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Degrassi: The Next Generation season 3

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Degrassi: The Next Generation
Season 3
Season 3
Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 3 DVD Digipak.
No. of episodes22
Release
Original networkCanada CTV
Original releaseSeptember 17, 2003 –
April 5, 2004
Season chronology
← Previous
2
Next →
4
List of episodes

The third 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 17, 2003,[1] concluded on April 5, 2004 and contains twenty-two episodes.[2] It continues to depict the lives of a group of ninth and tenth grade school children as they deal with the typical challenges and issues teenagers face such as such as love, bullying, teen-pregnancy, sexual identity, family problems, and image. Every episode was named after a song from the 1980s.[3] Filming began on 26 May, 2003, and ended in November.[4]

The third season aired Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on CTV,[1] and premiered with a sixty-minute special, "Father Figure", which form the first two episodes of the season. When the season returned to the schedules in January 2004 following a break over the Christmas period, it aired on Mondays at 8:30 p.m.[5] 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 three disc boxed set on March 28, 2006 by Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment in Canada, and by FUNimation Entertainment in America.[6] 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.[7]

In Canada the season was watched by 669,000 viewers and became the most-watched domestic drama series,[8][9] while in America it averaged 250,000 viewers an episode.[10] It won a total of five awards from the DGC Awards, the Gemini Awards and the Young Artist Awards,[11][12][13] and was described as "groundbreaking", "bold", and the show others in the same genre "should take a cue from", although that groundbreaking boldness caused two episodes of the season to be banned from American television screens for three years.[14]

Cast

The third season had twenty actors receive star billing, with fifteen of those returning from season two. The grade nine students were Sarah Barrable-Tishauer as high-achiever yet lonely Liberty Van Zandt, Daniel Clark as the independent Sean Cameron, Ryan Cooley as class clown James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke, Jake Goldsbie as computer nerd Toby Isaacs, Miriam McDonald as environmentalist Emma Nelson, and Cassie Steele as sweet and innocent Manuela "Manny" Santos.[15] The grade ten students were portrayed by Lauren Collins as queen bee Paige Michalchuk, Aubrey Graham as rich and athletic Jimmy Brooks, Shane Kippel as bad-boy Gavin "Spinner" Mason, Andrea Lewis as cheerleader Hazel Aden, Melissa McIntyre as the emo Ashley Kerwin, and Christina Schmidt as the insecure Terri McGreggor.[16] As the adults in the series, Stefan Brogren played the part of Archie "Snake Simpson, Pat Mastroianni acted as Joey Jeremiah and Dan Woods appeared as Mr. Raditch. The three actors had played the same characters in Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High, two of the preceding series in the Degrassi franchise.[17]

Joining the main cast were Stacey Farber and Adamo Ruggiero as grade ten students Ellie Nash, and Marco Del Rossi, respecively. They had been introduced in recurring roles the previous season. Andrea Lewis, who had acted in a recurring role from season one was promoted to the main cast as tenth grader Hazel Aden. Amanda Stepto received star billing after playing Spike Nelson in a recurring role for two seasons, and Stacie Mistysyn made a permanent return to her Degrassi franchise role as Caitlin Ryan.[18]

Introduced in recurring roles were Ephraim Ellis as Rick Murray, John Bregar as Dylan Michalchuk, Deanna Casaluce as Alex Nuñez,Mike Lobel as Jay Hogart, and Daniel Morrison as Chris Sharpe.[19] Alex Steele, Melissa DiMarco, Katie Lai, Linlyn Lue and Jennifer Podemski returned to play Angela Jeremiah, Daphne Hatzilakos, Kendra Mason, Ms. Kwan and Ms. Suave, respectively.[20]

From Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High, Cathy Keenan, Angela Deiseach and Maureen Deiseach reprised their roles as Liz O'Rourke, Erica Farrell and Heather Farrell for the opening episode, "Father Figure". Shane McKay was played by Jonathan Torrens rather than Bill Parrott, the original DJH actor,[21] and Neil Hope returned to play Wheels in the seventh episode, "Should I Stay or Should I Go?".

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]

The co-executive producers were Epitome Pictures' president Stephen Stohn, and CEO Linda Schuyler, the co-creator of the Degrassi franchise. D:TNG co-creator Yan Moore served as the creative consultant and David Lowe was the line producer. Aaron Martin was the executive story editor. At the beginning of the season James Hurst served as the story editor, with Shelley Scarrow as junior story editor; by the end of the season they had been promoted to senior story editor and story editor, respectively. Brandon Yorke also served as a story editor, and Nicole Demerse became a story editor midway though the season. The editor was Stephen Withrow, Stephen Stanley was the production designer, and the cinematographers were Gavin Smith, David Perrauit, and Phil Earnshaw.[23]

The writers for the season were Christine Alexiou, Tassie Cameron, Sean Carley, Craig Cornell, Nicole Demerse, James Hurst, Sean Jara, Aaron Martin, Yan Moore, Shelley Scarrow, Rebecca Schechter, Jana Sinyor, and Brendon Yorke. John Bell, Phil Earnshaw, Allan Eastman, Eleanore Lindo, Bruce McDonald, Andrew Potter, and Stefan Scaini directed the episodes.[23][24]

When production of season three began, someone with the username "ExecProducer" started a thread on the official Degrassi: The Next Generation website,[25] revealing production details, guest actors, scheduling information and DVD release details. He actually referred to himself as "Stephen Stohn" in one post, although this was not officially confirmed until the release of Degrassi: Generations - The Official 411 guidebook in 2005, when Stohn confirmed it was him.[26]

Reception

In Canada the third season of Degrassi: The Next Generation was the most-watched domestic drama amongst adults 18 to 49, and the most-watched domestic drama series overall.[8] It received an average of 669,000 viewers, an increase of 44% compared to season two.[9] In America, each episode was watched by an average of 250,000 viewers.[10]

Following the end of the TV season, the San Jose Mercury News said "If they [Everwood, The O.C., and One Tree Hill] want to be taken seriously, the shows could take a cue from Canadian drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, which … addresses the same gritty teen issues without being far-fetched",[27] and Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle echoed that by adding "Degrassi: The Next Generation has cultivated a loyal audience by avoiding the sugar-coating niceties of old-school teen TV and by treating those 10- to 14-year-olds as, well, not adults per se, but definitely maturing viewers. Degrassi focuses on a high school with a disparate student body, with countless individual stories to tell (which is why the franchise has lasted this long). There's nothing corny or sweet about "Degrassi" as it boldly tackles everything from obesity to date rape, thongs to drugs".[28] Others, such as WorldNetDaily gave praise and said the series was breaking new ground by depicting a gay romance between two teenaged boys.[29]

Two of the episodes of season three were considered "too honest" for American viewers, as they portrayed a fifteen-year-old girl having an abortion, and having no regrets later, and The N refused to air the episodes. On the decision, The N said, "It's a serious episode and the summer [schedule] is all lighthearted",[30] but "unrelated to any policy position regarding abortion."[31] The refusal caused an uproar amongst the show's American fans, over 6000 of whom signed a petition calling the decision "unjust and asinine",[32] and even attracted the attention of newspapers and media in Canada and America,[33] with the New York Times reporting on the portrayal of abortion on television.[31]

The season won a total of five awards and six more nominations from various bodies. At the 2004 DGC Awards, "Holiday" won "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Series - Family" and garnered a nomination for Stephen Stanley for "Outstanding Achievement in Production Design - Television Series".[11] "Pride" won Aaron Martin, James Hurst and Shelley Scarrow the award for "Best Youth Script" at the Canadian Screenwriting Awards, given out annually by the Writers Guild of Canada,[34] and "Best Direction in a Children's or Youths' Program or Series" at the Gemini Awards. The series also won the Gemini for "Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series". Jake Epstein was nominated for "Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series" for his acting in "Should I Stay or Should I Go?", and Shelley Scarrow, Nicole Demerse and James Hurst were nominated for "Best Writing for a Children's or Youth Program or Series" for "Accidents Will Happen".[12] The series received a nomination for "Outstanding Drama Series" at the 15th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, which honor the media for their portrayal of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives.[35] Jake Epstein was nominated for "Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series Leading Young Actor" at the Young Artist Awards, Alex Steele was nominated for "Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series Young Actress Age Ten or Younger", and the show won "Best Family TV Series (Comedy or Drama)".[13]

Episodes

When originally broadcast, CTV and The N aired episodes one and two, and eleven and twelve as special hour-long episodes. The N also aired episodes four and five as an hour-long episode, although CTV aired them as individual half-hour episodes over two weeks.

In America, The N aired season three in two separate blocks as it had done with the second season. The first block of episodes aired between October 3, 2003 and December 19, 2003, and the second block from June 4, 2004 to August 6, 2004.[2] Episodes fourteen and fifteen, the "banned" episodes, were finally broadcast on August 26, 2006, three years after their original Canadian broadcast during an "Every Degrassi Episode Ever" Marathon.[14]

Episode
# 		Title Canadian airdate U.S. airdate Production Code

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DVD release

The DVD release of season three was released by Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment in Canada, and by FUNimation Entertainment in America on March 28, 2006 after it had completed broadcast on television. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including Audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and bloopers.

The Complete Third Season
Degrassi: The Next Generation season 3 DVD digipak Set Details[6] Special Features[6]


  • Audio Commentaries:
    • "Accidents Will Happen"
    • "Pride"
  • Deleted Moments
  • Rock and Roll High School Karaoke
    • "I'm In Love"
    • "Spinner's Rap"
    • "Mr. Nice Guy"
    • "What I Know"
  • Season 3 Interactive Quiz
  • CTV Degrassi Promo
  • Degrassi Yearbook
  • Character and Cast Biographies
Release Dates
 Canada  United States
March 28, 2006[36] March 28, 2006[6]

References

General
  • Ellis, Kathryn (2005). Degrassi: Generations - The Official 411. New York, NY: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-1680-4. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
Specific
  1. ^ a b Stohn, Stephen (2003-06-04). "Shooting Season 3" (note: Requires registration). Degrassi Message Boards. Epitome Virtual Reality. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  2. ^ a b "Season 3". DegrassiTNGHO.com. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
  3. ^ Ellis, p. 179
  4. ^ Stohn, Stephen (2003-05-26). "Shooting Season 3" (note: Requires registration). Degrassi Message Boards. Epitome Virtual Reality. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  5. ^ Stohn, Stephen (2004-01-04). "Shooting Season 3" (note: Requires registration). Degrassi Message Boards. Epitome Virtual Reality. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
    •Stohn, Stephen (2004-01-08). "Shooting Season 3" (note: Requires registration). Degrassi Message Boards. Epitome Virtual Reality. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  6. ^ a b c d "Degrassi: The Next Generation - Season 3". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
  7. ^ Epitome Pictures. "Degrassi: The Next Generation" (note: Requires iTunes software). The N. iTunes Store. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  8. ^ a b "Classes Begin at Degrassi September 7 on CTV". CTV.ca. 2004-09-01. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  9. ^ a b "Degrassi Starts the Year with a New Timeslot and a New Generation of Fans". Degrassi.tv. Epitome Virtual Reality. 2004-01-24. Retrieved 2008-02-08. Degrassi had the largest average audience for all Canadian national drama series, drawing an average of 669,000 viewers, an increase of 44% compared to last year.
  10. ^ a b Armstrong, Jennifer (2004-10-01), "Fast Times at Degrassi High", Entertainment Weekly, no. 686, Time Inc., retrieved 2008-02-15."
  11. ^ a b "Degrassi: The Next Generation - Awards". Epitome Virtual Reality. CTV. Last updated: November 28, 2006. Retrieved 2007-12-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
    • "Nominee's List" (PDF). Directors Guild of Canada. 2003-10-05. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
  12. ^ a b "Canadian Awards Database History Search for "Degrassi"". Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
  13. ^ a b "25th Annual Young Artist Awards - Winners and Nominations". Youngartistawards.org. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
  14. ^ a b "15 Taboo-Breaking TV Moments". Entertainment Weekly. pp. page 2. Retrieved 2007-09-20. {{cite web}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  15. ^ Ellis, pp. 52–5, 58–9, 66–7 74–5, 80–1
  16. ^ Ellis, pp. 56–7, 68–71, 76–7, 82, 72–3
  17. ^ Ellis, pp. 42–3, 48–51
  18. ^ Ellis, pp. 64–5, 78–9, 72–3, 44–7
  19. ^ Ellis, pp. 60–1, 83–5, 88
  20. ^ Ellis, pp. 88–90
  21. ^ "Degrassi fan pages". Degrassi.tv. Epitome Virtual Reality. Retrieved 2008-02-08. On Degrassi Junior High it was Shane McKay, played by Bill Parrott, who fathered Spike's baby Emma. Billy decided not to return as Shane for The Next Generation, so Jonathan Torrens from Jonovision was cast in his stead.
    • Melanson, Giselle (2005-11-09). "He's Still Jono". PopJournalism.ca. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
    • Ellis, p. 93
  22. ^ "BCE-CTV Benefits" (PDF). CRTC. 2004. pp. p. 12. Retrieved 2008-02-18. {{cite web}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
    • "rocket Fuelled Projects 2003". Shaw Rocket Fund. 2003. Retrieved 2007-10-21.
  23. ^ a b Linda Schuyler (co-creator, executive producer); Yan Moore (co-creator); Stephen Stohn (executive producer). Degrassi: The Next Generation - Season 3 DVD Boxset (DVD). Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment. {{cite AV media}}: Unknown parameter |date2= ignored (help)
  24. ^ Ellis, p. 96
  25. ^ Stohn, Stephen (2003-05-23). "Shooting Season 3" (note: Requires registration). Degrassi Message Boards. Epitome Virtual Reality. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
  26. ^ Ellis, pp. 12–3
  27. ^ "Unreality TV". San Jose Mercury News. MediaNews Group. 2004-05-18. Archived from the original on 2004-06-23. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
  28. ^ Goodman, Tim (2004-06-09). "'Tweener' TV too hot for parents?". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
  29. ^ "TV show depicts teen 'gay' romance". WorldNetDaily. 2004-01-24. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
  30. ^ Drumming, Neil (2004-06-11). "Cutting Class". EW. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
  31. ^ a b Aurthur, Kate (2004-07-18). "Television's Most Persistent Taboo". New York Times. pp. page 1. Retrieved 2007-09-20. {{cite web}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  32. ^ Kok, Dina (2004). "Abortion issue on popular TV show". theinterim.com. Retrieved 2007-09-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  33. ^ "`Degrassi` abortion episode sparks fan outcry in U.S.". CBC. 2004-07-20. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
    • McKay, John (2004-07-19). "American teen channel delays abortion-themed Degrassi episode". National Post. Archived from the original on 2004-07-19. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
  34. ^ "2004 Winners". Writers Guild of Canada. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  35. ^ "Nominees for the 15th Annual GLAAD Media Awards". Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. 2003-12-08. Retrieved 2007-12-08.
  36. ^ "Degrassi The Next Generation: Season 3". VideoCanada.ca. Retrieved 2008-02-17.

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