I have vivid memories of a class trip to the Runnymede Public Library I took in 1983. We were assembled in a room on the second floor and shown a program on video cassette. The show we watched was "The Kids of Degrassi Street".
I would soon discover other episodes of this television show and watched with great interest "Degrassi Junior High" when it debuted on CBC in 1987. It was appointment viewing for me and I watched every single week. Although "Degrassi Junior High" eventually became "Degrassi High", I never missed an episode during its five year run.
Following the series, there was a fantastic little tv movie about the gang's last summer together called "School's Out". I actually watched this movie earlier in the week on Showcase which got me thinking about Degrassi again. I remember enjoying a nice convo with Pat Mastroianni when I was working at the CNE, I remember bumping into Stefan Brogren at a Raptors game and I remember when one of the cast members' band played our high school talent night. The twins came along to cheer him on.
There is now "Degrassi: The Next Generation" for this new generation, and although I don't watch religiously, every time I catch an episode I enjoy it. Joey is still there, Snake is still there, Spike is still there and sometimes Caitlin and others are their too. It's as if Degrassi never really went away and I like that.
Thanks again, Degrassi, for all the memories.
