Degrassi: The Next Generation season 4
Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 4 | |
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Season 4 | |
![]() Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 4 DVD Digipak. | |
No. of episodes | 22 |
Release | |
Original network | ![]() |
Original release | September 7, 2004 – February 14, 2005 |
Season chronology | |
The fourth season of the Canadian serial teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation (also known as D:TNG, DTNG, Degrassi:TNG, or simply Degrassi) commenced airing in Canada on September 7, 2004,[1] concluded on February 14, 2005 and contains twenty-two episodes.[2] It continues to depict the lives of a group of tenth and eleventh grade school children as they deal with the some of the challenges and issues teenagers face such as such as coming out, bullying, alcoholism, school shooting, sexual identity, and sexually transmitted infections. Every episode was titled after a song from the 1980s,[3] except for the two-part season finale "Going Down the Road", which took its name from the 1970 Canadian film Goin' Down the Road.[4] Filming took place between April 2004 and October 2004.[5]
The first six episodes of season four aired Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on CTV, before settling into its regular 8:30 p.m. timeslot.[1] When the season returned to the schedules in January 2005 following a break over the Christmas period, it aired on Mondays at 8:30 p.m.[6] In America, it was broadcast on The N, a digital cable network aimed at teenagers and young adults. The season was released on DVD as a four disc boxed set on November 28, 2006 by Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment in Canada, and by FUNimation Entertainment in America on October 24, 2006 .[7] The last three episodes were also sold in America, packaged together in two different releases; one version was dubbed "unrated, uncensored and uncut" and featured an audio commentary and other bonus material, the other version was dubbed "rated", and did not feature the audio commentary.[8][9] Registered users of the Canadian and American iTunes stores are also able purchase and download the season for playback on home computers and certain iPods.[10]
Season four was one of D:TNG's most successful seasons for viewing figures. Two episodes were watched by nearly a million Canadian viewers and helped the season garner an average audience of 600,000, making it the most-viewed domestic drama in Canada.[11][12] In America, one episode from the season was watched by over half-a-million viewers, the highest audience figure The N had ever had.[13] Only three awards were won for the season, out of nine total nominations. Critics repeatedly drew comparisons between D:TNG and The O.C., saying The O.C. was the least realistic of the two.
Cast
The fourth season had nineteen actors receive star billing, following the departure of Christina Schmidt as Terri McGreggor at the end of season three. Continuing in their roles from the previous season, the grade ten students were portrayed by Sarah Barrable-Tishauer as Liberty Van Zandt, Daniel Clark as Sean Cameron, Ryan Cooley as James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke, Jake Goldsbie as Toby Isaacs, Miriam McDonald as Emma Nelson, and Cassie Steele as Manuela "Manny" Santos.[14] The grade eleven students were portrayed by Lauren Collins as Paige Michalchuk, Jake Epstein who portrayed Craig Manning, Stacey Farber as Ellie Nash, Aubrey Graham as Jimmy Brooks, Shane Kippel as Gavin "Spinner" Mason, Andrea Lewis as Hazel Aden, Melissa McIntyre as Ashley Kerwin, and Adamo Ruggiero as Marco Del Rossi.[15] As the adults in the series, Stefan Brogren played the part of Archie "Snake Simpson, Pat Mastroianni acted as Joey Jeremiah, Dan Woods appeared as Mr. Raditch, Amanda Stepto played Spike Nelson, and Stacie Mistysyn appeared as Caitlin Ryan. The five adult actors had played the same characters in Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High, two of the preceding series in the Degrassi franchise.[16]
Shenae Grimes, Dalmar Abuzeid, and Christopher Jacot were introduced in recurring roles as Darcy Edwards, Danny Van Zandt, and Matt Oleander, respectively.[17] Returning in their recurring roles were Ephraim Ellis as Rick Murray, John Bregar as Dylan Michalchuk, Deanna Casaluce as Alex Nuñez, Mike Lobel as Jay Hogart, Daniel Morrison as Chris Sharpe, Alex Steele as Angela Jeremiah, Melissa DiMarco as Daphne Hatzilakos, Linlyn Lue as Ms. Kwan, and Jennifer Podemski as Ms. Suave.[18]
Film director Kevin Smith and actor Jason Mewes guest starred as exaggerated versions of themselves (for example Kevin is portrayed as being unmarried and childless), who are at Degrassi Community School in the final three episodes of the season to work on Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh!, a fictional feature film in the View Askewniverse series that was using Degrassi Community School as a filming location.[19] Singer Alanis Morissette, who had previously played God in two other Jay and Silent Bob movies,[20] guest starred in "Going Down The Road, Part I" as herself, playing the school principal in Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh![21]
Crew
The season was produced by Epitome Pictures in association CTV. Funding was provided by The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, the Canadian Television Fund and BCE-CTV Benefits, The Shaw Television Broadcast Fund, the Independent Production Fund, Mountain Cable Program, and RBC Royal Bank.[22][23]
The co-executive producers were Epitome Pictures' president Stephen Stohn, and CEO Linda Schuyler, the co-creator of the Degrassi franchise. Aaron Martin was promoted from executive story editor in the third season to executive producer. D:TNG co-creator Yan Moore served as the creative consultant and David Lowe was the line producer. Sean Reycraft and Shelley Scarrow served as co-executive story editors. Brendon Yorke was the story editor, and Miklos Perlus the junior story editor. The editor was Stephen Withrow, Stephen Stanley was the production designer, and the cinematographer was Gavin Smith.[23]
The writers for the season were Sean Carley, Richard Clark, R. Scott Cooper, James Hurst, Aaron Martin, Miklos Perlus, Sean Reycraft, Shelley Scarrow, Brandon Yorke. Kevin Smith was allowed to rewrite his dialogue for the episodes which he appeared in.[24] Graeme Campbell, Philip Earnshaw, Eleanore Lindo, Ron Murphy, Sudz Sutherland, and Stefan Scaini directed the episodes.[23][25]
Reception
An episode featuring a storyline about a school shooting garnered the series an all-time high audience of 930,000 Canadian viewers.[11] A second episode with a storyline about oral sex also earned just under 1,000,000 viewers.[12] Overall, the season averaged an audience of 600,000 and was the top domestic drama for Canadian teenagers aged 12 to 17, and adults in three age brackets; ages 18 to 34, ages 18 to 49, and ages 25 to 54.[11][12] In America, the season received an 80% larger audience compared to season three,[11] and one episode received 540,000 viewers and drew a Nielsen Rating of 2.7 for teenagers and 4.7 for female teenagers, meaning that on average 2.7% of the nation's teenagers, and 4.7% of the nation's female teenagers were tuned in at any given moment.[13]
The season was well received amongst critics, especially in regards to the episodes with Kevin Smith and the storylines on oral sex and the school shooting. The Palm Beach Post said the series "is told from a teenager's point of view since the writers have no interest in appealing to a broad-based demographic like the writers on, say, Fox's The O.C. … it connects with teens on their level", though it was still "surprised Jay used the graphic oral sex term you'd hear in just about every high school hallway in America",[26] that word being "blow-job".[27] The Boston Herald said "it is important for teens to learn about sexually transmitted diseases and the cost of unprotected sex … and should help parents begin conversations with their own children".[28] Jodie Janella Horn of PopMatters, the international webzine of cultural criticism described D:TNG as "the most unnervingly accurate series ever of the high school genre". Another comparison was made between D:TNG and The O.C., saying "The O.C. will never remind me of anything in my life", while the events in the two-part episode "Voices Carry" with "hotel room trashing, projectile launching, fist fighting at weddings bi-polar loon Craig [and girlfriend Ashley], was like an actual scene from my actual teenage life and just like me, Ashley thinks they're going to pull through it together".[29] AfterElton.com, a website that focuses on the portrayal of gay and bisexual men in the media praised the series for "not only focusing on gay teens, but it showcases gay sex, and relationships. By not stereotyping [the gay characters] they are helping thousands of confused and shameful teenagers feel accepted, in Canada and America alike."[30] Ben Neihart called D:TNG "tha Best Teen TV N da WRLD!" (the best teen TV in the world) in a six-page article in the New York Times. Commenting that "the explosive-issue-per-capita ratio is seriously out of whack", he admitted that "the teen-diary attention to microissues (zits, periods, parents' night) gives the episodes a peculiar authenticity no matter how outrageous their story lines".[31]
Two episodes were nominated for "Best Youth Script" at the Canadian Screenwriting Awards, which are administered by the Writers Guild of Canada. Shelley Scarrow's "Secrets Part I" lost out to "Mercy Street", written by James Hurst and Miklos Perlus.[32] At the Directors Guild of Canada Awards, Stefan Sciani won the award for "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Series - Family" for the episode "Time Stands Still, Part 2", and Stephen Stanley was nominated for the "Outstanding Achievement in Production Design - Television Series" category for the episode "Goin' Down the Road".[33] The series won its first Teen Choice Award in America for "Choice Summer Series"[34] At the Young Artist Awards, D:TNG failed to win any of the awards its actors were nominated for. Adamo Ruggiero was nominated in the "Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series Leading Young Actor" category, Aubrey Graham was nominated in the "Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series Supporting Young Actor" category, and Alex Steele was nominated in the "Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series Recurring Young Actress" category. The entire cast was nominated in the "Outstanding Young Performers in a TV Series" category".[35]
Episodes
CTV screen episodes one and two as an hour-long special to premiere the season. Episodes three and four, five and six, and nineteen and twenty were screened back-to-back, though not as hour-long specials.[2] In America, The N aired the season in two blocks, the first block began October 1, 2004 and ran until March 11, 2005. The second block, advertised as the "Summer '04" season,[36] was screened between July 1, 2005 and August 26, 2005. Episodes one and two, and fourteen and fifteen aired as hour-long specials.[2]
DVD releases
The DVD release of season four was released by Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment in Canada on November 28, 2006, and by FUNimation Entertainment in America on October 24, 2006 after it had completed broadcast on television. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including deleted scenes, bloopers and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
The final three episodes of the season were also released separately from the complete season release on November 8, 2005. They were packaged together in two different versions; one was dubbed "unrated, uncensored and uncut" and featured an audio commentary and other bonus material, the other was dubbed "rated", and did not feature the audio commentary.
The Complete Fourth Season | ||||
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Set Details[7] | Special Features[7] | ||
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Release Dates | ||||
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November 28, 2006[37] | October 24, 2006[7] |
Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi: The Next Generation (Director's Cut: Uncut, Uncensored and Unrated)
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Set Details[8] | Special Features[8] | ||
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Release Date | ||||
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November 8, 2005[8] |
Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi: The Next Generation (Director's Cut: Rated)
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Set Details[9] | Special Features[9] | ||
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Release Date | ||||
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November 8, 2005[9] |
References
- General
- Ellis, Kathryn (2005). Degrassi: Generations - The Official 411. New York, NY: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-1680-4.
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- Specific
- ^ a b "Classes Begin at Degrassi September 7 on CTV" (Press release). CTV.ca. 2004-09-01. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
- ^ a b c "Season 4". DegrassiTNGHO.com. Retrieved 2008-02-15. Cite error: The named reference "s4" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Ellis, p. 179
- ^ Ellis, p. 189
- ^ City of Toronto Film and Television Office (2005-01-28). "2004 Production List" (PDF). City of Toronto. p. 18. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
{{cite web}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=
(help) - ^ Stohn, Stephen (2004-12-14). "Shooting Season 3" (note: Requires registration). Degrassi Message Boards. Epitome Virtual Reality. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
- ^ a b c d "Degrassi: The Next Generation - Season 4". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
- ^ a b c d "Degrassi: The Next Generation - Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi (Director's Cut: Uncut, Uncensored and Unrated)". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
- ^ a b c d "Degrassi: The Next Generation - Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi (Director's Cut: Uncut, Uncensored and Unrated)". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
- ^ Epitome Pictures. "Degrassi: The Next Generation" (note: Requires iTunes software). The N. iTunes Store. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
- ^ a b c d "New York Times Magazine declares 'DGrassi is tha Best Teen TV N da WRLD!'" (Press release). CTV. 2005-03-21. Retrieved 2007-10-21.
- ^ a b c "Award-winning franchise celebrates 25th Anniversary as original CTV documentary The Degrassi Story is set to air Sept. 17". CTV.ca. 2005-09-01. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
- ^ a b "SABRINA IS MAKING MAGIC IN NEW YORK!!" (Press release). Cynopsis Media. 2004-12-15. Retrieved 2007-10-21.
- ^ Ellis, pp. 52–5, 58–9, 66–7 74–5, 80–1
- ^ Ellis, pp. 56–7, 62–5, 68–73, 76–9
- ^ Ellis, pp.42–51
- ^ Ellis, pp. 86–7
- ^ Ellis, pp. 60–1, 83–5, 88–90
- ^ "Actor/Writer/Director Kevin Smith guests stars on three-part season finale of The N's Degrassi: The Next Generation" (Press release). View Askew. 2005-07-12. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
- ^ Kevin Smith (actor, writer, director); Scott Mosier (producer) (1999-11-12). Dogma. Lions Gate Films.
{{cite AV media}}
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• Kevin Smith (actor, writer, director); Scott Mosier (producer) (2001-08-22). Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Dimension Films.{{cite AV media}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help) - ^ "Kevin Smith lives out his Degrassi fantasy" (Press release). CTV. 2005-02-07. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
- ^ "rocket Fuelled Projects 2003". Shaw Rocket Fund. 2003. Retrieved 2007-10-21.
- ^ a b c Linda Schuyler (co-creator, executive producer); Yan Moore (co-creator); Stephen Stohn (executive producer). Degrassi: The Next Generation - Season 4 DVD Boxset (DVD). Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment.
{{cite AV media}}
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ignored (help) - ^ Nusair, David (2004-11-14). "KEVIN SMITH LIVE FROM DEGRASSI HIGH". MoviePoopShoot.com. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
Shelley [Scarrow, DEGRASSI's story editor and writer] wrote the first episode I was in, 420, and Aaron [Martin, executive producer and writer] wrote 421 and 422. They were really cool about like, "go over your dialogue, make it yours." So it was pretty easy – I sound like myself.
- ^ Ellis, p. 96
- ^ Thompson, Kevin D. (2005-07-01). "Teen-focused drama 'Degrassi' connects with teens on their level". The Palm Beach Post. Cox Enterprises.
- ^ Shelley Scarrow (writer); Eleanore Lindo (director); Stephen Stohn (executive producer); Linda Schuyler (executive producer); Aaron Martin (executive producer) (2004-11-30). ""Secrets Part I". Degrassi: The Next Generation. Season 4. Episode 14. 11:51 minutes in. CTV.
{{cite episode}}
: Unknown parameter|serieslink=
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suggested) (help) - ^ Amatangelo, Amy (2005-07-01). "'Degrassi' hooks up with local scandals". Boston Herald.
- ^ Horn, Jodie Janella (2005-06-02). "The Armchair Anthropologist: High School of Hard Knocks". PopMatters. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
- ^ Weiss, Matthew (2005-08-10). "Degrassi: The Next Generation Offers Honest Portrayal of Gay Teens". AfterElton.com. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
- ^ Neihart, Ben (2005-03-20). "DGrassi Is tha Best Teen TV N da WRLD!". note: login required. New York Times. pp. page 5. Retrieved 2007-12-12.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ "2005 Winners". Writers Guild of Canada. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
- ^ "Degrassi: The Next Generation - Awards". CTV.ca. Last updated: November 28, 2006. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
{{cite web}}
: Check date values in:|date=
(help)
• "2005 DGC Awards" (PDF). Directors Guild of Canada. 2005. Retrieved 2008-02-16. - ^ "Canadian First: Degrassi: The Next Generation Wins Teen Choice Award as Series Gears Up for 25th Anniversary Season on CTV". CTV. 2005-08-16. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
- ^ "26th Annual Young Artist Awards - Nominations & Special Awards". Youngartistawards.org. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
- ^ "The N on TV: Degrassi: Episodes". The N. 2004. Archived from the original on 2004-12-05. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
- ^ "Degrassi The Next Generation: Season 4". DVD-Plus.com. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
External links
- Season 3 episode synopses at CTV.ca
- List of Degrassi: The Next Generation episodes at IMDB.
- List of Degrassi: The Next Generation episodes at TV.com.
{{D:TNGSeasons}}