Degrassi: Next Class

I watched Degrassi when it aired on CTV a couple of times. When it moved to a different network started to loose interest. Although I did enjoy watching Luke Bilyk's character (in recent years).

The new Family Channel version of Degrassi, I have been watching all the way through. But a season of 10 episodes is a bit short. In my opinion. Some of the story lines and the new characters are quite laughable, even through it is suppose a teen drama. the diversity (in the show is nice to see as well). Zig, Miles and Tristan are my favorite characters. too bad Luke Bilyk's character didn't stay in it. that would have been perfect.

Feels very true to the current high school experience.

Show could of been way better if it was longer. Plots felt rushed and underdeveloped. You can tell the writers were trying to do 100 things at once with not enough time.

I watched this season with both hope and some trepidation. Having been a fan of Degrassi TNG since season 1 I actually had low hopes for the 'remix'. Let's face it;the franchise has been in decline since season 6 or 7. However that didn't keep me from watching from time to time.

To begin, I actually really like the updated theme song and overall look and feel of the show. I'm not sure where Linda Shuler (sp) & co. got the cash infusion, but even the lighting is better. I also love the increased attention to tech. Being a tech writer, I can appreciate their efforts. I know kids don't necessarily speak in Instagram or "facerange" speak, yet it's a sort of inside joke to us techies.

The issues are typically Degrassi 'ish'. Let's face it, the show has always bordered on preachy-corny, occasionally hitting the mark, but for some reason, like a well worn comfortable shoe, we always come back.

I'm hoping Degrassi can find a new niche and audience in Netflix, its rare for a series to ever get to 15 seasons. It probably wouldn't be possible if all the previous seasons weren't underwritten by the Canadian government (true story, check their end credits sometime). But we love you Degrassi and hope we can all reinroll as "niners" next season.

This newest iteration of the long-running series brings with it a lot of the good (and a bit of the bad) of previous seasons. If you've ever enjoyed Degrassi or other teen dramas you'll likely find a lot to like about Next Class.

Sure there's the cheese factor, but Degrassi has always been able to mostly overcome this by approaching things with a level of earnestness that's hard to not find charming, and Next Class is no different.

The acting is certainly a mixed bag (part of the price of actually using teenagers to play teenagers), but there are several very good performances. Eric Osborn (Miles) and Spencer Macpherson (Hunter) in particular stand out.

All in all, Degrassi has always been a show that knew what it was and mostly succeeded in what it set out to do. Things don't change with Next Class, and in some ways they even get better.