This isn’t really much of a “review,” it’s just random thoughts on the boxset and lack of extra content Degrassians receive in general nowadays. There used to be a time when I was excited to get my hands on the latest Degrassi dvd. Now, I just purchase them simply to add them to the collection. A few years ago I had renewed hope when Echo Bridge Entertainment initially took over dvd distribution, but even now the dvds are sliding back into the “nothing special” category.
This boxset follows the pattern of Season 10 Part 1 with its simplicity: it’s got the episodes, a couple of extras and that’s it. The extras are nothing to get excited over either…There’s commentary for the episodes Umbrella Pt. 1 and 2, and it also has the lame webisodes “Monster Moon,” “Love Is…” and “Unstoppable.”
With virtually no help from the extras to support just having the episodes, this Degrassi boxset personally ranks among the weakest the show’s ever had.
I’m assuming that Season 2 will forever reign as the best overall boxset of the series. Seasons 1 and 3 were solid as well, followed by Seasons 7 and 8 (the irony being that extras on those two boxsets raise the value of them even with me thinking those are two of the worst seasons of the show). Seasons 4-6 are in between because this is when extra content began suffering dropoff. Seasons 9 and 10 Pt. 1 are at the bottom of the barrel as well as 10 Pt. 2.
But in the end it’s really all subjective…I thought the second half of Season 10 was weak, but it’ll have more value to someone who loved it. Do I think the Season 10 Pt. 2 boxset is worth running out to get immediately? No. If you wait long enough, you can get it at almost half the price (suggested retail price is currently $20, but it’s being sold around $15/$16. After a while you’ll be able to get it around $10/$11 online).
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Now extra content in the Degrassi world feels like it’s been lacking for quite a while. I have no idea why when it comes to the dvds except for deleted scenes; the show rarely films extra scenes anymore. As far as bloopers, that’s all in the hands of Echo Bridge, who apparently didn’t add them to the 10 Pt. 2 dvd even though Stephen Stohn says Epitome sent them a blooper reel.
But nowawadays even the networks don’t really bother with extra content anymore…this kind of thing works wonders at bridging the gap between episodes (outside of the summer telenovela block). The DegrassiCS and Degrassi Writers tumblrs post exclusive content, but it’s sporadic. The only thing that produces consistent extra content seems to be the Degrassi mobile game.
I guess I just miss the days when it felt like there was at least *something* happening in the Degrassi world, even when episodes weren’t airing. And I’m sorry, but I don’t care if a cast member tweets about how they’re going on vacay this weekend or eating an awesome sandwich…I don’t really have much interest when they’re not on set. We’ve reached a point where when Degrassi’s on tv, we are hammered with stuff 24/7…then the moment the block of episodes is done it’s as if the Degrassi universe transforms into a complete wasteland, and I’ve gotta spend my time coming up with lame posts like this one. Blah.
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Kary's Degrassi Blog 
“lame webisodes “Monster Moon,” “Love Is…” and “Unstoppable.”-Disagree! I like the webisodes! :)
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So, I have a question for you guys that I haven’t really been able to find confirmation for elsewhere: Is it true that the American DVDs are double-sided while the Canadian DVDs are single-sided? This question applies to both volumes of Season 10.
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Season 10 Part 1 is double sided, but Part 2 isn’t
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And these are both the American releases?
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Yep
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I totally agree with you. With every viewer having access to a computer these days, there’s no reason why they can’t do do weekly videos on the TN or MM website that includes behind the scenes footage (lets explore the sets!), cast interviews, bloopers, deleted scenes and even a bare-bones minisode. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy.
if you want to keep viewers engaged and hyped for the next block of episodes, you need to keep them interested at all times. It virtually costs them nothing to give a cast member a camera to walk around the set one day, do some quick editing (or not), hold that over until the break and post it online. As someone who works in marketing/advertising, it makes absolutely no sense why they can’t utilize their website to actively engage viewers. Sure, they’ll throw in an ad or 2 every so often, but that’s what pays the bills at the end of the day. We’ve all learned to deal with a 30 second pre-roll video before the content loads.
They must film so many extras scenes that get dropped on the cutting room floor, it’s a shame they refuse to use this to their advantage.
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PREACH! XD
It seriously would take like -5 cents for them to say ” Hey (insert cast member’s
name) you wanna record a little bit about your typical day or a tour of your house?”
Like they used to do those little Degrassi interviews for the cast members and their homes and just little random little things like that. They could even do some low budget minis like, “What if Eli was Clare and Clare was Eli” or even the what if plots like “What if KC got Clare pregnant?”.
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Are there any deleted scenes?
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No. :-/
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That kind of sucks
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ive been waiting for this just for the BLOOPERS! and no bloopers…:( wat a load of crap degrassi, can i wouldnt mind watching wat if clare was eli and eli was clare…..
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Kinda random question Kary, but I’m so curious as to what other shows you watch.
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How did you get season 10 part two already???
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Sounds like buying the DVD’s is a waste of time.
They really can’t do anything else with the actors of Degrassi? I mean no offense, but a majority of the actors SUCK which is why they never get jobs on other shows. They can’t take a few days and interview these people or do some fun segments?
DUMB DUMB DUMB
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Hey, guys! I thought you’d like to know that Stephen Stohn tweeted something in Spanish which translates into this: “We are thinking of developing a reunion special” This is regarding the generation of Toby, Sean, Spinner, Jimmy, Craig, Marco, Jay, Damien, Emma, Manny, Liberty, Paige, Ashley, Terri, Hazel, Ellie and Alex.
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link or it never happened
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It’s there if you look through the pages of the following people.
@karen_cuello
@jcruz_lopez
@stephenstohn
There is a short convo between jcruz and Stephen on the 19th, and the between Karen and Stephen on the 21st after she RT’d both JCrus’s and Stephen’s tweets from the 19th.
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Oh and btw he doesn’t mention the whole cast. The DeGrassi fan who tweeted him mentions Manny & Craig, and i think Stephen’s tweet was more of a general sense of a reunion of the TNG cast. Probably not the whole cast but a story based on them kind of thing.
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I cant wait to meet the new niners Tori,Maya,Tristan and Zig.
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@Kaz, shut up. It’s called scroll through his Twitter. It definitely did happen.
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TO KARY!
I Know That Season 11I Dvd Isnt Comming Out Any Time Soon, But Like Around What Month Do You Think It Will Be Out?
And That Rumor About Craig Comming Back?? What If They Changed Alex Steele’s Character Back To Angela Jeramiah? You Know Same Story Line & Everything But They Just Changed The Name? Might Be Possible? Lol
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This is why I just record the episodes off my dvr to a dvd.
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Hey Kary I just wanted to leave you a message because I love your blog. I am 25 so I have literally been watchign Degrassi from the beginning…15 yrs now! It wasnt until recently that I realized there was this whole following…its a lil intense but its good to knwo there are others out there! haha I live in the US so most of the time people do not even know what I am talking about when I say Degrassi! But before I ramble…long story short…i love you blog, I think you have awesome opinions and insight into the show as a whole! Its def not what it used to be and maybe the fans have done that to it but who knows! just wanted to drop a lil love!
S
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Thank you so much!! :D
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I agree with the cast part. I’m only interested when they post degrassi related news
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While watching season ten part I have felt certain scenes were missing from some episodes because I kept thinking to myself why didn’t they show that when they talked about somethin and the episode where Alis friend smokes and Ali gets caught , on tv the scene is showed where Ali gets Caught but not on the DVD , why r scenes missing , did u realize this or is it just me ? :(
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