It looks like MuchMusic is already working on its plans for Degrassi this summer…as they prepare to rack up ad clients who want in on the ratings boost Degrassi’s telenovela block will generate, Much has currently set the timeline for Degrassi Season 12 to premiere on Monday, July 9th:

As you can see the 2012 telenovela will only be 20 episodes over the course of 5 weeks, instead of the 29 eps/7 weeks we had last year.  A shorter summer block that starts a couple of weeks earlier than usual is a VERY good thing…from the end of Now or Never until February 24th of this year, you might as well say it’s a 6-month hiatus that we’re going to have suffered through (even with Nowhere To Run, which came and left in the blink of an eye).

This schedule makes it look like they’re going to bring back the fall block of episodes, which will probably start in October.  THANK GOD.  The breaks in between blocks shouldn’t feel as brutal if that’s the case.

It turns out that I accurately broke the news about Degrassi 11.5 return date to Much almost two months before anyone with official power actually confirmed it, but I’m still airing on the side of caution with this since Season 12 is still five months away.  Many things could change between now and then, so treat this info as tentative.  Besides, it’s way too early for me to get excited over anything related to Season 12 since we haven’t even started 11.5 yet.

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I only have two thoughts about this promo:

1) We should start a Degrassi Promo Drinking Game…take a drink every time they show a clip from the Tori/Maya fight scene. By the time we see it in an actual episode it’ll be boring, so might as well make something fun out of it.

2) A gay guy on Degrassi with balls from the get go (Tristan)? Me gusta.

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TeenNick has been revealing a lot of info this evening about the Degrassi Viewing Parties. It was announced that DC is the official city for the 5th viewing party!! Below are the dates for the viewing parties:

Feb 13, 6pm – 8pm: Universal Studios Hollywood CityWalk—Universal City California
Cast Members Attending: Munro Chambers, Annie Clark, Alex Steele, Jordan Todosey

**SOLD OUT** Feb 15, 6pm – 8pm: The State Theater — Washington, DC **SOLD OUT**
Cast Members Attending: Munro Chambers, Annie Clark, Alex Steele, Jordan Todosey

Feb 15, 5pm – 8:30pm: Mall of America—Bloomington, Minnesota
Cast Members Attending: Luke Bilyk, Aislinn Paul, Melinda Shankar, Jahmil French
Location: The Rotunda (the large open space on the far east side of the mall, right in front of Barnes and Noble)
Special Notes: They will begin giving out wristbands at 3pm. There are no RSVP passes.  The first 400 people in line will receive wristbands, which give them access to the Degrassi event. Meet & Greet/Autographs will take place from 5pm-7:30pm.  Episode screening will begin at 7:30pm, followed by the Q&A session.

 **SOLD OUT** Feb 16, 6pm – 8pm: Harris Theater, Millennium Park —Chicago, Illinois **SOLD OUT**
Cast Members Attending: Luke Bilyk, Aislinn Paul, Melinda Shankar, Jahmil French

**SOLD OUT** Feb 18, 3pm – 5pm: Wellmont Theater—Montclair, New Jersey **SOLD OUT**
Cast Members Attending: Luke Bilyk, Aislinn Paul, Melinda Shankar, Jahmil French, Munro Chambers, Annie Clark, Alex Steele, Jordan Todosey

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HOW TO GET TICKETS

If you plan on going to one of these events, it is absolutely imperative that you RSVP QUICKLY to get your tickets. They are FREE, but they are on a first come, first served basis…so if you wait around you will be out of luck. HERE IS THE LINK TO WHERE YOU RSVP FOR TICKETS: http://www.gofobo.com/rsvp/landing/5027751

If you don’t have a gofobo account, sign up for one, then RSVP for your event. Once you do you’ll have access to a ticket that you have to print out and take with you to the viewing party. They WILL NOT let you into the event without a ticket!!! Currently you can only RSVP for the event in California and Washington DC…The NY/NJ, Chicago and Washington DC screenings are officially sold out. There are no RSVP passes for the Minnesota screening, all know need to do is be one of the first 400 people in line when they begin giving out wristband.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACTUAL VIEWING PARTIES

The viewing parties are very simple: You’re gonna get to watch the premiere of Degrassi 11.5 before anyone else!!!! Then afterward, there will be a Q&A session with the cast. One piece of advice: GET THERE AS EARLY AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. Just like the tickets, seating at the event is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Just because you have a ticket, it doesn’t mean you’re gonna get in. Like what gofobo does with free movie screenings, they’re giving out more passes than there are actual seats in order to make sure the event is filled to capacity. So if you decide show up like 30 minutes before it starts and there’s a long ass line, don’t be surprised if they turn you away. Get there super early in the day, and you may be able to snag a seat right up front…better safe than sorry!

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EVENT RULES

Below is a sample of what your ticket should look like. When you present it at the door they’ll scan it. Don’t bother trying to copy my ticket and pass it off as yours because I canceled my RSVP and it’s now void:

You have to have a ticket in order to get in….no excuses (unless you’re with the press).

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TeenNick has finally specified the rules about cameras/smartphones and says you are allowed to bring them (so disregard the camera rules on the ticket). I assume they’ll still be strict on piracy while you’re watching the actual episode…if not, then I guess that means they’re ok with you recording the full episode then posting it online for the rest of us to see before it airs on tv.  Someone was asking if the cast will have a place set up where they’ll be taking pictures with fans…I’m not sure. Now that the camera rules have been clarified it’s sounds possible!

Below are the guidelines for the Minneapolis screening (click on the image to see a larger version):

Degrassi fans…if you get #DegrassiFeb24 trending before 6ET, we'll give you our 30-sec promo for the upcoming season. Challenge accepted?—
MuchMusic Official (@MuchMusic) January 27, 2012

and then we were like

and then about 15 minutes later…

and so Much delivered on their promise of a new promo:

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Much’s promos are still so much better than TeenNick’s at creating excitement for me.

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Anyway, here’s the most recent Degrassi news to float around Degrassi land:

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Degrassi Nominated for GLAAD Media Award

http://www.glaad.org/mediaawards – Degrassi’s been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for the second straight year.  I’m not sure how much of a chance they have to win, but I’m GLAAD (pun intended) that the LGBT community is giving Degrassi recognition.

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Linda Schuyler to be appointed to the Order of Ontario

http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120120/012012_Order_ontario/20120120/?hub=CP24Home – It’s the most prestigious honor anyone can receive in Ontario, and Linda’s got it now!! I’m just going to dub her Queen of Ontario.  Stephen Stohn is the face/voice of the franchise today, but never forget Linda is the brains behind Degrassi.

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Sam Earle and Spencer Van Wyck Quit Twitter

If anyone cares, Sam and Spencer deleted their twitters….temporarily:

there is one upside to sam earle temporarily leaving twitter no more flirting with @kalieshorrmusic and @lawrasaur—
Jenna Middleton (@SonggBirdJM) January 22, 2012

No one knows when they’ll be back. Part of me wishes the rest of the cast would follow suit…fans would lose their minds and hopefully stop taking the cast for granted.

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Interview Ricardo Hoyos This Wednesday

http://www.muchmusic.com/tv/degrassi/blog/interview-new-degrassi-cast-member-ricardo-hoyos/ – You can submit questions to MuchMusic which they will be asking newcomer Ricardo on Wednesday via twitter.  I’m not really sure why we need to submit questions…if I wanna know something about Ricardo, I just ask him myself:

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Below are some of the more interesting screenshots, excluding the stuff we’ve already seen (Cake sex, Katie popping pills):

ElFimogen looks to be a giant circle of drama, which I'm kinda excited to see because all three characters can pull off drama pretty darn well.

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Gotta love how there's immediate tension between the new niners, who are split off into two groups: Tori/Tristan and Maya/Zig.

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EClare fans just don't know what to do with themselves seeing as how Imogeli looks imminent.

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Welcome back Connor! He goes from panty stealing to athlete. I wonder if he'll be like he was on the basketball team (being an assistant), or be someone with hidden talent that gets to play.

Underneath It All Part 1 & 2
It’s a new year at Degrassi, and Fiona’s ready for a fresh start. When an exclusive party at her loft leads to a late-night senior prank, who will take the blame? Now that Clare and Jake are living together, their relationship is hotter than ever. Clare tests Jake to determine if they’re “emotionally ready” for sex. Meanwhile, a new crop of niners get their first taste of Degrassi drama! Katie’s little sister, Maya, meets a cute boy on the first day of school, but Tori and Tristan warn her that Zig is bad news.

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Well this is…………..strange.  But this shall be a blog post with a TON of information.

It has been announced today that TeenNick will premiere Degrassi on Monday, February 20th, at 9pm EST!!!! Before I get into that, here are some pics from the new episodes:

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According to E!Online, TeenNick is going to be airing “Underneath It All Pt. 1″ on that Monday the 20th, and then they will continue to air Degrassi episodes every Friday. MuchMusic will premiere Underneath It All with a ONE-HOUR premiere on Friday, February 24th.

They’re also FINALLY going to be having cast viewing parties here in the U.S.!! And of course they’re only going to be in major cities: NY, L.A. Chicago and Minneapolis, but you can click here for more information about that.

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NINER CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

Tori (Steele): While Tori may be spoiled thanks to her  parents indulging her every whim (dance lessons, modeling, beauty pageants, you  name it),  she’s definitely not a brat. Her positive attitude and bright  smile are infectious and she enters Degrassi believing she’s the best at  everything. Unfortunately, Tori is a bit sheltered and realizes she’s a bit  unhip compared to the students. Like former niner Alli (Melinda  Shankar), Tori is ready to rule Degrassi.

Zig (Ricardo Hoyos): Handsome, charming and aloof, Zig is  the freshman class’very own bad boy who is full of swagger. He flirts with  girls, pulls pranks, gets detention and basically treats Degrassi High like his  playground because his homelife is anything but fun.

Maya (Olivia Scriven): Katie (Chloe Rose)  has a younger sister, y’all! Maya, who has been living in Katie’s accomplished  shadow her entire life, is ready to carve out an identity of her own when she  comes to Degrassi. While Katie is in to karate and journalism, Maya loves music  and, like so many students before her, she decides to start her own rock band.  Unafraid to speak her mind and not interested in gaining popularity, this  freshman often finds herself in detention.

Tristan (Lyle O’Donohoe): Guess what? Owen (Daniel  Kelly) has a younger brother! Tristan is out and proud and has his eyes  set on running the school. Seriously, he wants it all: school musicals, dance  committees and top of the Power Squad pyramid. Fiercely loyal, Tristan is a good  friend to have.

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EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS

Thanks to Kyle from CableTVTalk for getting info about ep descriptions (which I’m assuming are from Much’s schedule)

1132/1133 – Underneath It All
It’s a new year at Degrassi, and Fiona’s ready for a fresh start. When an exclusive party at her loft leads to a late-night senior prank, who will take the blame? Now that Clare and Jake are living together, their relationship is hotter than ever. Clare tests Jake to determine if they’re “emotionally ready” for sex. Meanwhile, a new crop of niners get their first taste of Degrassi drama! Katie’s little sister, Maya, meets a cute boy on the first day of school, but Tori and Tristan warn her that Zig is bad news.

1134 – Can’t Tell Me Nothing, Part 1
Katie injures her knee at tryouts for the National Soccer Team. Desperate to make the team, she searches for a quick fix that will allow her to play through the pain. Jenna tries get her happy-go-lucky attitude back by picking up her guitar, but after everything she’s been through, her old songs sound all wrong. Jake encourages her to write something new. When Tori ditches Tristan to hang out with Zig, Tris is hurt. He’ll say anything to get his best friend back, but will he break her heart in the process?

1135 – Can’t Tell Me Nothing, Part 2
When Katie steals her mom’s pain medication, she feels like she can do anything, even play soccer on an injured knee. Making the National Soccer Team matters more to her than anything else, so she pushes her body to the limit. As Jenna prepares to perform at the Degrassi Coffeehouse, Jake warns her that K.C. might not like her new song. K.C. overhears and decides to give Jenna a taste of her own medicine. Tori, Tristan, and Zig try to work together on a musical act, but it falls apart when they can’t see eye to eye.

1136 – Not Ready to Make Nice, Part 1
On Jake’s birthday, he invites his “new girl” over for dinner. Clare loses her temper at the table and decides she can’t share a house with Jake anymore. The new plan: moving in with dad… if he agrees. When Connor and Mo compete for a spot on the football team, Connor has a hard time fitting in with the guys. Fiona realizes she’s developing a crush on Imogen when they work together on a school project. Instead of confessing her feelings, she distracts herself by playing matchmaker for her friends.

1137 – Not Ready to Make Nice, Part 2
Clare feels like everyone in her life has rejected her — everyone except her new friend Summer, who still wants her to move in. Summer’s easygoing attitude seems like exactly what Clare needs, but is this new living situation too good to be true? Jake decides to do a little investigating. Meanwhile, Fiona arranges a surprise date for Eli and Imogen at her loft, but the set-up is a disaster. Connor is sick of Mo’s constant teasing during football practice, so he sets him up on a date with an imaginary girl.

1138 – Need You Now, Part 1
Eli feels like his bi-polar disorder is under control, but Bullfrog disagrees, and doesn’t think Eli should be dating. When Imogen shows Eli her senior art project — a mural about mental illness, featuring his portrait — he lashes out and accidentally breaks her camera. Ty’s adoptive parents invite K.C. and Jenna to the christening, and K.C. decides he wants a bigger role in his son’s life. Tori does a great job at power squad tryouts, but Marisol thinks niners are unreliable. Can Tori prove her wrong?

1139 – Need You Now, Part 2
Eli catches Imogen in a lie and thinks she must be cheating on him. Adam’s advice is to play it cool, but Eli is obsessed with finding out the truth. Will spying on Imogen ease his worries — or ruin their new relationship? K.C. has trouble coping with the fact that Ty has a new name, and a new life that doesn’t involve him. When Marisol makes Tori wear the mascot costume around school at lunch, roaring to raise money for the power squad, she turns to Zig for emotional support.

1140 – Smash Into You, Part 1
Desperate to get Alli back, Dave signs up to help her organize the Model UN. His summer fling, Jacinta, has been texting him nonstop, so he cuts off all communication with her. It looks like things might work out with Alli — until Jacinta shows up at Degrassi. Since Katie’s in the hospital for her knee surgery, Marisol is stuck with Mo as a partner for Model UN, and they drive each other crazy. Adam receives a note from a secret admirer and assumes it’s a prank… but what if it’s not?

1141 – Smash Into You, Part 2
At Model UN, Jacinta tries to explain to Dave how much she likes him. When he tells her the summer was a mistake, she is an emotional wreck. She steals Dave’s phone, and sends Alli a break-up text. Crying and upset, she runs into the street with the phone. Meanwhile, Marisol thinks Mo is developing a crush on her, and she wants to put a stop to it. Clare helps Adam prepare for his date, but when he meets his secret admirer, he’s mortified.

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Above is the most recent Degrassi pic floating around the internet….Maya Matlin character pic.

There isn’t much Degrassi news…Stephen Stohn is supposed to be announcing the “official” official premiere date for the new episodes before the end of this week….I’d be surprised if it’s anything other than February 24th since no new info has popped up since we discovered that info.

The Degrassi Game has been delayed again, and **might** be released at the end of this week as well….I’m not holding my breath though. Until then I’ll just continue playing through the first four episodes and make edits to my character’s commentary:

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BEYOND DEGRASSI

DJGENERAL from DegrassiPodcasts did another interview with Stephen Stohn the other day, where he talked about Degrassi and The L.A. Complex.  I love Stephen Stohn interviews…he just talks and talks and gives us a better look at the behind the scenes stuff than cast members ever could.

PART 1:

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PART 2:

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If you follow the cast on twitter, you’ll see a majority of them talking about how they’re going to auditions, etc.  A lot of them do other things, and including Cristine Prosperi who’s in a new series called Totally Amp’d. It’s about a group of teens who are brought together to try and be a superstar pop group.  In my head I say this is what Imogen was doing before she came to Degrassi.  IMOGEN, I DON’T RECOGNIZE YOU WITHOUT YOUR GLASSES (the first ep is below):

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Well…..after lots of talk, the premiere of The L.A. Complex was last night.  Did it live up to the hype?

Honesty, I thought it was pretty good. It’s always a good sign when an hour-long episode of a show flies by because it’s got you engaged.  I immediately like Abby (Cassie Steele), Raquel (Jewel Staite) and Tariq (Benjamin Watson).  The rest (aka the hot blonde, and the two white guys in the pic above) I could care less about at the moment.  Only time will tell if this is a good series…I’ll write a review for it sometime before next week’s episode and I’m also following the show over at my other blog, http://lacomplex.net/.

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