Lauren Collins, Daniel Clark and More ‘Degrassi’ Alums React to HBO Max Reboot News: ‘It’s Official’
usmagazine.comDegrassi Community School lives on. HBO Max is bringing back the beloved teen drama for its sixth iteration — and the OG stars are wasting no time weighing in.The streaming service announced on Thursday, January 13, that Lara Azzopardi and Julia Cohen will executive produce and run the new Degrassi series.“What excites us maybe the most about reviving this beloved franchise is turning it into a truly serialized one-hour drama,” Azzopardi and Cohen, who previously teamed up to write a season 8 episode of Degrassi in 2009, said in a statement. “We’re honored to be given the opportunity to lead this evolution and bring this iconic series back into people’s homes.”The franchise was born with The Kids of Degrassi Street in 1979.
After Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High aired in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, the series returned in 2001 with Degrassi: The Next Generation, following on Degrassi Junior High character Spike’s (Amanda Stepto) daughter, Emma Nelson (Miriam McDonald).After 10 seasons, Degrassi: The Next Generation — which launched the careers of Drake, Shenae Grimes, Nina Dobrev and more — aired under the name Degrassi until season 14 aired in 2015.
In 2016, Netflix picked up Degrassi: Next Class. The fifth version of the teen drama had four 10-episode seasons.“Now in its fourth decade, Degrassi is one of those beloved evergreen properties that demands to be refreshed for each new generation,” WildBrain president Josh Scherba said on Thursday. “Stephanie Betts, our Chief Content Officer, along with showrunners, Lara Azzopardi and Julia Cohen, have envisioned an evolution for Degrassi that, while staying true to the fundamental honesty, humanity and integrity of the brand, promises fans a journey into exciting new
