Which serious issue do YOU think "Degrassi" tackled the best? Let us know below, and be sure to check out our video of the Top 10 Degrassi Storylines the Show Forgot About - czcams.com/video/yKXSWZnQMQY/video.html
And the Hollingsworth siblings dealing with their dad, Mia's teenage motherhood, Holly J's adoption, Fiona's alocholism, Zoe's assault(what it did to her, what the trial did to Becky, etc...), and many more.
I wish Sean hadn't left in season 4. I would've loved to see how his survivor's guilt would've played throughout that season and the rest of his time in the series.
I think my favorite part of Degrassi was that they never treated the issues with kiddie gloves and they didn't over dramatize them- what happened in the character's lives felt real, grounded, unfiltered. If they were going to take on a storyline they did so without pulling any punches and there wasn't a need to wrap everything in a pretty bow.
I haven’t seen the full show but I like that the conflicts from the episodes aren’t resolved immediately. The choices the characters make have lasting effects on their relationships and how they are treated for multiple episodes in the future. There is no hug and make up at the end of the 30 minutes. It’s what makes the character development so believable. When a character insults another character, that tension stays in the air for a while and you can feel it. Both the big and small things are treated this way and I’ve never seen another show do that before.
I think it’s safe to say when some of our parents weren’t watching, Degrassi helped raise us a little bit, and helped us overcome something difficult in our lives. It was a phenomenal show.
I learned a lot from Degrassi, and become a better person from it. I respected different people’s struggles, viewpoints, religions….the drug use is one thing I wish I hadn’t seen so much of on tv because it glorifies it to a point and makes young impressionable minds want to try - and I did - but other than that I think most of the rest was done well
@@mollykircher3104 Same. Darcy's and Alex's (and Jane) storylines spoke to my life and sole. I thought that my family was "normal" and that all parents act that way and it was my fault other bad things (Darcy's storyline) happened to me as a kid. Then I found Degrassi and had a huge...."Ooohhhh." Moment.
I grew up on the original Degrassi which was considered revolutionary when it first aired too, so I'm happy to see the next generation kept up the tradition. Honestly one of the best tv shows for young adults no matter what decade you watched it during! Huzzah Canadian tv and writers.
Omg, I remember it with Spike (Emma's mother), Lucy, Joey, Snake, all of them. I remember when Spike got pregnant, so basically Emma was there for the original one too. They need to do a list of what has happened to some of the actors after the show. Of course we all know that Aubrey is now Drake but what about the other ones.
I still remember the Degrassi High arc with Wheels and a lot of the other hardcore stuff they touched on back then. I love Degrassi Next Gen, but some of the stories from the OG were crazy lol I noticed a lot of newer scenes on this list besides the most common Next Gen moments.
@@ch1ckmom217 They're pretty easy to keep up with. I follow many of them on social media. I know that Stacey Farber(Ellie) is best friends with Dan Levy after he guest starred on the Hollywood special and she guest starred on an episode of Schitt's Creek. She was also in a Hallmark movie earlier this year. Actually, several Degrassi actors have been in Hallmark movies fairly recently. Jake Epstein(Craig) and Raymond Ablack(Sav) were both in Hallmark movies last winter. I see tweets from from Jake Goldsbie(Toby) occasionally. They're all pretty active still for the most part. Many appeared in Drake's Degrassi themed music video a few years ago. There's an HBO Max reboot coming out next year. Maybe some of them will pop up for that.
@@KittyChibiWaifu His death was so sad, I can't believe no one knew he had been dead for 5 years. Of course, I'm referring to the actor not the character on Degrassi.
@@Mskittenlover12 I do remember seeing Stacey on Schitt's Creek. I didn't know about the other ones being on Hallmark movies. I'm sorry but it's few celebrities I followed on social media and then one day I decided to stop following a lot of them, although I did see an article on some of them, so I knew about the video and I know some of still acting but I haven't seen them in anything, other than Ellie. I did however was wondering about Jake Epstein, since I didn't read anything about him at all.
I know Cam wasn't the most memorable or significant character on Degrassi, but seeing how his suicide effected everyone else around him made me think differently about contemplating my own. So thank you degrassi and writers for showing the after effects of everything, with every situation, on everyone.
100% I really lovec Cams character 😊 and when he committed suicide I really thought about how much I wanted his character to go on and how that's how my friends and family would feel about me if I did it
@@msnewsenior Yup and his initial idea and one they were going to run with was that instead of stabbing him Johnny and his friend were going to butt rape him and JT ends up bleeding out from his butthole and eventually he loses too much blood and dies. As I said they were going to run with it but they already had plans for the Johnny character so they didn't want people to think the character was gay so they just had his friend stab JT instead.
@@msnewsenior Oh and also when all the Degrassi alum were in Drake's Music Video JT is the only one missing because apparently he was told about it and invited to take part but he didn't believe it was real so he didn't show up and he missed out on being in the video and reuniting with all his co-stars.
I think Darcy’s PTSD from her assault should be in there, I bawled during that storyline. I know people would put it in the same category as Paige but there was also the aspect of her being roofied which unfortunately is also a big thing that happens. I also think Mia should be in there for the struggle of teenage motherhood…there’s lots that could be on there, you could make a longer list for sure. Maya’s obsession with death and struggle with depression after the bus crash and Graces battle with cystic fibrosis in the newer seasons too…lots more.
This Top 20 actually show how much a good person Paige is when others are in trouble, this is why she is my favorite character. From giving a tampon to Emma when she is troubled with her frist period, to trying to intervene and help Elli when she is self-harming, to defend and make Terri realise her situation, to appologize to Rick when the bullying went too far, to being there for Alex when she needed a friend. Paige is really empathetic and has actually the courage to stand for both herself and others, she is very genuine is those moments and I really loved that this show did not fall into the trope of the blond queen bee, and gave Paige an actual personality and morals.
Also when she suggested to Ashley that her dad may be gay because she’d seen her brother go through it. You first think she’s coming to tease Ashley again but shocks you when she was genuinely hurt when Ashley retaliated
I feel like they handled some of these issues so well. I showed my 9YO the first 2 episodes to explain why you can't just trust people you meet online.
I have a 4 year old. It's interesting using this show as a teaching tool for your kids because it taught us SO much. It definitely starts conversations i dont know how to start.
I think the thing with Adam was pretty realistic. The mom wasn't against her child identifying as what he wants but she was scared that he'd have a harder life especially from family members like the grandma.
Not really. We had a serial rapist at my high school no authority acknowledged but definitely knew about. We also had several student deaths both accidents and suicides, they didn't even bring in grief councilors. And we had a teacher that married one of his students directly after she graduated. And this was a wealthy affluent school.
One of my favorite things about Paige's rope storyline is that she didn't win the trial. And I hated it watching it, and I still do; but it was such a necessary and unexpected path for them to take. The reality is a lot of those cases don't end in you winning the trial, but in media we prefer to depict it because it's the happy ending. But with Paige they allowed her to speak for the many who's cases were lost or never even went to trial and how they still have to find a way to move on, at their pace.
I remember I was maybe 11 or 12 and I asked my mom after Paige's trial, does that really happen? I was so disappointed and confused that Dean did not go to jail. The episode changed my entire perspective about the justice system. I was not aware at that time yet of how warped it is.
Yeah … a lot of cases are lost and the ones that are “won”, generally the men get a little slap on the wrist. No wonder men think they can do this. There’s no real repercussions. Look at Brock Turner. The jury wanted to throw the book at him, but the judge gave him something much lighter. 🤷🏻♀️
I actually watched this with my daughters. It left us with an open dialogue to discuss the issues they were both dealing with. This series is perfect for pre and teens.
Eli's struggle with drugs and BPD is also a very important storyline in the show. Cam's death hurts me the most and I don't even know why. I guess it's because I know how he felt, so it just resonated with me the most.
I've only ever seen the "Rock This Town" episode once. It still is the hardest episode I've ever seen and still puts a few tears in my eye. Growing up with the cast and watch JT's death is still hard. So even seeing it on this list and hearing Liberty's screams for help is still hard. I remember the after episode mini wrap up that had his actor saying his goodbyes being hard on even the cast.
Once?? I have DEFINITELY seen that episode more than once. That was actually a two part episode and you haven't seen the first part, just the second part.
I think Eli's break downs should've been honorable mention but overall, this list was seriously well done. I'm a huge Degrassi fan and after almost every clip I was pretty much tearing up ❤️😭
I remember these, and I remember staying up late at night to watch eps when they aired. Sometimes, they were what got me through life at times. My parents weren't overly thrilled because they tackled such issues in depth, but I am glad they did.
I remember watching this show as a kid and this is where I learned about everything. I learned about gay people, learned about teen pregnancy, mental sicknesses, even rape and lots of other things. And like this show just kept breaking your heart over and over again but we just kept watching it cuz it was so real.
Idk why my parents didn't want me watching this in middle school, it tackled real issues and something we all can learn from going into later stages in life, even something to relate to later on too
I love this show I wish they would make more like it because it was a real dose of reality that helped shape me in my adolescence being more understanding and non-judgmental
Ugh way to make me ugly cry today day. I watched this bloody show religiously for YEARS! The Terri story and Paige stories hit me hard when I was younger. And even harder today. Whoo! Man I'm thankful for this show and thankful for it showing when it did. I love this show. The new generation was what I grew up with. The later series I've yet to catch up on. I don't even know where to find it. God so many emotions! Thanx Watch Mojo.
Can't believe I'm finally glad to see this top 20 list. I only started watching the Degrassi franchise back in 2018 (especially the Next Generation). To say the overall series was ahead of its time is an understatement. Most of those episodes were just heartbreaking to watch as well as some particular scenes. I'm glad I gave this Canadian teen drama a chance and never looked back. ❤️
Yes. Same back in 2018, loved it. Went back to the beginning and seen it all, except for The Kids of Degrassi Street, still looking for the rest of the eps.
I remember when I would always see Degrassi: The Next Generation but would never watch it. One day, I decided to watch it and I actually really liked it and I would watch it every time it came on. I remember all of these episodes. There were so many sad moments. I was in complete shock when it was revealed that Adam passed away from his accident. I really liked Adam and it was so sad what happened to him. But I was happy when he was mentioned in the episode when Claire and her friends graduate and how the school paid tribute to Adam who would’ve graduated with the other students if he survived.
While Terri moved away that was not the end of the plotline. That plotline didn't END until the school shooting. Terri was the situation that sparked every event leading up to it because the core next gen folks were pissed at him being at the school. Terri's family moving or her being sent away is realistic, because if I found out the mofo that put my daughter in a coma would be continuing at her school or even nearby and not serving jail time she's outta there. Abusers tend to come back and they're 10x worse when you turn them down, she barely made it out of that one.
One of the issues was that he was never given any sort of treatment. His dad was abusive and he never received therapy for his dad or what he did to Terry. He never shouldn't been sent back to that school for several reasons and he and other students shouldve been treated and mediated about the bullying. There were so many things wrong that it was inevitable something terrible was going to happen.
@@River2384 you're right, and I think the quiz game, crush on Emma, and busting friendships with Toby and Jimmy also reinforced that he was still a kid that learned this behavior somewhere and likely could have had a totally different story. The adults in this situation kind of failed them all because there was no accountability, thus no investigation on his behalf as far as home life, and the trickle down effect of this whole thing is so wide, all these children's lives permanently affected because of one bad dad.
This gen of Degrassi was so formative for my sisters and I growing up. Watching these clips is giving me memories of the days I originally watched these episodes.
#10 should be higher especially considering recent events in the US. They really screwed with the Degrassi storyline in America because they refused initially to air the episode so it got skipped over. Manny’s abortion was vaguely referenced but never outright mentioned so you could guess what happened. Thankfully it aired later and cleared everything up.
Let's not forget that Time Stands Still is a direct result of the events of Terri's domestic violence arc; the shooting is committed by Rick, *after* he has put Terri in a coma. His feelings of ostracization are real, and the whole of his character is there to show what happens when everybody sees the signs and nobody intervenes in any way to get the person committing the violence at such a young age some help.
Adam's death reminded me of a classmate who drove drunk and ended up in a car accident. He sadly didn't make it. It took me a while to realize who he was and then it clicked. He was a class clown of sorts and I didn't really talk to him, but it's hard to know that he made one mistake that cost him his life.
Damn. I never watched Digrassi because I was way too young to watch it, plus I didn’t hear about the show until I was 13. But boy that had some HEAVY topics for a mid 2000s show
Degrassi Junior High (3 seasons) and Degrassi High (2 Seasons) aired in the mid to late 1980s & dealt alcoholism, rape, abortion, drug use, molestation, domestic abuse, & so many other topics. The Degrassi writers/producers never held back. What a lot of people don't realized that the show's first episodes were in 1979. Same writing staff for 40 years!
@@jasonmistretta4295 wow. That’s very interesting. Usually if you have the same team of writers they start to run out of ideas and lose their touch. I’m impressed
I watched this growing up and it honestly made me a better person because of it. I grew up in a tiny little closed minded town in Louisiana. This show was really important.
I always loved the fact that this show tackled so many serious issues that are still relevant to kids and adults today. This show is a must watch to teach so many important life lessons that people dont want to learn but need to understand.
It's very criminal that stories like The Vegas Night Incident (Season 10), Peter's Meth Addiction (Season 9) and The Prom Shooting (Season 11) aren't on here as honorable mentions.
For some reason. One thing I have learned when it comes to living in this country is that there is “No justice, and no piece”! And we seem to deal with these issues every single day!
This show helped me growing up. It brought to light some things i was internally struggling with, and helped me deter on what to do. Thank you degrassi. Whatever it takes... I know I can make it through. ❤
I love degrassi the next generation TV series it was the show that made me become a fan and I'm still a fan today I loved that the show tackled serious issues that dealt with life situations that all of us in our lives have gone through plus it was relatable as well shows today do not do that
I saw degrassi and had to click on. Top 5 shows I ever watch. Top 3 honestly I don’t really watch to many shows. I enjoyed every single series and season.
I used to watch Degrassi as a kid sometimes. I knew it was only for entertainment but the stories felt so well grounded and real, I liked how they took each episode took a serious problem that wasn’t really talked about back then. The show helped me recognized everyone has problems to work through and mistreating/bullying someone who is different is wrong. Honestly when I first saw Adam’s story I didn’t fully understand what was going on but seeing how much Adam struggled to just be himself was something I related to fast.
I remember my neighbor and I were so obsessed with Degrassi. It would be after sundown on a weekday and we would watch it together over the house phone. We barely spoke but we laughed and cried together. Then when the episode was over we would go to our backyards and talk about it over the fence. At 31 Degrassi The Next Generation is still one of my favorite shows😂. I drug my mom to every autograph signing they did at the mall tours in California. I've met some of the cast and still have pictures!
When JT got stabbed it was really heartbreaking. Liberty truly loved him and when he got stabbed she rushed to his side. That is one death every time I have watched the series all again, I still cry every time.
I remember having an ED in high school. I only ate one small bag of chips a day for a month, going from 130 pounds to 117 pounds. I was a State and Junior Olympic level diver and passed out on the side of the pool after a dive. Nobody really realized it at first. I had a friend that was genuinely worried, but I wouldn’t listen and it got worse. My mom was living in a different city and my dad saw me getting smaller and smaller and started to worry as well and would try to make sure I ate enough, but with him being a lawyer, he was always busy and couldn’t do much. I went to the swim coach after fainting and she asked if I had eaten anything that day and I said yes. (I’d give away my lunch at school to others so that nobody would notice that I wasn’t eating.) She told me not to lie and made sure that I didn’t dive for the rest of practice because of how dangerous it was. I had no idea that she knew. I’m just glad that I didn’t pass out mid air or in the pool. It didn’t help that I kept getting praised when my weight went down because it made me want to keep it up.
I learned about Epilepsy from watching "Degrassi Junior High", in the 90's. This is when all Nickelodeon shows had a meaning/lesson. Most of the TV shows (almost all of them) around that time for that matter.
Degrassi will ALWAYS be an amazing show! I grew up watching it and absolutely loved how it talked about real life issues! It was very hands on and very open! Top tier!
i've always had a place in my heart for the jane says episodes, sadly because i can relate. ive yet to see another show that protrays childhood trauma with the victim blocking it out of their mind.
I was 3 yrs old when it started and it stopped when I was 5 and he got caught but I didn’t find out until I was 13 and in therapy because I was unusually afraid of the dark and hated to be touched
I loved watching this show growing up.....i didnt have cable so i relied on reruns that aired on ktla channel 5 in los Angeles ...i was just so invested cause of the subject matter and cause i was also going thru middle school and high school...man i miss those days.
Honestly it did all the time definitely learned a lot lol but that's what I loved most the serious issues they tackled same thing with South of nowhere, radio free roscoe, instant star and all the other awesome shows that came on the same channel. I learned what to do and what not to do. Next year degrassi is coming back on HBO Max. Their going to make it more about adult life with true crime and 1 hour long episodes.
I loved Radio Free Roscoe so much!!!! I watched it as much as I watched Degrassi!! I have trying to find a way to watch RFR again but can't find it anywhere
@@karawardlaw4090 I've been trying to find RFR as well and South of Nowhere they are so hard to find. I wish they would put them on HBO Max. I miss them lol.
I started watching this show around age 11/12, and was a similar age to the original next gen characters (Emma, manny, jt, etc.) throughout the most prolific seasons. So happy I had this experience, especially as a teen in the United States, because no other show did this around that time, certainly not one based in the u.s.
The whole show brought up tough issues for me.. Cause like from 7th grade all the way up to H.S. I was like a bit more aware of the kind of phases I would go through and the aftermath of the choices I made would be, who would really accept me and who my enemies are and what i would gsin from them and what I'll lose..
OA Terri’s domestic should’ve been number one but seeing Jane’s mistreatment as number one is even better considering I know how it felt to be abused by a Parent at a Child’s age I was treated like a punching bag by Mother back then when I was growing up!!!!! 😔😔😔😔😔
Which serious issue do YOU think "Degrassi" tackled the best? Let us know below, and be sure to check out our video of the Top 10 Degrassi Storylines the Show Forgot About - czcams.com/video/yKXSWZnQMQY/video.html
My idea for top new animated movies of goodtime entertainment
Domestic violence eating disorder health issues school shootings
Sexting
Emma getting gonorrhoea
Teen Mom Struggles Mia
Date Rape
School shooters
You kind of messed up on Clare’s loosing baby. Drew and Clare thought it was his but it was Eli’s not Drew. So you may want to fix this
Honorable mentions: Sean's survivor guilt, Darcy's PTSD, Jimmy's recovery
YES!!!
And the Hollingsworth siblings dealing with their dad, Mia's teenage motherhood, Holly J's adoption, Fiona's alocholism, Zoe's assault(what it did to her, what the trial did to Becky, etc...), and many more.
I wish Sean hadn't left in season 4. I would've loved to see how his survivor's guilt would've played throughout that season and the rest of his time in the series.
Liberty and the racist sorority would be a good honorable mention. definitely not the top of the list but especially with everything going on today.
How about J.T.'s murder?
I think my favorite part of Degrassi was that they never treated the issues with kiddie gloves and they didn't over dramatize them- what happened in the character's lives felt real, grounded, unfiltered. If they were going to take on a storyline they did so without pulling any punches and there wasn't a need to wrap everything in a pretty bow.
Honestly. Shows like Euphoria are super over dramatic. Degrassi’s influence on media and the shows presence it’s self is underrated
YES this show actually helped kids see these issues clearly. Nothing these days does that for kids. It's too bad
I haven’t seen the full show but I like that the conflicts from the episodes aren’t resolved immediately. The choices the characters make have lasting effects on their relationships and how they are treated for multiple episodes in the future. There is no hug and make up at the end of the 30 minutes. It’s what makes the character development so believable. When a character insults another character, that tension stays in the air for a while and you can feel it. Both the big and small things are treated this way and I’ve never seen another show do that before.
@@ogarrt i’m so sick of people trynna put euphoria down to put shows like degrassi up 😭 i don’t see how euphoria is dramatic
It’s kid gloves stupid.
This is one thing I've always loved about Degrassi: They never sugarcoat anything.
I love shows like that. Amen.
I think it’s safe to say when some of our parents weren’t watching, Degrassi helped raise us a little bit, and helped us overcome something difficult in our lives. It was a phenomenal show.
Oh absolutely!!
Yes!
I learned a lot from Degrassi, and become a better person from it. I respected different people’s struggles, viewpoints, religions….the drug use is one thing I wish I hadn’t seen so much of on tv because it glorifies it to a point and makes young impressionable minds want to try - and I did - but other than that I think most of the rest was done well
Degrassi raised me INSTEAD of my parents.
@@mollykircher3104 Same. Darcy's and Alex's (and Jane) storylines spoke to my life and sole. I thought that my family was "normal" and that all parents act that way and it was my fault other bad things (Darcy's storyline) happened to me as a kid.
Then I found Degrassi and had a huge...."Ooohhhh." Moment.
I grew up on the original Degrassi which was considered revolutionary when it first aired too, so I'm happy to see the next generation kept up the tradition. Honestly one of the best tv shows for young adults no matter what decade you watched it during! Huzzah Canadian tv and writers.
Omg, I remember it with Spike (Emma's mother), Lucy, Joey, Snake, all of them. I remember when Spike got pregnant, so basically Emma was there for the original one too. They need to do a list of what has happened to some of the actors after the show. Of course we all know that Aubrey is now Drake but what about the other ones.
I still remember the Degrassi High arc with Wheels and a lot of the other hardcore stuff they touched on back then. I love Degrassi Next Gen, but some of the stories from the OG were crazy lol I noticed a lot of newer scenes on this list besides the most common Next Gen moments.
@@ch1ckmom217 They're pretty easy to keep up with. I follow many of them on social media. I know that Stacey Farber(Ellie) is best friends with Dan Levy after he guest starred on the Hollywood special and she guest starred on an episode of Schitt's Creek. She was also in a Hallmark movie earlier this year. Actually, several Degrassi actors have been in Hallmark movies fairly recently. Jake Epstein(Craig) and Raymond Ablack(Sav) were both in Hallmark movies last winter. I see tweets from from Jake Goldsbie(Toby) occasionally. They're all pretty active still for the most part. Many appeared in Drake's Degrassi themed music video a few years ago. There's an HBO Max reboot coming out next year. Maybe some of them will pop up for that.
@@KittyChibiWaifu His death was so sad, I can't believe no one knew he had been dead for 5 years. Of course, I'm referring to the actor not the character on Degrassi.
@@Mskittenlover12 I do remember seeing Stacey on Schitt's Creek. I didn't know about the other ones being on Hallmark movies. I'm sorry but it's few celebrities I followed on social media and then one day I decided to stop following a lot of them, although I did see an article on some of them, so I knew about the video and I know some of still acting but I haven't seen them in anything, other than Ellie. I did however was wondering about Jake Epstein, since I didn't read anything about him at all.
I know Cam wasn't the most memorable or significant character on Degrassi, but seeing how his suicide effected everyone else around him made me think differently about contemplating my own. So thank you degrassi and writers for showing the after effects of everything, with every situation, on everyone.
Glad you are still here. Wishing you happiness
100% I really lovec Cams character 😊 and when he committed suicide I really thought about how much I wanted his character to go on and how that's how my friends and family would feel about me if I did it
JT's death was definitely unexpected was hoping him and Liberty were gonna get back together ;(
The actor went to college and asked to be killed off
@@msnewsenior Yup and his initial idea and one they were going to run with was that instead of stabbing him Johnny and his friend were going to butt rape him and JT ends up bleeding out from his butthole and eventually he loses too much blood and dies. As I said they were going to run with it but they already had plans for the Johnny character so they didn't want people to think the character was gay so they just had his friend stab JT instead.
@@msnewsenior Oh and also when all the Degrassi alum were in Drake's Music Video JT is the only one missing because apparently he was told about it and invited to take part but he didn't believe it was real so he didn't show up and he missed out on being in the video and reuniting with all his co-stars.
@@msnewsenior it was also inspired by a killing of a kid I used to go to school with. Him and his brother were both killed.
It was the saddest moment of the whole show tbh
I think Darcy’s PTSD from her assault should be in there, I bawled during that storyline. I know people would put it in the same category as Paige but there was also the aspect of her being roofied which unfortunately is also a big thing that happens. I also think Mia should be in there for the struggle of teenage motherhood…there’s lots that could be on there, you could make a longer list for sure. Maya’s obsession with death and struggle with depression after the bus crash and Graces battle with cystic fibrosis in the newer seasons too…lots more.
It was hard watching marco get attacked but it was a serious issue that needed to be told
Period
It still is sadly
Ellie's self harm storyline hits close to home for me because I selfed harm when I was a teenager
Dammmmm
I still self harm
I did self harm has a little girl because I was special needs and I hated myself and because I was not like everyone else
@@riverdalequeen1096 wth no need to do that
@@samanthasims7123 thanks
This Top 20 actually show how much a good person Paige is when others are in trouble, this is why she is my favorite character. From giving a tampon to Emma when she is troubled with her frist period, to trying to intervene and help Elli when she is self-harming, to defend and make Terri realise her situation, to appologize to Rick when the bullying went too far, to being there for Alex when she needed a friend. Paige is really empathetic and has actually the courage to stand for both herself and others, she is very genuine is those moments and I really loved that this show did not fall into the trope of the blond queen bee, and gave Paige an actual personality and morals.
Also when she suggested to Ashley that her dad may be gay because she’d seen her brother go through it. You first think she’s coming to tease Ashley again but shocks you when she was genuinely hurt when Ashley retaliated
I didn't like her at first but she became one of my favourite characters and her anxiety storyline broke my heart
I bawled my eyes out when Toby spoke to the nurse as JTs brother just to hear that his best friend is gone 💔
Yeah. When he said “I’m his brother”, you just knew…..
That touched me too because in a way, they're like brothers growing up.
I feel like they handled some of these issues so well. I showed my 9YO the first 2 episodes to explain why you can't just trust people you meet online.
I have a 4 year old. It's interesting using this show as a teaching tool for your kids because it taught us SO much. It definitely starts conversations i dont know how to start.
The doctor telling Toby his “brother” was gone… They were brothers. They were always there for each other.
That was his boy
dude i balled my eyes out
@@evymata3720 bawled*
I think the thing with Adam was pretty realistic. The mom wasn't against her child identifying as what he wants but she was scared that he'd have a harder life especially from family members like the grandma.
The grandma might have been accepting though
The fact that this school stayed open....with all its deaths and attacks is astonishing!!! Real Canadian ambition
Not really. We had a serial rapist at my high school no authority acknowledged but definitely knew about. We also had several student deaths both accidents and suicides, they didn't even bring in grief councilors. And we had a teacher that married one of his students directly after she graduated.
And this was a wealthy affluent school.
@@amandakesterson224wouldn’t rapists be sent to jail? But schools can only do so much
One of my favorite things about Paige's rope storyline is that she didn't win the trial. And I hated it watching it, and I still do; but it was such a necessary and unexpected path for them to take. The reality is a lot of those cases don't end in you winning the trial, but in media we prefer to depict it because it's the happy ending. But with Paige they allowed her to speak for the many who's cases were lost or never even went to trial and how they still have to find a way to move on, at their pace.
I remember I was maybe 11 or 12 and I asked my mom after Paige's trial, does that really happen? I was so disappointed and confused that Dean did not go to jail. The episode changed my entire perspective about the justice system. I was not aware at that time yet of how warped it is.
What? Another miscarriage of justice.
Yeah … a lot of cases are lost and the ones that are “won”, generally the men get a little slap on the wrist. No wonder men think they can do this. There’s no real repercussions. Look at Brock Turner. The jury wanted to throw the book at him, but the judge gave him something much lighter. 🤷🏻♀️
@@ten5h1 The system is broken.
@@erinmccutcheon3751 it is indeed. I’m just lucky I’ve never had to rely on it.
I actually watched this with my daughters. It left us with an open dialogue to discuss the issues they were both dealing with. This series is perfect for pre and teens.
Only 20? I think every episode tackled a serious issue, that's why it was so great. I grew up on next generation 💙
i agree there needs to be a part 2 video on this
There were some eps that didn’t lmao, like the ones about bands or liberty trying to be on the volleyball team.
Emma’s mom was also a teen mom. When they first started degrassi. They also tackled heavy topics for its era
Eli's struggle with drugs and BPD is also a very important storyline in the show.
Cam's death hurts me the most and I don't even know why. I guess it's because I know how he felt, so it just resonated with me the most.
I've only ever seen the "Rock This Town" episode once. It still is the hardest episode I've ever seen and still puts a few tears in my eye. Growing up with the cast and watch JT's death is still hard. So even seeing it on this list and hearing Liberty's screams for help is still hard. I remember the after episode mini wrap up that had his actor saying his goodbyes being hard on even the cast.
Once?? I have DEFINITELY seen that episode more than once. That was actually a two part episode and you haven't seen the first part, just the second part.
Degrassi does nothing but tackle serious issues….that’s kinda the point of Degrassi lol
True
💯
You're not wrong
Right
I think Eli's break downs should've been honorable mention but overall, this list was seriously well done. I'm a huge Degrassi fan and after almost every clip I was pretty much tearing up ❤️😭
Yes! When he didn’t want his friends to see his room
I remember these, and I remember staying up late at night to watch eps when they aired. Sometimes, they were what got me through life at times. My parents weren't overly thrilled because they tackled such issues in depth, but I am glad they did.
I remember watching this show as a kid and this is where I learned about everything. I learned about gay people, learned about teen pregnancy, mental sicknesses, even rape and lots of other things. And like this show just kept breaking your heart over and over again but we just kept watching it cuz it was so real.
Idk why my parents didn't want me watching this in middle school, it tackled real issues and something we all can learn from going into later stages in life, even something to relate to later on too
Maybe that’s why they didn’t want you watching yet they were being protective but yea sheltering kids does them no favors
I love this show I wish they would make more like it because it was a real dose of reality that helped shape me in my adolescence being more understanding and non-judgmental
Ugh way to make me ugly cry today day. I watched this bloody show religiously for YEARS! The Terri story and Paige stories hit me hard when I was younger. And even harder today. Whoo! Man I'm thankful for this show and thankful for it showing when it did. I love this show. The new generation was what I grew up with. The later series I've yet to catch up on. I don't even know where to find it. God so many emotions! Thanx Watch Mojo.
The whole series is available on HBO Max. I have been rewatching it myself
Can't believe I'm finally glad to see this top 20 list. I only started watching the Degrassi franchise back in 2018 (especially the Next Generation). To say the overall series was ahead of its time is an understatement. Most of those episodes were just heartbreaking to watch as well as some particular scenes. I'm glad I gave this Canadian teen drama a chance and never looked back. ❤️
Yes. Same back in 2018, loved it. Went back to the beginning and seen it all, except for The Kids of Degrassi Street, still looking for the rest of the eps.
Something I’ve noticed: many of the entries from the early seasons involve Paige checking in on her friends when they go through a hard time.
Paige's story arc was one of my faves too and even in this complication you see her supporting and taking care of so many people
Can we just appreciate how ahead of its time this show was? We seriously need more shows like this
I remember when I would always see Degrassi: The Next Generation but would never watch it. One day, I decided to watch it and I actually really liked it and I would watch it every time it came on. I remember all of these episodes. There were so many sad moments. I was in complete shock when it was revealed that Adam passed away from his accident. I really liked Adam and it was so sad what happened to him. But I was happy when he was mentioned in the episode when Claire and her friends graduate and how the school paid tribute to Adam who would’ve graduated with the other students if he survived.
We also can't forget the episode about toby struggling with body image and what seems to be an eating disorder
IM WATCHING THIS ONE RIGHT NOW
And paige's anxiety, mayas depression
While Terri moved away that was not the end of the plotline. That plotline didn't END until the school shooting. Terri was the situation that sparked every event leading up to it because the core next gen folks were pissed at him being at the school.
Terri's family moving or her being sent away is realistic, because if I found out the mofo that put my daughter in a coma would be continuing at her school or even nearby and not serving jail time she's outta there. Abusers tend to come back and they're 10x worse when you turn them down, she barely made it out of that one.
One of the issues was that he was never given any sort of treatment. His dad was abusive and he never received therapy for his dad or what he did to Terry. He never shouldn't been sent back to that school for several reasons and he and other students shouldve been treated and mediated about the bullying. There were so many things wrong that it was inevitable something terrible was going to happen.
@@River2384 you're right, and I think the quiz game, crush on Emma, and busting friendships with Toby and Jimmy also reinforced that he was still a kid that learned this behavior somewhere and likely could have had a totally different story. The adults in this situation kind of failed them all because there was no accountability, thus no investigation on his behalf as far as home life, and the trickle down effect of this whole thing is so wide, all these children's lives permanently affected because of one bad dad.
Degrassi was a big part of my Teen years. I couldn't have gotten through them without this show.
It rly was a part of own teen years
This is my FAVORITE TV show!!!! The issues are so realistic and dramatic.😍🥺
This gen of Degrassi was so formative for my sisters and I growing up. Watching these clips is giving me memories of the days I originally watched these episodes.
I forgot how pivotal and ground breaking this show was.
It’s the fact that degrassi treated Hazel as if she barely existed after jimmy was shot and made it seem like he died
#10 should be higher especially considering recent events in the US. They really screwed with the Degrassi storyline in America because they refused initially to air the episode so it got skipped over. Manny’s abortion was vaguely referenced but never outright mentioned so you could guess what happened. Thankfully it aired later and cleared everything up.
Let's not forget that Time Stands Still is a direct result of the events of Terri's domestic violence arc; the shooting is committed by Rick, *after* he has put Terri in a coma. His feelings of ostracization are real, and the whole of his character is there to show what happens when everybody sees the signs and nobody intervenes in any way to get the person committing the violence at such a young age some help.
Adam's death reminded me of a classmate who drove drunk and ended up in a car accident. He sadly didn't make it. It took me a while to realize who he was and then it clicked. He was a class clown of sorts and I didn't really talk to him, but it's hard to know that he made one mistake that cost him his life.
I learned way more about life from this show than I have from my parents or any family member.
REALIST
Same
I loved Degrassi. This was my "stories" 🤣. Kinda wanna watch through these again somewhere
Idk Eli's bipolar story was far more telling than Craig's. When he crashed the hurse I got chills!
TNG was such a good show, it did a good job covering a lot of issues. I love this so much and I did rewatch this a lot
Spinner when he had a glo-upppp!!!!! Spinner was bomb 😍😍😍😍😍
Clare was an excellent friend to immediately cover Adam and say that the tampons were hers!
Marco is my favorite tv character because of his story and his personality
I was a teen around 2001-2007 so I grew up with this show and the topics! It hits so close to home...this show was serious and real!
Same! It was such a great show to watch when I was a teen and special to have grown up watching it.
@nostalgicgames101 same I didn't start watching it until after high school hell at the age of 36 I still watch it its real and informative as well
That's why I loved this show so much because they talked about real things that teenagers went through
Degrassi was so relatable because, just like in real life, the stories didn't always have a happy ending.
Damn. I never watched Digrassi because I was way too young to watch it, plus I didn’t hear about the show until I was 13. But boy that had some HEAVY topics for a mid 2000s show
Degrassi Junior High (3 seasons) and Degrassi High (2 Seasons) aired in the mid to late 1980s & dealt alcoholism, rape, abortion, drug use, molestation, domestic abuse, & so many other topics. The Degrassi writers/producers never held back. What a lot of people don't realized that the show's first episodes were in 1979. Same writing staff for 40 years!
@@jasonmistretta4295 wow. That’s very interesting. Usually if you have the same team of writers they start to run out of ideas and lose their touch. I’m impressed
I used to watch this show regularly back in 2003. Very good show.
I watched this growing up and it honestly made me a better person because of it. I grew up in a tiny little closed minded town in Louisiana. This show was really important.
I always loved the fact that this show tackled so many serious issues that are still relevant to kids and adults today. This show is a must watch to teach so many important life lessons that people dont want to learn but need to understand.
Jane Says is my favorite two part episode. It got me hooked on Degrassi
This is one of the best shows ever created and what I love the most is that they were not afraid to GO THERE....
Although it’s not as serious as these, Imogen’s father suffering from dementia really hits home for me on a personal level.
JT’s death was the saddest episode ever that’s my #1 for this list
It's very criminal that stories like The Vegas Night Incident (Season 10), Peter's Meth Addiction (Season 9) and The Prom Shooting (Season 11) aren't on here as honorable mentions.
I’ll never forget how much I related to Terri growing up when I watched Degrassi as a teen.
Time stands still literally hurts my heart everytime I think of it and it just makes me cry..im 12 seasons in but still...
AND JT'S DEATH HURTS MOST...!! I still miss him...
For some reason. One thing I have learned when it comes to living in this country is that there is “No justice, and no piece”!
And we seem to deal with these issues every single day!
This show helped me growing up. It brought to light some things i was internally struggling with, and helped me deter on what to do. Thank you degrassi.
Whatever it takes... I know I can make it through. ❤
I love degrassi the next generation TV series it was the show that made me become a fan and I'm still a fan today I loved that the show tackled serious issues that dealt with life situations that all of us in our lives have gone through plus it was relatable as well shows today do not do that
Emma's false accusations of her step dad was wild too
That was so crazy
Darcy’s false accusations against Emma’s stepdad.
That was Darcy post assault
I saw degrassi and had to click on. Top 5 shows I ever watch. Top 3 honestly I don’t really watch to many shows. I enjoyed every single series and season.
I used to watch Degrassi as a kid sometimes. I knew it was only for entertainment but the stories felt so well grounded and real, I liked how they took each episode took a serious problem that wasn’t really talked about back then. The show helped me recognized everyone has problems to work through and mistreating/bullying someone who is different is wrong. Honestly when I first saw Adam’s story I didn’t fully understand what was going on but seeing how much Adam struggled to just be himself was something I related to fast.
I don’t live in Canada, but “I bet he lives in Scarsborough and works at a video store” sounds like such a sick burn and I have no idea what it means.
I remember my neighbor and I were so obsessed with Degrassi. It would be after sundown on a weekday and we would watch it together over the house phone. We barely spoke but we laughed and cried together. Then when the episode was over we would go to our backyards and talk about it over the fence. At 31 Degrassi The Next Generation is still one of my favorite shows😂. I drug my mom to every autograph signing they did at the mall tours in California. I've met some of the cast and still have pictures!
When JT got stabbed it was really heartbreaking. Liberty truly loved him and when he got stabbed she rushed to his side. That is one death every time I have watched the series all again, I still cry every time.
Her screaming for help still haunts me to this day.
I remember having an ED in high school. I only ate one small bag of chips a day for a month, going from 130 pounds to 117 pounds. I was a State and Junior Olympic level diver and passed out on the side of the pool after a dive. Nobody really realized it at first. I had a friend that was genuinely worried, but I wouldn’t listen and it got worse. My mom was living in a different city and my dad saw me getting smaller and smaller and started to worry as well and would try to make sure I ate enough, but with him being a lawyer, he was always busy and couldn’t do much. I went to the swim coach after fainting and she asked if I had eaten anything that day and I said yes. (I’d give away my lunch at school to others so that nobody would notice that I wasn’t eating.) She told me not to lie and made sure that I didn’t dive for the rest of practice because of how dangerous it was. I had no idea that she knew. I’m just glad that I didn’t pass out mid air or in the pool. It didn’t help that I kept getting praised when my weight went down because it made me want to keep it up.
Wow
I learned about Epilepsy from watching "Degrassi Junior High", in the 90's. This is when all Nickelodeon shows had a meaning/lesson. Most of the TV shows (almost all of them) around that time for that matter.
Man degrassi really made me realise how many issues at a young age, and helped me so much
I loved this show so much, but it was also so depressing.
Especially having gone through most of those moments myself.
Degrassi will ALWAYS be an amazing show! I grew up watching it and absolutely loved how it talked about real life issues! It was very hands on and very open! Top tier!
i've always had a place in my heart for the jane says episodes, sadly because i can relate. ive yet to see another show that protrays childhood trauma with the victim blocking it out of their mind.
I was 3 yrs old when it started and it stopped when I was 5 and he got caught but I didn’t find out until I was 13 and in therapy because I was unusually afraid of the dark and hated to be touched
I would have nightmares and not until I was in therapy that I discovered the truth
@@foodmomma5240 im so sorry you went through that. your story is pretty similar to mine, i hope you're doing ok now
Great picks! Thank you for sharing this video. I love Degrassi.
I loved watching this show growing up.....i didnt have cable so i relied on reruns that aired on ktla channel 5 in los Angeles ...i was just so invested cause of the subject matter and cause i was also going thru middle school and high school...man i miss those days.
Degrassi was our escape. I loved this show so much and cried many episodes with my brothers and sisters
Honestly it did all the time definitely learned a lot lol but that's what I loved most the serious issues they tackled same thing with South of nowhere, radio free roscoe, instant star and all the other awesome shows that came on the same channel. I learned what to do and what not to do. Next year degrassi is coming back on HBO Max. Their going to make it more about adult life with true crime and 1 hour long episodes.
I loved Radio Free Roscoe so much!!!! I watched it as much as I watched Degrassi!! I have trying to find a way to watch RFR again but can't find it anywhere
@@karawardlaw4090 I've been trying to find RFR as well and South of Nowhere they are so hard to find. I wish they would put them on HBO Max. I miss them lol.
@@xTheMoonGoddess420x yes me too!!
Just rewatching some of these scenes gives me goosebumps all these years later
I love this show thank you for shredding light on issues ❤❤❤
Amazing Rebecca from ms mojo of serious issues from degrassi the next generation, fantastic job.
Never really got into the reboot series...Started watching the original years ago... with Joey. Caitlyn.Stephanie K..and the others..
I started watching this show around age 11/12, and was a similar age to the original next gen characters (Emma, manny, jt, etc.) throughout the most prolific seasons. So happy I had this experience, especially as a teen in the United States, because no other show did this around that time, certainly not one based in the u.s.
JT’S death killed me I was *sobbing*
Child you need top 100 for this show…
Can you do videos on degrassi Jr high, degrassi high and degrassi next generation as well I'd love to see lists on all of the shows
Show tackled issues that a lot of teen shows did not talk about. So damn near everything was serious.
Man this IS MY FAVORITE SHOW!!! I STILL WATCH THE RERUNS! 💯💯💯
This just brought my adolescent years back 🥰💕
The whole show brought up tough issues for me.. Cause like from 7th grade all the way up to H.S. I was like a bit more aware of the kind of phases I would go through and the aftermath of the choices I made would be, who would really accept me and who my enemies are and what i would gsin from them and what I'll lose..
I think i was 21 when i saw the new generation and it was ironically the 1st episode were emma was catfished
I’ll never forget Alex’s death I cried so hard like I’m having a hard time watching the scene again 😭😭
OA Terri’s domestic should’ve been number one but seeing Jane’s mistreatment as number one is even better considering I know how it felt to be abused by a Parent at a Child’s age I was treated like a punching bag by Mother back then when I was growing up!!!!! 😔😔😔😔😔
I'm so sorry you went through that as a child I hope you are doing well today
Same