardy when he chooses to play in a band competition over studying for his final exam. Meanwhile, when Manny is offered a role on the popular TV show, "Westdrive," she has to choose between following her dream and going to Smithdale with Emma.
24143"We Built This City"23 June 2008 (2008-06-23)15 August 2008724

It's the end of an era as the Class of 2007 prom and graduation arrive. Liberty's attraction to Emma's boyfriend, Damian, puts her on the outs with her friends. When his mom announces that they are moving away, Peter does whatever it takes in order to stay with Darcy.

Special Guest Star: Natasha Bedingfield.

DVD release

The DVD release of season seven was released online and in select stores by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment in the US on 17 March 2009, this is the first season not to be released by Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment in Canada, or by FUNimation Entertainment in the US. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including deleted scenes, bloopers and behind-the-scenes featurettes.

The Complete Seventh Season
Set details Special features
  • Bloopers
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Photo Gallery
  • Webisodes
  • On The Set
  • Uncut Edition
Release dates
Canada Canada United States United States
26 May 2009 17 March 2009

References

  1. 1 2 The-Mary (2007-09-07). "The Degrassi Premiere is Moved to October 5th!". The N. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  2. 1 2 "Degrassi Season 7 returns with 24 new episodes; eight hot young actors join cast". Channel Canada. 2007-12-20. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  3. ↑ Epitome Pictures. "Degrassi: The Next Generation" (Note: Requires iTunes software). The N. iTunes Store. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  4. ↑ City of Toronto Film and Television Office (2008-01-07). "2007 Production List" (PDF). City of Toronto. p. 16. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  5. ↑ Warner, Tyrone (2007-08-31). "Degrassi helps build a school in Kenya". CTV. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  6. ↑ Stohn, Stephen (2007-09-27). "Shooting Season 3" (note: requires registration). Degrassi Message Boards. Epitome Virtual Reality. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  7. ↑ Stohn, Stephen (2007-10-14). "Shooting Season 3" (note: requires registration). Degrassi Message Boards. Epitome Virtual Reality. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
  8. ↑ "Degrassi of the Dead". MSN. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  9. ↑ Stohn, Stephen (2007-10-24). "Shooting Season 3" (note: requires registration). Degrassi Message Boards. Epitome Virtual Reality. Retrieved 2007-10-26.
  10. 1 2 3 Schuyler, Linda (co-creator, co-executive producer); Moore, Yan (co-creator); Stohn, Stephen (co-executive producer) (2007-10-05). Degrassi: The Next Generation - Season 7. Epitome Pictures.
  11. ↑ Bailey, Patricia (2007-03-27). "CTV ups its order for Degrassi". Playback. Toronto, Ontario: Brunico Communications. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  12. ↑ Brioux, Bill (2008-01-23). "The Degrassi Myth". TV Feeds My Family. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  13. ↑ Brioux, Bill (2008-01-31). "jPod gets jPasted". TV Feeds My Family. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  14. ↑ Brioux, Bill (2008-02-14). "MVP Needs Performance Enhancement". TV Feeds My Family. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  15. ↑ Brioux, Bill (2008-03-19). "Mercer Tops CBC Winter Numbers". TV Feeds My Family. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  16. ↑ Rubinoff, Joel (2008-02-01). "Keeping it real". Waterloo Region Record. Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario: Metroland Media Group. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  17. ↑ Mudhar, Raju (2008-01-03). "Same old Degrassi – but darker". Toronto Star. Toronto, Ontario: Star Media Group. Retrieved 2008-04-01.
  18. ↑ Jensen, Michael (2007-11-29). "Readers' Choice: The Top 25 Gay TV Characters Revealed!". AfterElton.com. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  19. ↑ Lam, Eva (2008-04-23). "'Degrassi: TNG' Nominated For GLAAD Award". andPOP. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
  20. ↑ "The 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards". http://www.glaad.org/publications/resource_doc_detail.php?id=4350. 2008-06-27. Bravo. Missing or empty |series= (help)
  21. ↑ Halterman, Jim (2008-07-03). "Supporters of gay youth honored at the Trevor Project Gala". AfterElton.com. Retrieved 2008-07-18.
  22. ↑ "Teen Choice 2008 Winners" (PDF). Teen Choice Awards. August 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 3, 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
  23. ↑ "2008 DGC Awards Nominees" (PDF). Directors Guild of Canada. 2008. p. 9. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  24. ↑ "2008 DGC Awards Winners" (PDF). Directors Guild of Canada. 2008. p. 2. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  25. ↑ "23rd Annual Gemini Awards Nominations" (PDF). Gemini Awards. 2008-09-10. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  26. ↑ "Degrassi: The Next Generation 23rd Gemini Nominations". Gemini Awards. 2008-09-10. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  27. ↑ "23rd Annual Gemini Awards – Lifestyle, Children's and Youth Gala". Gemini Awards. Archived from the original on February 4, 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  28. ↑ "Degrassi: The Next Generation Premieres on a New Day, Jan. 14". CTV.ca. 2008-01-03. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  29. ↑ "Degrassi: The Next Generation on The N". TV Guide. Time Inc. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
  30. ↑ Stohn, Stephen (2008-05-07). "Shooting Season 3" (Note: Requires registration). Degrassi.tv. Epitome Virtual Reality. Retrieved 2008-08-08.

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