Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 2)

Degrassi: The Next Generation (season 2)

Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 2 DVD
Country of origin Canada
No. of episodes 22
Release
Original network CTV
Original release 29 September 2002 (2002-09-29) – 23 February 2003 (2003-02-23)

The second season of Degrassi: The Next Generation commenced airing in Canada on 29 September 2002, concluded on 23 February 2003 and contains twenty-two episodes. Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian serial teen drama television series. This season depicts the lives of a group of eighth and ninth grade school children as they deal with some of the challenges and issues teenagers face such as child abuse, hormones, date rape, body image, hate crimes, sexual identity, alcoholism, protests, and relationships. This is the first season to feature high school students from grade nine and the last season to feature middle school students.

Filming began 10 June 2002, and continued into November 2002.[1] Every episode is named after a song from the 1980s.[2]

The second season aired Sundays at 7:00 p.m. on CTV, a Canadian terrestrial television network, and premiered with a sixty-minute special, "When Doves Cry", which form the first two episodes of season two. Additional episodes were also aired on Fridays during January 2003. In the United States, it was broadcast on The N, a digital cable network aimed at teenagers and young adults. The season was released on DVD as a four disc boxed set on 21 June 2005 by Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment in Canada, and by FUNimation Entertainment in the US. Registered users of the Canadian and US iTunes Stores are also able purchase and download the season for playback on home computers and certain iPods.[3]

A critical and popular success, the second season of Degrassi: The Next Generation was the most-watched Canadian drama series for Canada's younger viewers aged two to thirty-four. It was nominated in eight categories at the Gemini Awards, four categories at the Directors Guild of Canada Awards and the National Council on Family Relations Media Awards, and in two categories at the Young Artist Awards. Four episodes were also nominated at the Awards of Excellence Gala, hosted by the Alliance for Children and Television, what recognize quality Canadian children’s programming.

Cast

The second season features fifteen actors who receive star billing with all thirteen of them returning from the previous season. Returning cast members include:

Joining the main cast this season:

Amanda Stepto and Andrea Lewis continue their recurring roles as Christine "Spike" Nelson and Hazel Aden and Stacey Farber, Adamo Ruggiero, Melissa DiMarco, and Katie Lai are given recurring roles as grade-nine students Ellie Nash and Marco Del Rossi, science teacher Daphne Hatzilakos, and 7th-grader Kendra Mason, respectively. Alex Steele, who appeared briefly in "Mother and Child Reunion" as Joey's daughter, Angela Jeremiah, returns in a recurring role. Tom Melissis and Jennifer Podemski are introduced playing Mr. Perino and Ms. Sauve, and Linlyn Lue returns to play Ms. Kwan.[4]

Siluck Saysanasy who played Yick Yu makes a cameo in "When Doves Cry". Anais Granofsky and Stacie Mistysyn, who had acted as Lucy Fernandez and Caitlin Ryan in the preceding series, return to the franchise when they guest-star in "White Wedding".

Crew

The season was produced by Epitome Pictures and CTV. The executive producers are Epitome Pictures' CEO and Degrassi: The Next Generation co-creator Linda Schuyler, and her husband, Epitome president Stephen Stohn. Degrassi: The Next Generation co-creator Yan Moore served as the creative consultant and David Lowe was the line producer. Aaron Martin served as the executive story editor. James Hurst served as the story editor, with Shelley Scarrow as the junior story editor. The writers for the season are Tassie Cameron, Craig Cornell, James Hurst, Sean Jara, Aaron Martin, Yan Moore, Susin Nielsen, Clare Ross Dunn, Shelley Scarrow, Jana Sinyor, David Sutherland, and Brendon Yorke. The season's directors are Bruce McDonald, Philip Earnshaw, Paul Fox, Anais Granofsky, and Stefan Scaini.[5][6]

Reception

Well received by critics and audience alike, Degrassi: The Next Generation's second season became the most-watched domestic drama series for Canada's three younger age groups of children aged two to eleven, teenagers aged twelve to seventeen and adults aged eighteen to thirty-four.[7]

The season was not without controversy, however. There are a number of episodes with scenes of one teenager being beaten by his father. When reviewing those episodes, the Ryerson University of Toronto said the show "stands on its own" in reflecting "the kinds of issues [teenagers are] facing in their own lives ... handled with care and consideration, without all the glamour of a Hollywood soap opera."[8] A two-part storyline about date-rape proved too risqué for The N officials, who delayed its broadcasting until suitable edits could be made, and other special treatments were available in the form of panel discussions, online parental guides and separately filmed introductions.[9][10] The Gazette said, "You've got to hand it to the creative team behind CTV's justly celebrated teen series, Degrassi: The Next Generation. They're nothing if not a clever bunch",[11] and Brian Orloff of the St. Petersburg Times praised the series as it "stays in touch with teens' lives".[12]

By the end of 2003, the season had been nominated for or won several awards. The Gemini Awards named Degrassi: The Next Generation the "Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series" and nominated it for "Best Short Dramatic Program". It won the "Best Interactive" category for its connection with the official website, which also won in the "Best Website" category. Bruce McDonald took home the Gemini award for "Best Direction in a Children's or Youth Program or Series" for the episode "Weird Science", and "White Wedding" earned a nomination for Stephen Withrow in the "Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Series". "Careless Whisper" garnered Aaron Martin and Craig Cornell a nomination for "Best Writing for a Children's or Youths' Program or Series", and Jake Epstein's performance in "Tears Are Not Enough" secured him the award for "Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series".[13] At the second annual Directors Guild of Canada Awards, "White Wedding" received recognition for Bruce McDonald in the "Outstanding Achievement in Direction - Television Series" category, and Stephen Stanley in the "Outstanding Achievement in Production Design - Short Form" category.[14] "When Doves Cry" won in team category for "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Series - Children's", and earned Stephen Withrow an honor in the category for "Outstanding Achievement in Picture Editing - Short Form".[15] Jake Epstein's acting earned him a second award when the Young Artist Awards gave him the award for "Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series Leading Young Actor", and the young cast was nominated for "Best Ensemble in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama)".[16]

Episodes

CTV originally aired episode fourteen, "Careless Whisper", two days before episodes twelve and the thirteen, the hour-long special "White Wedding". Episode eighteen, "Dressed In Black" aired before episode seventeen, "Relax".

In the US, The N aired season two in two blocks. The first block aired 7 October 2002 to 13 January 2003. The second block of episodes aired 11 July 2003 to 29 August 2003, but the episodes did not air in the order intended by the producers. The season finale of season one, "Jagged Little Pill", had been held over,[17] and was shown in an edited format as this season's third episode,[18] along with season two's true third episode to form an hour-long special. Due to the sensitive subject of rape, episodes seven and eight, the "Shout" two-part special, were held over until 11 July 2003 and opened the second half of the season creating an hour-and-a-half long special with episode twenty, "How Soon Is Now?". Because of plot continuity, episode nine, "Mirror in the Bathroom", was also held back and had its first US airing in the second week of the second block of the season, before episodes fifteen through nineteenteen continued to air in the correct order, followed by episodes nineteen and twenty, "Tears Are Not Enough, Parts One and Two" which were broadcast as an hour-long season finale. In re-runs and syndication, the episodes have all aired in the order the producers intended.

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

No. in
season		 No. in
series		 Title Original airdate Production code
1–216–17"When Doves Cry"[19]29 September 2002 (2002-09-29)201 & 202
As a new school year begins, Degrassi expands into a full-fledged high school encompassing seventh through twelfth grades. New ninth-grader Craig becomes quick friends with Sean and attracts Emma and Manny, but his home life is less than perfect as he deals with an abusive father and his own, growing need to be around his stepfather Joey and half-sister Angela. Meanwhile, J.T. makes desperate attempts to ask Paige out, but she refuses every time. She later changes her mind when she makes a bet with Hazel and Spinner.
318"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"6 October 2002 (2002-10-06)203
Spike tells Emma she's dating her old schoolmate--Emma's teacher, Mr. Simpson. After Spike cancels a girls' night with Emma to be with him, Craig helps Emma and Manny crash the seniors' '80s dance. Meanwhile, Spinner and Jimmy find themselves competing against each other in the break-dancing contest.
419"Karma Chameleon"13 October 2002 (2002-10-13)204
Ashley attempts to make amends for her actions at her house party and ends up with fewer friends than she had before when she makes plans to go on a date with Sean. Meanwhile, Toby becomes smitten with the new girl, without realizing she's Spinner's sister.
520"Weird Science"20 October 2002 (2002-10-20)205
Emma doesn't want people to know that Mr. Simpson is dating her mother as she hopes to win first place at the Science Fair. Meanwhile, Spinner is having trouble controlling his erections and starts eating fruit after he begins getting more attention from the girls.
621"Drive"27 October 2002 (2002-10-27)206
Craig thinks Joey's request for him to move a car on his used-car lot gives him free rein to drive and takes his friends on a joyride when Joey goes out of town for the weekend. Meanwhile, Ashley has found a friend in Ellie and considers getting her belly button pierced to impress her.
722"Shout" Part One3 November 2002 (2002-11-03)207
Paige meets Dean, a star soccer player at rival school Bardell, and the two share an instant attraction. When she blows off Spinner to hang out with Dean, she finds herself in a situation even she can't handle. Meanwhile, J.T. and Toby's failure to keep their shared locker clean strains their friendship.
823"Shout" Part Two10 November 2002 (2002-11-10)208
Paige struggles to come to terms with her recent sexual assault after Ashley writes a song about rape for PMS to perform on stage for a contest. Meanwhile, Liberty acts out in an attempt to show J.T. she isn't as boring as he thinks she is.
924"Mirror in the Bathroom"17 November 2002 (2002-11-17)209
Tired of being known as "the computer geek," Toby decides to join the wrestling team when he sees how popular Sean is. Determined to be accepted, Toby develops dangerous habits in order to lose weight. Meanwhile, Terri attempts to hide her job as a plus-size model from her friends.
1025"Take My Breath Away"24 November 2002 (2002-11-24)210
After crushing on him for months, Manny finally decides to ask Craig out; the next day, each remembers the evening differently while recapping it for their friends. Ellie writes anonymous love notes to Marco, but he thinks they came from Hazel.
1126"Don't Believe the Hype"1 December 2002 (2002-12-01)211
Hazel is the prime suspect when a Muslim girl she taunts is discriminated against on International Day, which forces her to come to terms with her own insecurities. Liberty and J.T. switch sewing projects in home economics to avoid embarrassment.
12–1327–28"White Wedding"[19]5 January 2003 (2003-01-05)212 & 213
Emma and their old friends prepare for Snake and Spike's wedding, but nothing seems to be going right at all. After finding out that Snake doesn't want to have children, she is later surprised to find out she is pregnant and contemplates getting an abortion in order to salvage their relationship. Meanwhile, Emma is having the worst hair day ever and grows more upset when Manny invites Sean to the wedding when she had specifically said he wasn't someone to invite. Also, J.T. and Toby want to see the stripper at Mr. Simpson's bachelor's party.
1429"Careless Whisper"3 January 2003 (2003-01-03)214
Ellie wants more than just friendship with Marco, but when he can't seem to bring himself to be with her, she realizes why. Meanwhile, Toby wants to spend every second with Kendra, which makes her feel suffocated.
1530"Hot for Teacher"10 January 2003 (2003-01-10)215
J.T. earns two weeks' detention with Mrs. Hatzilakos, taking care of her pet guinea pigs. While doing his job he develops a bond with her over the class's guinea pigs which leads to a crush. Meanwhile, Jimmy and Spinner agree to an "all honesty" pact but are soon at each other's throats.
1631"Message in a Bottle"17 January 2003 (2003-01-17)216
Jimmy and Sean decide to bury the hatchet for the basketball team. Meanwhile, Emma and Sean are a couple again, but the latter finds himself unable to handle the pressure at home and jeopardizes their relationship once again. Also, Jimmy hosts a party at his house and develops feelings for Ashley again.
1732"Relax"26 January 2003 (2003-01-26)217
Liberty doesn't make the girls' floor hockey team but gets to be team manager. While doing this job, she pushes her friends away due to her bossy attitude. Meanwhile, Paige uses Terri to her advantage after Terri misinterprets the palm reading she did on her.
1833"Dressed in Black"19 January 2003 (2003-01-19)218
Ashley's relationship with Jimmy seems to be back on track--until he says he preferred her old look to her new Goth one. Meanwhile, after sex ed, J.T. convinces Toby to buy condoms in order to have sex with Kendra, something to which both Kendra and Spinner object.
1934"Fight for Your Right"2 February 2003 (2003-02-02)219
Mr. Raditch's dismissal of Emma's protest against genetically modified food in the cafeteria inadvertently leads to a food fight. Given the chance to apologize, she stands firm and finds herself suspended. Meanwhile, Spinner is frustrated when he can't afford to do what Jimmy does: buy whatever he wants.
2035"How Soon Is Now?"9 February 2003 (2003-02-09)220
Paige is finally coming to terms with her rape when Dean and the Bardell team return to Degrassi for a basketball game. Meanwhile, Ellie and Marco film a commercial for Snake's class but argue over what the style should be.
2136"Tears Are Not Enough" Part One16 February 2003 (2003-02-16)221
Craig's dad returns to his life, and Craig doesn't know if he can deal with his dad's pressure to move back home. But when the unspeakable happens, that might not be a choice. Meanwhile, J.T. agrees to be Liberty's date to the dance but only if she tutors him.
2237"Tears Are Not Enough" Part Two23 February 2003 (2003-02-23)222
When his father dies, Craig seems happy, especially with the year end dance coming up. However, he finds out getting over it is harder than he thought. Meanwhile, Paige and Spinner butt heads with Jimmy and Hazel over the title of Luau King and Queen.

DVD release

The DVD release of season two was released by Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment in Canada, and by FUNimation Entertainment in the US on 21 June 2005 after it had completed broadcast on television. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including deleted scenes, bloopers and behind-the-scenes featurettes. in Australia Season 2 is currently being released by Umbrella Entertainment.

The Complete Second Season
Set details[20] Special features[20]
  • 130+ Deleted/Extended Scenes and Bloopers
  • Cast audition tapes
  • Season 2 second call back tapes
  • "Poor Thing" Karaoke
  • Interactive Fan Quiz
  • Degrassi Yearbook
  • Snake and Spike's wedding album
  • Student and adult profiles
  • Cast biographies
  • Note Australia DVD Release Only Has 72 Deleted Scenes
Release dates[20]
CanadaUnited States Region 1 Australia Region 4
21 June 2005 8 September 2010

References

  1. ↑ "Joey Jeremiah's back as production begins on season 2 of 'Degrassi: The Next Generation'" (Press release). Epitome Virtual Reality. 10 June 2002. Retrieved 2007-12-14.
  2. ↑ Ellis 2005, p. 179
  3. ↑ Epitome Pictures. "Degrassi: The Next Generation" (Note: Requires iTunes software). The N. iTunes Store. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  4. ↑ Ellis 2005, pp. 64–5, 78–9, 88–90
  5. ↑ Ellis 2005, p. 96
  6. ↑ Linda Schuyler (co-creator, executive producer); Yan Moore (co-creator); Stephen Stohn (executive producer) (21 June 2005). Degrassi: The Next Generation - Season 2 DVD Boxset (DVD). Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment.
  7. ↑ Faulder, Liane (5 January 2002). "Snake and Spike get hitched: Surprise in store as Degrassi favourites head for the altar". Edmonton Journal. Canwest.
  8. ↑ "Youth show proves to be educational". Ryerson University. 25 October 2002.
  9. ↑ "'Degrassi' abortion episode sparks fan outcry in U.S.". CBC. 20 July 2004. Archived from the original on 10 December 2006. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  10. ↑ McKay, John (19 July 2004). "American teen channel delays abortion-themed Degrassi episode". National Post.
  11. ↑ "Press Highlights". Degrassi.tv. Epitome Virtual Reality. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  12. ↑ McKay, John (7 July 2003). "Degrassi stays in touch with teens' lives". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  13. ↑ "Canadian Awards Database History Search for "Degrassi"". Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
  14. ↑ "Awards". Degrassi.tv. Epitome Virtual Reality. 2005. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  15. ↑ "2nd Directors Guild of Canada Award Winners Announced" (PDF). Directors Guild of Canada. 5 October 2003. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
  16. ↑ "24th Annual Young Artist Awards Nominations". Young Artist Awards. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
  17. ↑ Neihart, Ben (20 March 2005). "DGrassi Is tha Best Teen TV N da WRLD!". The New York Times. p. 5. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
  18. ↑ Gayle, MacDonald (31 October 2002). "For a few bucks, we'll launder your movie for you" (Note: Fee required). The Globe and Mail. Toronto: CTVglobemedia. p. R1. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
  19. 1 2 Aired as separate half-hour episodes in broadcast syndication
  20. 1 2 3 "Degrassi: The Next Generation - Season 2". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2008-02-09.

Notes

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