About
Degrassi Junior High is a Canadian CBC Television teen drama series that was produced from 1987-1989 as part of the Degrassi series. The show followed the lives of a group of students attending the titular fictional school. Many episodes tackled difficult topics such as drug use, child abuse, teenage pregnancy, homosexuality, homophobia, racism, and divorce, and the series was acclaimed for its sensitive and realistic portrayal of the challenges of teenage life. The cast comprised mainly non-professional actors, which added to the show's sense of realism. The series featured many of the same actors who had starred on The Kids of Degrassi Street a few years earlier, including Stacie Mistysyn, Neil Hope, Anais Granofsky, Sarah Charlesworth and others. However, their character names and family situations had been changed, so Degrassi Junior High cannot, therefore, be considered a direct spinoff. The legal counsel for all the episodes was Stephen Stohn who later became the executive producer of Degrassi: The Next Generation. The series was filmed at the unused Vincent Massey Public School in Etobicoke, Ontario.
Cast
Billy Parrott
as Shane McKay
Roger Montgomery
as Mr. Garcia
Cathy Keenan
as Liz O' Rourke
Stefan Brogren
as Archibald 'Snake' Simpson
Angela Deiseach
as Erica Farrell
Deborah Lobban
as Doris Bell
Irene Courakos
as Alexa Pappadopolos
Amanda Stepto
as Christine 'Spike' Nelson
Neil Hope
as Derek 'Wheels' Wheeler
Anais Granofsky
as Lucy Fernandez
Maureen Deiseach
as Heather Farrell
Amanda Cook
as Lorraine 'L.D.' Delacorte
Stacie Mistysyn
as Caitlin Ryan
Pat Mastroianni
as Joey Jeremiah
Rebecca Haines
as Kathleen Mead
Trevor Cummings
as Bartholomew Bond
Siluck Saysanasy
as Yick Yu
Duncan Waugh
as Arthur Kobalewscuy
Christopher Charlesworth
as Scooter Webster
Maureen McKay
as Michelle Accette
Episodes
Season 1
Kiss Me, Steph
Stephanie begins her first day of the eighth grade by ignoring her younger brother, Arthur, who is a year younger than her. Stephanie decides to run for student council president for the school year. After allowing a good portion of the school's male population to kiss her, she wins the election. She loses her best friend, Voula, by neglecting to thank her during her speech.
The Big Dance
Against her father's orders, Voula attends the school dance, but doesn't tell him she's going. Stephanie asks Wheels to be her date for the date, and he accepts. Before arriving, Stephanie, Heather and Erica go to Lucy's house and start drinking her parent's alcohol. By time they get to the dance, Stephanie is drunk. After a short time, she runs to the washroom, where she is sick. Voula is persuaded by everyone to give a speech for the school, that was supposed to have been given by Stephanie. Voula's father walks into the gym, and takes his daughter home.
The Experiment
Yick feels that Mr. Raditch gives him poor marks without even reading his work. Arthur suggests copying some of Stephanie's old assignments and submitting it as Yick's, too see if his marks improve. All is fine for the first little while, until Mr. Raditch discovers that Yick has been cheating. Melanie and Kathleen want to experiment with drugs and buy pills off of Joey, not knowing that they are actually vitamins. After overhearing what Joey has done, they both confront him and demand their money back.
The Cover-Up
Joey and Rick work together on a school assignment. While working at Rick's house, Joey discoveries that Rick's bruises aren't the results of school yard fights, but an abusive father. Joey confides in his mother, who contacts the school to let them know. Although angry at first, Rick is relieved when he gets to go live with his brother.
The Great Race
Melanie fears she is too flat chested for the school swim team. After constant complaining that her mother wont buy her a bra, L.D. takes Melanie to the department store. When she arrives at school, wearing her bra, she is the victim of much ridicule and teasing. At the big swim meet (girls team vs. the boys team), Joey makes a loud comment about Melanie's chest to the whole school, and L.D. tosses him into the pool.
Rumor Has It
Many of Ms. Avery's students think that she is a lesbian. Caitlin, who admires her teacher, defends these rumours and insists that her teacher isnt gay. After dreaming that her classmates think that she is also gay, Caitlin begins to act self-conscious at school. Caitlin confronts her teacher, who informs her student that she is not gay. After confiding that she has been questioning her own sexuality, Ms. Avery informs Caitlin that these dreams are perfectly normal and that everyone her age has them.
Best Laid Plans
Stephanie asks Wheels out on another date, and rumours start floating around the school that they will have sex on their date. Wheels unknowingly buys condoms at the drugstore where Stephanie's mother works. All pressure and plans are quickly ended, when Wheels arrives at Stephanie's house for their date, and Stephanie's mom recognizes him from the drugstore.
Nothing to Fear
L.D. is worried when her father is admitted to the hospital. She fears that after losing her mother to cancer, her father will die as well. She is afraid to see him in the hospital, as it may stir up memories of when her mother was stayed there. She is relieved when everything turns out ok, and her father returns home.
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