Stars of Degrassi, the longrunning Canadian high school series that changed teen TV, had a class reunion on Saturday night at the Toronto Film Festival that nearly never happened.
“We are thrilled to be here at TIFF and to celebrate this iconic series,” Carrie Mudd, producer of Degrass: Whatever It Takes, told a Scotiabank Theatre audience for the documentary’s world premiere. “I’d like to thank the lawyers, the journalists, the publicists, our incredible cast and crew and the Degrassi fans for sticking with us this week. Without you, this film may not have screened,” Mudd added.
Series co-creator Linda Schuyler earlier this week withdrew a threat of legal action against Lisa Rideout’s documentary, allowing the film’s first look to go ahead this weekend. Schuyler was a no-show for the world premiere at Scotiabank Theatre, as was Drake, who along with former co-stars from the Canadian teen drama reunited for the documentary that looks back at the show’s legacy.
Schuyler and Kit Hood as co-creators over four decades built the Degrassi franchise into an edgy, inclusive teen high school series. The Degrassi: Whatever It Takes doc featured interviews with stars Dayo Ade, Stefan Brogren, Amanda Deiseach, Maureen Deiseach, Shenae Grimes-Beech, Jake Epstein, Shane Kippel, Miriam McDonald, Stacie Mistysyn, Melinda Shankar, Amanda Stepto and Jordan Todosey.
“I grew up being a fan of the show, and it’s pretty amazing to have directed it,” director Rideout said when introducing her film to the TIFF audience. Stepto, who played Christine “Spike” Nelson, during a post-screen Q&A, said seeing her character and those of her fellow cast members on screen moved her.
“It’s quite emotional, not only just watching what happened with our own generation, but seeing those same feelings, that we’re all human, no matter what generation we were on,” she said.
The beloved franchise began with Kids of Degrassi Street, which aired from 1979-86. Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High followed before Degrassi: The Next Generation premiered in 2001. The series, which starred Drake, Grimes-Beech, Nina Dobrev and more actors before their big breaks, ultimately ended in 2015. However, the franchise continued when Degrassi: Next Class, which aired on Netflix from 2016-17.
Ade, who played Bryant Lester Thomas, BLT, in the Degrassi TV franchise, recalled the groundbreaking series tackling a host of challenges of teenage life — from abortion to anorexia and a school shooting — and helping many fans of the show get through them. “We touched a lot of people, and us being able to tell these stories, we were able to help a lot of other people figure out a lot of things,” Thomas insisted.
“I’m finding myself overwhelmed,” an emotional McDonald, who played Emma Nelson, told the TIFF audience as the documentary “brought me back to some tough childhood moments, and I have found so many friends in our fan base. Some of the messages you guys have sent really uplifted me.” In the film, McDonald recalled featuring in a Degrassi storyline where Emma battled an eating disorder.
That episode shoot came at at a time when McDonald had an eating disorder in real life and she lost her sister to the same health condition. The Toronto Film Festival wraps on Sunday with awards giving in Toronto.
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