Links
DTNG Hits Century Mark
by fb45dtng
Who'd a 'thunk' it? A Canadian television show -- which many people refer to as "teen mellow-drama" -- will accomplish a great feat in television entertainment this month. "Degrassi: The Next Generation" will reach it's 100th episode on March 20th with the airing of High Fidelity Part 2, the finale of season five. The show, still gaining caliber with every episode, has garnered its most successful ratings to date with this fifth season. According to CTV it has seen rating gains as much as 24% to previous years.
As the first DTNG class graduates in this 100th episode, many skeptics worry what another year of the show may bring. Six main cast members are scheduled to leave the halls of Degrassi -- but will their leave from the school also mean a departure from the series? Will this affect the ratings? It may be too early to answer such questions, but regardless Degrassi had made it’s impact on the entertainment world.
Degrassi has done something that most Canadian-born shows fail to do: capture the American audience. Degrassi is not only Canada's most popular drama series, but it is the most watched teen 
drama series on The-N (an American cable station owned by Viacom). In fact, Degrassi's American fan-base does not just include The-N viewers either. The show has gained quite an underground following on the net, reflected by the thousands of American fans who download the episodes right along with the Canadian air dates.
Linda Schuyler, producer/creator of the show, created the Degrassi franchise back in the late 80's as a way to reach teens in a non-boring, very realistic fashion. The predecessors of “The Next Generation,” Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High share many similarities with the current series, yet were unique in their own right. And while the original series were impressive, they failed to capture the American audience as “The Next Generation” has been able to. However, one thing that the Degrassi franchise has done in it's entire 25 years of existence (this year is also the shows 25th anniversary), is go where no other show dared to go -- and that characteristic has remained consistent throughout the different series.
Five years and 100 episodes has brought fans a lot of drama, tons of surprises, and many thoughts on life. We've seen a young teen girl experience her first period. Another character suffer through date rape. One student bullied to the point where he brought a gun to school. And, let us not forget the episodes dealing with sexuality. If there is an issue plaguing teens to date, Degrassi will attempt to display it in it's prime. They do not lie about life, they do not play down major issues, they show them how it is, no matter how ugly they may seem, or no matter what the outcome may be. One character almost lost his life this season after overdosing on the extremely potent drug "oxycodone" -- the plot did not end up okay, the characters did not have a happy ending. All in all, this show is known for its unpredictability and its daringness to attempt anything. If another season comes to be, we may not see all the faces we’ve come to know, and we may see some new ones, but it is guaranteed that the creators will do everything they can to keep the show intense.
So stay tuned for March 20th , when the 100th episode will air on CTV. In the episode we will see 6 main cast members graduate as Jake Epstein and Melissa McIntyre return for guest appearances. The plot lines will involve heart break, lies, tears, and as always surprises, in what is guaranteed to be a very intense, 100th episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation.
The above article was published by dTNGHO, please credit if cited or used
author contact info: jdm3715@yahoo.com
To comment on this column click here.
