Categories lauren collins melissa mcintyre panel shane kippel stefan brogren

Degrassi Cast Participate in GalaxyCon Virtual Live Q&A

Several Degrassi: The Next Generation cast members participated in a virtual live Q&A with GalaxyCon today. The Q&A was about 45 minutes long and featured Stefan Brogren, Melissa McIntyre, Lauren Collins and Shane Kippel. During the discussion, they talked about a variety of topics including their favourite memories from set, where they think their characters ended up, and how proud they are of the show. One notable topic that they did not discuss was the recently announced HBO Max Degrassi reboot.

If you missed the Q&A, it is currently still available to watch on Vimeo.

Categories aaron martin aislinn paul ATX Festival christina schmidt discussion jake epstein lauren collins munro chambers panel stefan brogren

My favourite moments from the Degrassi: TNG 20th Anniversary Panel

Yesterday I shared a recap of the main topics discussed at the ATX Television Festival’s Degrassi panel. But I also wanted to talk about my personal favourite moments from the event. I’ve selected 6 moments, for which you can read the direct quotes below. These are my favourite moments because they really get to the heart of Degrassi and I think they show how beautiful Degrassi is as a piece of Canadian culture.

1. Lauren and Stefan continuing the never-ending debate on the believability of Degrassi Goes Hollywood and Degrassi Takes Manhattan
Lauren: If it happened in “Degrassi Takes Manhattan” or “Degrassi Goes Hollywood,” it’s not canon. That’s what I said, right?
Stefan: Says you, says you. Those stories are full on Degrassi. They are moments in lives, they go crazy. I’m not saying that because I directed them. I’m just saying that people have moments like that, right. And they go crazy and come back, etc.

Continue reading My favourite moments from the Degrassi: TNG 20th Anniversary Panel

Categories aaron martin aislinn paul andrea lewis ATX Festival christina schmidt daniel clark jake epstein lauren collins linda schuyler luke bilyk munro chambers panel shane kippel stefan brogren stephen stohn

Recapping the ATX Television Festival’s Degrassi: TNG 20th Anniversary Panel

It finally happened! Tonight the Degrassi cast and producers reunited for a panel at the ATX Television Festival. Linda Schuyler, Stephen Stohn, Stefan Brogren, Aaron Martin, Jake Epstein, Aislinn Paul, Shane Kippel, Luke Bilyk, Lauren Collins, Munro Chambers, Daniel Clark, Andrea Lewis and Christina Schmidt were all in attendance at the pre-recorded panel. They spoke about a wide range of topics from their time on Degrassi, storylines that they loved, fan interactions over the years, and much more.

Overall I really enjoyed watching this panel. Seeing this group of people interact with each other again was so special. However, it was unfortunate that there wasn’t a lot of new information. As a super fan, I felt like I already knew most of what they talked about (I’m still waiting for the details on what happened when Next Class was cancelled!). However, there were definitely a few times when I was feeling the emotions, such as when Lauren said she wanted Degrassi to come back one day so her son would have something like it to watch.

Since this panel was behind a pay wall and also it was a one-time only event, I’ve tried to summarize the main points that they discussed below.

Continue reading Recapping the ATX Television Festival’s Degrassi: TNG 20th Anniversary Panel

Categories aislinn paul andrea lewis ATX Festival christina schmidt daniel clark jake epstein lauren collins linda schuyler luke bilyk munro chambers panel shane kippel stefan brogren stephen stohn

Everything we know so far about the Degrassi: TNG Reunion at the ATX Television Festival

HUGE NEWS!! The producers and cast of Degrassi: The Next Generation will be participating in a panel at the Austin-based ATX Television Festival in June. Here is everything you need to know about the panel and how you can attend.

When is the panel?
The Degrassi panel will be on June 11, which is the first day of the Festival. It will be at 7:00pm CT (8:00pm EST). It is supposed to be 1 hour long. After it airs, it will be available until 2:00am CT the next day for festival goers (in case you’re not able to tune in live).

What is the Degrassi panel and who is participating?
The panel will commemorate the 20th anniversary of Degrassi: The Next Generation (TNG premiered in October 2001). It is presented by Tubi, which is one of the platforms where Degrassi: TNG is streaming.

As of now, the confirmed participants are Linda Schuyler, Stephen Stohn, Stefan Brogren, Jake Epstein, Aislinn Paul, Shane Kippel, Luke Bilyk, Lauren Collins, Munro Chambers, Daniel Clark, Andrea Lewis and Christina Schmidt.

During the panel, the panelists will discuss storylines and moments from the series, behind the scenes stories, and more.

Continue reading Everything we know so far about the Degrassi: TNG Reunion at the ATX Television Festival

Categories breakfast tv degrassi next class f2n family channel interviews press release promos ricardo hoyos sara waisglass season 15 spoilers stefan brogren trailer tv schedule Uncategorized

Family Channel Announces Degrassi: Next Class Premiere Date, New Teen Timeslot F2N, First 5 Minutes of Episode 1

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m still trying to catch my breath after today’s round of Degrassi: Next Class announcements!

It all started this morning when cast members Sara Waisglass, Ricardo Hoyos, and Stefan Brogren appeared on Toronto’s Breakfast Television to promote Degrassi’s upcoming season. It ended with a slew of new trailers, sneak peeks, opening credits, interviews and more!

In case you were at work or school and missed out on all the fun, here is an overview of everything Degrassi that was released today. Prepare yourselves because it’s all so unbelievably exciting that you may not be able to concentrate on anything other than Degrassi after this.

Continue reading Family Channel Announces Degrassi: Next Class Premiere Date, New Teen Timeslot F2N, First 5 Minutes of Episode 1

Categories amir bageria cast: new chelsea clark dante scott degrassi next class et canada family channel jamie bloch netflix promos season 15 soma bhatia stefan brogren trailer

New Year, New Look, New Degrassi! Everything you need to know about Degrassi: Next Class on Netflix in 2016

Degrassi is back with a new network, new look, new cast and new drama!

Degrassians got a thrilling wake up call this morning when Netflix released the first trailer for Degrassi: Next Class. The trailer, which is approximately 1 minute in length, includes a ton of exciting new clips from the upcoming season. Netflix has geo-blocked the trailer, but Canadians can watch it on ET Canada’s Blog.

But it’s not all about the trailer. In addition to the trailer, new details on Degrassi: Next Class have been revealed. Here is a brief summary of everything that was announced today:

Continue reading New Year, New Look, New Degrassi! Everything you need to know about Degrassi: Next Class on Netflix in 2016

Categories FFA interviews lgbt linda schuyler season 12 stefan brogren

Linda Schuyler & Stefan Brogren Address Degrassi Controversy

If you are a Degrassi fan, the name Florida Family Association should probably sound familiar. This conservative organization has been criticizing Degrassi for years because of the show’s many LGBT characters. They have lead various email campaigns in an attempt to get companies to stop advertising during episodes of Degrassi.

Degrassi producers Linda Schuyler and Stefan Brogren addressed the controversy in separate interviews this past week. A major storyline in season 12 involves a split along religious lines over LGBT issues. Many fans have speculated that this storyline is in response to the FFA.

On that topic, Stefan Brogren said, “The truth is, there’s a lot of kids out there who hold very deeply onto their faith, and that can cause problems within the teen community.” Degrassi seems committed to portraying the religious characters fairly (both of them are regulars), as opposed to instantly making them the “bad guy.” Of course, Degrassi will also continue giving storylines to Adam, one of the first teenage transgender characters in TV history. “It’s something that we wanted to address for a couple of years,” Stefan told The Toronto Star, “but we really didn’t know how. We didn’t know what the stats were. But we’ve become aware of how many young people are dealing with questions about their gender.”

Ultimately, it’s clear that the producers and writers are aware of the FFA controversy, but that only seems to make them more passionate about accurately portraying LGBT characters on the show. “We’re continuing to challenge people in their tolerance and understanding of sexual identity,” Linda Schuyler said in a recent interview. “[The FFA] have that narrow mindset, and then they say they are against bullying. It’s just insane. They were quite active, writing to our broadcasters, asking them to pull ads from our show. Fortunately, neither broadcaster responded.

Source:
Q&A: Degrassi producer Linda Schuyler on what to expect this school year
Degrassi, Then and Now

Categories season 12 spoilers stefan brogren

Stefan Brogren Teases Last Line of First Episode


Stefan Brogren took to Twitter to tease fans with this picture earlier today. It shows the last line from the first episode of season 12. It looks like “behind his head” will be the last shot of the episode. What do you think it means?

Categories cast: alumni interviews stefan brogren

The Secret to Degrassi’s Success

With the recent premiere of Landon Liboiron’s new show Terra Nova, it’s clear that Degrassi is still one of the top teen shows for discovering new talent. From Shenae Grimes to Nina Dobrev, several of Degrassi’s cast members have gone on to take Hollywood by storm.

In a new interview with The TV Addict, Degrassi executive producer/writer/director/actor Stefan Brogren explains his thoughts on the secret to Degrassi’s success:

I think it has a lot to do with the show’s caring environment that allows young actors to flourish … Our kids are getting a lot of education while they’re behind these walls that allows them to experiment. That and, we’re always putting these characters through hell which means they have to grow and they never get soft about it. We don’t want to keep these kids on a certain plain and they’re always trying to take it to the next level.

He also discusses the importance of Degrassi being an ensemble effort:

I think a big part of our alumni’s success is that the show is not a star vehicle for one person, it really is a group activity in a lot of ways. We get them when they’re young where they have to learn to work with others. So if this place was an acting school, the one thing that they’re learning is to be giving to their other actors and I think that’s a big big thing that a lot of young actors miss is that there’s some give and take involved. They come out of here really well rounded people in a lot of ways and they’ve learned a lot of skills.

My take: You definitely get the sense that Degrassi is more like a performing arts company as opposed to a TV show. The current cast of Degrassi are well aware that this show has been around longer than they’ve even been alive, so they become a part of the group instead of the “star.” The Degrassi cast are given the opportunity to experience fame in small doses, but still represent the longstanding Degrassi “brand.” I’m proud of all of our cast members, and I’m sure they will continue to find success in the future.

Click here to read the full article!

Categories interviews issues stefan brogren

Stefan Brogren Weighs in on ‘Skins’ Controversy

Degrassi producer/director/actor Stefan Brogren was recently part of a panel discussion with The National Post talking about the controversy surrounding the North American remake of the hit British teen drama Skins. While the North American version is getting mixed reviews, the British version is definitely popular amongst Degrassi fans. Like Degrassi, Skins is known for pushing boundaries and dealing with difficult subject matter. However, with its debut on American soil, groups have called Skins “dangerous” and compared it to child pornography. Here is some of what Stefan had to say on the topic:

Stefan: I might be a little biased on this subject for a couple reasons. One: I really liked the U.K. version of the show. I think they pushed the subject matter in a way that teens respond to. Two: Samir Rehem, who directed several episodes of the U.S. Skins, also happens to be one of my best friends — so I have to like it. Three: I work on a show that has always tried to push the boundaries of teen television. Yeah, we like to show moral consequences. If one of our characters has sex, half the time they’re going to pay for it with a nice case of gonorrhea. But I can appreciate a teen show like Skins showing the ugly side of teendom — without consequences. Young audiences are smarter than we give them credit for … and I’m tired of Gossip Girl.

Click here to read the full discussion with Stefan and other TV experts.

Categories awards charlotte arnold stefan brogren

Degrassi Wins at the Gemini Awards

The Drama, Children’s & Youth, Comedy & Variety Industry Gala for the 25th Annual Gemini Awards took place in Toronto tonight. As you may already know, Degrassi was up for 5 awards including Best Children’s or Youth Program and Best Performance in a Children’s or Youth Series. With a few Degrassi cast members in attendance tonight (Charlotte, Daniel, Melinda), Degrassi picked up 2 awards! The first was for Best Director in a Youth Program or Series – Stefan Brogren and the second was Best Performance in a Youth Program or Series – Charlotte Arnold. Also, Linda Schuyler was presented with her Academy Achievement Award. We’re so proud! Congratulations to all the winners!

Don’t forget that the Gemini Awards Broadcast Gala will be taking place on Nov. 13th! That’s when the list of your Fave Canadian TV Shows will be counted down. Degrassi needs to be #1!