Yeahhhh 2011 is finally here!!!

TeenNick is doing a Degrassi Marathon every weekend leading up to the new Degrassi episodes, which start on Friday, February 11.  This weekend it’s a marathon of Season 1 and 2 episodes.

For the next several weekends here on DegrassiBlog we’ll be doing a Degrassi Mini Marathon! Because the Degrassi Minis need love too. 

Here’s the list of this week’s minis…you can watch them below:

Don’t You Forget About Me (1)
Notorious
Bizarre Love Triangle
Don’t You Forget About Me (2)
Man in the Mirror
Bigmouth Strikes Again
The Lovecats
Hey Ladies
What if Liberty Was Paige, and Paige Was Liberty?

#DNAwards The Three Tenners were mad about not being nominated for Best Song, so they started haternation.com http://plixi.com/p/66281174—
Doc and Degrassi (@DocBowser1079) December 29, 2010

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Last night were the 2010 Degrassi Nation Awards, aka the most predictable awards show ever.  It was interesting and fun to watch (loved the clips, the fan videos, Emily’s performance and participation from Stephen, Stefan, Ray and many other Degrassi staff)…however by the end it got to the point where it was repetitive (or Munrotitive, or something like that).  Munro and Aislinn dominated, taking Best Actor and Actress, while Munro also picked up Rookie of the Year.  I personally thought these were good choices, as well as were  most of the award winners.

The only two winners that made me say “uhh WTF?” were Storyline of the Year (Eli is a hoarder), and Best Episode (Umbrella).  These two feel like obscure choices that were chosen simply because Eli was involved…in the Storyline category I’m not even sure why three of the top four nominees were Eli-centric.

I’m looking forward to the 2011 DN Awards, since there’s no telling what in the heck will happen in the Degrassi universe between now and then.  I predict if someone dies they will either receive an award, or DN will have an “In Memoriam” section to next year’s program.

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Earlier this week Degrassi-Fans.com launched the first episode of their new podcast show called Degrassi Talks.  D-fans owner Erin, Bianca from Degrassi Dish, and Ashley from Whatever It Takes are the hosts, and will be talking about anything and everything Degrassi.

In their first episode they talk about Degrass in India, Fitz’s role on the show and the latest Degrassi promos. CLICK HERE to listen to and download the episode!

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Production is officially under way for the Degrassi Mini Marathon, which will run right here on DegrassiBlog!  Yes I’m talking about the actual Degrassi Mini Webisodes.  Kinda like how TeenNick is doing their Episode Marathon over the course of several weekends, I’ll be doing the same with the Mini Marathon (maaaan you don’t realize how many minis there are until you stare at the complete list of them).  If all goes according to plan, the first mini marathon will be this Friday, 12/31.

Thanks to those dedicated Degrassi fans keeping a constant lookout on both network for new promos.  We should se several more promos running on both networks over the next month, especially during TeenNick’s Degrassi marathon running during the weekends.

Let’s start with the MuchMusic promo:

I’m only pulling out the interesting screencaps (the promo moves slow enough you can see the rest)

And of course the most interesting screencap is the one directly about.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but is that not Sadie holding hands with Dave? Ummmmm…… (the ummmmmm being me confused considering all I’ve heard people say when they mention Sadie is that she’s gonna try to steal Eli from Clare)

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Now let’s get to the fast-paced TeenNick promo:

Watching the clips at the end in slow motion they really aren’t all that (most of them touching on stuff we already know:

If you didn’t catch it in the promo, the clip with Alli is that someone steals her bag….my money is on SKINNY!!!! #SkinnyReturns #SkinnyForPresident #IDontCareIfItsBeenFiveYearsWhereIsCraigsGuitarDammit

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If you’re looking at this post through a web browser, can you see the video above?

If it is (or is not) working for you, leave a comment below.  It’s working for me, I just want to make sure this video player works for everyone else.

P.S.

The video is an MV I made a couple of years ago.  Ohhhh how I miss the days of being inspired to make fan vids.

February 11th is still pretty far away, but TeenNick plans on keeping you entertained with tons of Degrassi starting on New Years Day!!

Every weekend for the first six weeks of 2011 TeenNick will host a Degrassi Marathon, which ultimately leads up to the February premiere.  Thanks to Kyle over at CableTVTalk, here are the marathon details:

EVERY DEGRASSI EVER
This New Year’s Day we’re letting our audience know that 2011 is getting off to a get start with a DEGRASSI EVERY EPISODE EVER MARATHON. Every weekend in January veteran viewers can get re-immersed in Degrassi-ness in preparation for the series premiere in February.

Week 1: Saturday, 1/1 and Sunday, 1/2
Noon – 11pm et
See Degrassi from the very beginning with Seasons 1 & 2.

Week 2: Saturday, 1/8 and Sunday, 1/9
Noon – 11pm et
Watch Degrassi “Go There” in Seasons 3 & 4.

Week 3: Saturday, 1/15 from Noon – 11pm et || Sunday, 1/16 from Noon – 10pm et
Seasons 5 & 6 bring reunions, forgiveness, and good-byes.

Week 4: Saturday, 1/22 and Sunday, 1/23
Noon – 11pm et
Degrassi and Lakehurst merge, and tensions are high in Season 7.

Week 5: Saturday, 1/29 and Sunday, 1/30
Noon – 11pm et
Get ready for fresh faces at Degrassi with Seasons 8 & 9.

Week 6: Saturday, 2/5 and Sunday, 2/6
Noon – 11pm et
Watch as Degrassi reaches the boiling point in Season 10.

Luke may or may not have been high during his latest radio interview.

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A little over a week ago Luke Bilyk did an interview on Blogtalkradio with The Amani Show, and the host asked him if he could share any spoilers about what’s to come in the final episodes of Season 10 (which will air in early 2011):

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 To listen to the complete interview (which is about 20 minutes long), CLICK HERE.  Yayyyy for a car crash (the instant assumption is that it’s Eli/Clare related).  And we all know that Drew’s character is the one dealing with drugs.  As far as the stuff about the death/shooting how it happens isn’t really relevant, it’s all about WHO it’ll happen to.  Back in Season 6 when JT died it was a very sad episode, but it didn’t make as big as an emotional impact for me as it could have because we knew months in advance that he was going to die.  Personally I hope that they keep a very tight lid on which character will die…no hints on twitter or in tv promos…nothing.  They WILL benefit by keeping fans in the dark on this until the moment the episode airs.

It’s not really devastating news, but Stephen Stohn tweeted that they’ve been testing the Degrassi mobile app, and have decided to delay its release because it’s currently not up to their standards.  In a series of multiple tweets he said…

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News about the app: I’ve tested the version to date, and just don’t feel comfortable releasing it now..

..it needs to be great, and right now it’s just good.

We’ve learned a lot in the course of developing it, and are going back to the drawing boards with a much better/more integrated overall plan

the bad news is it means it won’t be ready till the late spring/early summer…

the good news is that when we do release it it will be cutting edge, engaging, and very Degrassi…

live and learn

oh, but when we do release it it will be on iPhone, iPode Touch, iPad AND Android..
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and then i said….

Degrassi hates Blackberry users :( RT @stephenstohn: oh, but when we do release it it will be on iPhone, iPode Touch, iPad AND Android..—
Doc and Degrassi (@DocBowser1079) December 16, 2010

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and then he said….

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@DocBowser1079 not impossible it will be on Blackberry (I have the Torch) but before it was only iPhone, at least we're expanding!—
Stephen Stohn (@stephenstohn) December 16, 2010

Phew, I had my protest signs and genetically-modified tomatoes ready to march on the Epitome set if they weren’t working on a Blackberry app.  I don’t think anyone’s too upset that the app isn’t ready yet, I know I’m not (they haven’t really talked about it very much either).  But I do think that releasing it early next summer would be a great move for the Degrassi brand…people start getting excited about next summer’s telenovela so you roll out the app a month or two before it starts to get everyone even more geared up, while at the same time keeping them occupied with this new feature.

Degrassi will return Friday February 11 with a one-hour special (1033-1034).. then weekly thereafter for the rest of Season 10!—
Stephen Stohn (@stephenstohn) December 11, 2010

This is lovely news to wake up to on a Saturday…Stephen Stohn just tweeted that Degrassi officially returns to TeenNick and MuchMusic on Friday, February 11th.  Here is a tentative look at the broadcast schedule for the rest of Season 10 if they go without anymore breaks:

2/11, 9pm:  When Love Takes Over, Pt. 1 AND 2
2/18, 9pm:  The Way We Get By, Pt. 1
2/25, 9pm:  The Way We Get By, Pt. 2
3/4, 9pm:  Jesus, Etc, Pt. 1
3/11, 9pm:  Jesus, Etc, Pt. 2
3/18: 9pm:  Hide and Seek, Pt. 1
3/25, 9pm:  Hide and Seek, Pt. 2
4/1, 9pm:  Chasing Pavements, Pt. 1
4/8, 9pm:  Chasing Pavements, Pt. 2
4/15, 9pm:  Drop The World, Pt. 1
4/22, 9pm:  Drop The World, Pt. 2

No movie this year…it’s not in the budget.  Sorry.

Despite being awkward to read at times (it was transcribed from an audio recording of a dinner interview, this is my favorite Degrassi interview ever.  Corey Mintz interviewed the Degrassi King and Queen, Stephen Stohn and Linda Schuyler.  It’s great because you rarely ever hear much from Linda, let alone get the chance to interview her and Stephen at the same time.  I’ll go over some of my favorite parts below, but:

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW.

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In the article, they talk about suicide and abortion.  Though I think a lot of us would like to see them take on a suicide storyline in this incarnation of Degrassi, they said that’s the one storyline they’ve actually had to shy away from.  They did it back during Degrassi High (Claude), but there was fallout from it.  And of course we know that if this episode aired in the U.S. there are groups that would go absolutely NUTS, claiming that kids are now going to go off to commit suicide because they saw some kid do it on Degrassi.

The most fascinating part of the article is about Manny’s abortion, and why TeenNick (back then The-N) didn’t want to air it:

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VELLEND:
What about abortion? I thought that would be, with the states, untouchable.

SCHUYLER:
That has been…

STOHN:
It’s so easy in Canada. People don’t blink an eye. And in the states, there was an episode that was never shown. They paid for it. Well, it was shown four years later. And now they show it. But they never advertise it.

MINTZ
And the US distributor just said, we’re not running it?

STOHN:
Yeah. They just didn’t run it. They paid us for it. But didn’t run it.

SCHUYLER
And it was very interesting. Because the very last shot, now we really tried to be even handed in our storytelling. Because it was the Manny character who was pregnant and wanting to go for the abortion.It was Emma who’s Spike’s child who was giving her the argument, if my mom had an abortion when she was your age, I wouldn’t be born. So we really tried to give a balanced argument. But at the end of the day, our character Manny, with her mom, went to the abortion clinic. And the final shot is her walking through the door, going to get the abortion.

STOHN
Resolute.

SCHUYLER
And she was determined. She had done the research. This was the right choice. Here she goes. And it’s very interesting. Because in the states they said, we could have shown that show, IF, at the very last shot, she showed remorse. She can’t be resolute. She has to be remorseful. If she was remorseful, we could show the shot.

MINTZ
So, if you cut to her crying … ?

SCHUYLER
Exactly. And we wouldn’t do that.

MINTZ
Really?

SCHUYLER
Absolutely not. What kind of message is that for young girls?

STOHN:
But even in Degrassi Junior High or High, when one of the twins had the abortion, PBS cut off the end of the show.
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That is INSANE to me that TeenNick would’ve agreed to show AWH had Manny been crying and shown remorse at the very end.  Kudos to Linda and Stephen for sticking to their guns. 

Oh yeah…and there’s of course the first official bit of SEASON 11 NEWS:

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Most people don’t believe us but we don’t know until we get in that room. We don’t have a plan. All we know is that halfway through season eleven, the current gang that are in twelfth grade are gonna graduate at the end of our twenty-four part telenovella. At that point we’ll bring in a whole bunch of ninth graders who will be new to the school.
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Another interesting thing is what they thought about Season 10.  You know how we’ve all gotten annoyed at one time or another with episodes that felt extremely rushed (aka a major story is wrapped up in 30 minutes instead of being drawn out over several episodes)?  Well it turns out the TV networks are the ones responsible for that.  The concept of a 48-episode season allowed Degrassi to break free from that.  There’s so much more awesome stuff in the interview, READ IT!

CTV just announced in a press release a tad bit of info about the new TV series Degrassi Executive Producers Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn have been talking about creating:

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For MuchMusic and CTV and from the internationally acclaimed and Gemini Award-winning Epitome Pictures producing team of Linda Schuyler and Stephen Stohn (DEGRASSI) comes the six-episode one-hour drama HIGHLAND GARDENS (working title). Executive Produced and written by Martin Gero (Bored to Death, Young People F*cking), HIGHLAND GARDENS follows the ins and outs of an apartment-style motel in LA which draws aspiring Canadian hopefuls looking for a place to rest their heads while they chase their Hollywood dreams. Production is scheduled to begin in Summer 2011.

“The production orders reinforces CTV’s priority in delivering critically acclaimed original programming with compelling storytelling to a wide Canadian audience,” said Susanne Boyce, President, Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc. “We look forward to working with the talented writers and producers behind these exciting new projects.”
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Linda and Stephen are currently in NYC, and Stephen said one of the reasons he’s there is to talk with TeenNick about potentially picking up the series.  There’s no word on whether any past or present members of the Degrassi cast and crew will be involved with this new series.