Nicole Nalls Loves Degrassi: The Next Generation

By Venus Zine Staff
Published: May 28th, 2010 | 12:00am

I missed the 80s. Luckily, I spent much of my teenage and adult years getting acquainted with the best (and worst) television offerings of that “totally tubular” decade through remakes and franchises. Especially my not-so-guilty pleasure, Degrassi: the Next Generation (DTNG). While the original version of this drama-rama had “The Zit Remedy” and dropped the first f-bomb ever on prime-time Canadian television, DTNG stepped it up. As the show’s tagline states, “It goes there.”

DTNG covers most of the topics you'd expect from a teen show. High school drama and multiple girl fights; teen pregnancies; adolescent angst; and a revolving-door cast designed to keep ‘tweens and young adults tuning in every season. What sets this show apart from the Beverly Hills 90210s and Dawson’s Creeks of the world is its dedication to character development. Somehow the half-hour program squeezes in compelling back stories, giving viewers a reason to actually care about who’s dating whom and whether or not a drunken flashing of breasts will wind up on computer screens across the school (yes Manuella “Manny” Santos, I’m talking about you).

If the sometime cheesy storylines weren’t enough to hold your attention, the talented actors, including notable alums Aubrey Graham (Drake), Shenae Grimes (90210), and Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries).

And just when I’ve forgotten the reason I fell so hard for this gem, The N airs episodes, sometimes in serial order, to let viewers know “aboot” the happenings at Degrassi Community School. Whenever I hear the first bars of that catchy theme song (“whatever it takes I know I can make it through”), I leave my (usually) drama-free adult world behind for the school where peer pressure, abortions, and drug overdoses are commonplace. And I know that every week, things will only get better.

I can only hope that the teen inside me is emotionally prepared for the time when this fictional universe someday fades into television oblivion.

Nicole Nalls is a Venus Zine editorial intern.