Customer Reviews

Degrassi Junior High - Season 1

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Degrassi Junior High was the ground breaking series that aired in the late 80's on PBS. This series featured teens that real teens could identify with. These teens dealt with real life issues like sex, dating, teen pregnancy, parental abuse, divorce, shoplifting and other serious issues were addressed in a realitic manner. This groundbreaking series has never appeared on DVD until now.

All of the kids on the show were memorable characters. There was Steph, the popular girl who had her fair share of problems. There was Voula, the girl with the strict parents who wanted so badly to just fit in. Wheels has to deal with the fact that he was adopted and Lucy seems to have it all but her parents aren't there for her when she needs them. Joey, was a popular kid who was dedicated to his band. Kathleen is the quirky girl with a big crush on Snake. L.D. is the tomboy and Caitlen is a little on the prissy and proper side. These kids were so regular this could have been any junior high in the world.

One of the most memorable storylines on the show was the relationship between Spike and Shane. These opposites attracted and as season 1 comes to a close Spike has to deal with the fact that her period is late and she may be pregnant. This story line carries on throughout the seasons. Most of the Degrassi story lines weren't completly solved in the half hour format. Each characters story was well developed and viewers wanted to keep watching. One such storyline was of Wheels and the fact that he was adopted. This storyline was very important to the series, and in one episode during season 1, Wheels comes face to face with his birth father-who also happens to be a musician.

Season 1 of Degrassi Junior High arrives on three discs. Each disc is enclosed in it's own protective case. Season 1 includes 13 episodes.

If you are a teen, you will enjoy taking a trip back in time to the 80's and watching how teens back then dealt with many of the issues that you may be facing today.

If you are a parent or an educator now is your chance to get this groundbreaking television series on DVD. Priced much more reasonably than the VHS sets, this is an affordable collection that will be a great addition to your classroom. The picture quality is awesome and these episodes look and sound better than ever.

Degrassi Junior High was spawned from the Canadian series The Kids of Degrassi Street. When Degrassi Junior High ended, Degrassi High began it's run. Degrassi is still growing strong with the popular series Degrassi-The Next Generation.

The DVD also includes segments from the "Degrassi Talks" series. The "Degrassi Talks" segments seem quited dated in comparison to the series. The "Degrassi Talks" educational segments which include commentary from the shows actors and regular teens touch on subjects addressed in the show like drugs and sexuality. I love this set and can't wait for future releases.

Everyone's favourite angst-ridden teens finally come to DVD in DEGRASSI JUNIOR HIGH.

All 13 episodes of the groundbreaking first season are featured in this set. The series was a bold spinoff from the short-lived afterschool series THE KIDS OF DEGRASSI STREET, and was groundbreaking in that it approached topics like peer pressure, teen violence, suicide, sex and pregnancy with well-written and intelligent storylines. This series remains, 15 years later, quality television for the pre-teens and teens sets (adults will appreciate the writing and amazing acting from the talented cast), and stands up well to repeat screenings.

Season One introduces some of the most-loved characters like Caitlin (Stacie Mistysyn), Yick (Siluck Saysanasy), Wheels (Neil Hope), Melanie (Sara Ballingall), Joey Jeremiah (Pat Mastroianni), Spike (Amanda Stepto), Stephanie Kaye (Nicole Stoffman) and Snake (Stefan Brogren).

Episodes included:

"Kiss Me Steph" - Stephanie Kaye decides to use her newfound popularity to run for School President, personally ensuring every male vote of the school, and using her brainy best friend Voula (Niki Kemeny) to run the campaign.

"The Big Dance" - It's time for the annual Fall Dance, but Voula's father has forbidden her to attend. Stephanie gets drunk at Lucy's house and barely makes it to the event.

"The Experiment" - Yick and Arthur (Duncan Waugh) try out for the basketball team, and Joey gets Kathleen (Rebecca Haines) and Megan into trouble when he sells them some `vitamins'.

"The Cover-Up" - Joey discovers that Rick (Craig Driscoll) gets beaten up by his father.

"The Great Race" - Melanie bemoans the fact that she's flat-chested and joins LD (Amanda Cook) in some bra-shopping. The girls challenge the boys to a swimming competition.

"Rumor Has It" - Kathleen starts spreading the vicious lie that Miss Avery (Michelle Goodeve) is a lesbian, and Caitlin considers her own sexual orientation.

"The Best Laid Plans" - Wheels musters up the courage to accompany Stephanie on a date...but will they or won't they?...

"Nothing to Fear" - LD's life turns upside down when her father has to go to hospital, stirring up a lot of old memories about her mother's death.

"What a Night" - Voula discovers why Lucy's (Anais Granofsky) wardrobe is so stylish. When the two are arrested shoplifting, Voula's relationship with her father becomes even more strained.

"Smokescreen" - Rick starts taking an interest in the school environmental group, and Caitlin decides to take him under her wing.

"It's Late!" - Spike's period is late, following a night of recklessness with Shane (Bill Parrott).

"Parents' Night" - Wheels must confront a lot of old demons when his birth father shows up virtually out of the blue.

"Revolution" - In order to get Wheels' attention, Stephanie appoints Joey as the new Sports Rep., despite the fact that he's completely wrong for the job (it's a 7th grade post and Yick's dream job). The 7th grade starts a revolt on Miss Stephanie Kaye...which may end in her downfall as School President. This episode also marked the official debut of The Zit Remedy, Degrassi's legendary rock band sensation!

For it's legion of 80s' fans who used to race home from school every afternoon for their daily dose of DEGRASSI drama, knowing the series is now on DVD is a dream come true.

Wow, I wasn't even born when this show came out but it's absolutely hysterical! I'm a huge fan of Degrassi the next generation as I've been watching it since it's first appearence on the-n. But when you watch the original degrassi junior high, it's so much different. I love how "broomhead" is the word that was used as an insult! Hah, this show is so old-school, definetely a show to buy if you're a fan of degrassi the next generation, you'll love this even better.

I just started watching Degrassi The New Generation and loved it. So when I found out that the show was actually a continuation of what had happened when some of the stars and characters were youngerin Degrassi Junior High I was anxious to see it. I find that Junior High is just as interesting and exciting as I had thought. It tells of the events of kids in junior high but is done in such a way that good lessons are learned.

Where oh where to begin! When "Degrassi Junior High" first came out in the late 80s, I was about 11 and loved it for the fact that the actors were real kids. Add that to the fact that the budget for this show had to be miniscule at best--it was truly a guilty pleasure. However, the show *did* portray everyday tween/teenager problems in a realistic, if sometimes heavy-handed, way. And even though at times the viewer feels like they're watching something from a movie that "Mystery Science Theater 3000" would be lampooning, the messages of "Degrassi Junior High" resonate much, much more than nearly any other high school-set series ("Feaks and Geeks" is at the top of that list).

Clearly ahead of its time in trying to reach a young crowd with issues ranging from sexuality, child abuse, and teen pregnancy, "Degrassi Junior High" definitely contains realistic and believable situations. The DVD set comes with teaching supplements that would be helpful for any jr.high/hs teachers that are thinking of showing episodes in class. I give this series an A+ for having its heart in the right place and not talking down to its audience.

Now--the REAL reason I enjoyed this DVD is because...man...it is SO late 80s/early 90s. ESPECIALLY, the feature "Degassi Talks..." which features the cast members as themselves travelling around Canada and asking people on the street about drugs, sex, and sexuality. I could listen to the Stacy Mistyrn-penned theme song all day long ("Degrassi talks...Degrassi listens..."). Also a blast to watch are just the clothes, the endless abOOts, the haircuts, and the lamest teacher or all time -- Mr. Raditch.

So, you can't go wrong with this DVD. You'll appreciate its honest portrayal of 12-15 year olds, but find much to laugh at in terms of the production values and overall 80s nostalgia. The first season of "Degrassi Jr. High" is like watching a train that you know is going to crash, but every now and then, it passes through some beautiful scenery.

Ahhh, my childhood would have never been the same without being able to come home from school to this classic teen drama. What made it so good? Well the issues it dealt with seemed real and not sensationalized mixed in with reoccurring characters who all gave a generally believable performances. It's great to be reacquainted with all the characters and story-lines again. However, in the first season of a show time is usually spent working out the kinks of how the show will flow and who the centre of focus is. This is no exception here as some of the subplots involving Arthur and Yick are very "Kids Of Degrassi" but the dark undertones are still in the series particularly the biggest major turning point in the series; Spike's pregnancy.
It's a shame they don't show this on television anymore, so few shows today exude a sense of genuine concern for its characters as Degrassi did.

I'll never forget how in the late '80s, I would end each day with a snack in front of the TV, while taking in another episode of the educational, teenage soap opera, "Degrassi Junior High" on PBS. The show's school bell would ring and that endlessly addictive pop theme song would begin, meaning the start of another great show. Each episode would look at a single problem or issue, that confronted teenagers in our modern society. This included discussions about a variety of topics such as dating, child abuse, drugs, women's rights, teen sex, homosexuality, adoption, teen pregnancy and even the ability to just fit in. The show took place in a fictional, Canadian Junior High and showed kids from all walks of life, ethnicity and social groups. Each episode would feature an issue, while weaving together in a soap opera-ish style, the interests, problems and relationships of the large cast. Just some of the popular characters included the underachieving & sneaky, Joey Jeramiah (Pat Mastroianni), the sexually assertive school President, Stephanie (Nicole Stoffman) her nerdy little brother, Arthur (Duncan Waugh), the caring and concerned, Caitlin (Stacie Mistysin), tough guy, Rick (Craig Driscoll) rock guitarist, Snake (Stephan Brogan) and his friend and fellow bass player, Wheels (Neil Hope). The adults in their world included two teachers, the strict and rather condesending, Mr. Raditch (Dan Williams) and the always caring, dream of a teacher, Ms. Avery (Michelle Goodeve). In the first season we are just being introduced to the many characters, episode by episode. Interesting story arcs include Stephanie becoming school President, Wheels coming to terms with adoption and meeting his biological father and most importantly, Spike finding out, that she has become pregnant. The show is far from perfect. Some of the plots strayed into "ABC After School Special" territory and some of dialogue didn't exactly sound realistic to the way teenagers actually talk. Also, some of the kids are a little shakey in their acting skills, sounding like they were giving stilted line readings from a 'Charlie Brown' cartoon. But this would all greatly improve in later seasons. The thing about this show is that it's both endlessly addictive and entertaining as each plot and story arc progresses. It's sort of like eating potatoe chips ... you can't just eat one. Viewing one episode, leads to the need to see the next one. This is an excellent show, that I would recommend to both teenagers and adults alike!

Okay, I used to watch Degrassi High on TV - it was one of my favourite shows, so when I heard that this was out with captions, I went ahead and bought it.

However, when I watched it, even though there was a captions option displayed in the screen menu, I was unable to activate it and when I tried to turn the captions on with the TV remote as instructed, there were NO captions at all. Disgraceful!

Closed Captions (CC) means that you get English captions that can be turned on and off. Why can't DVD companies understand that? This is now the 12th time that I have had to return something because of this problem. All I know is that I am sick of wasting my money on products that don't fulfill their promises.

When I received my box set, I found out that the "printable materials for educators" was not really available. I was very disappointed since this is why I purchased them in the first place.

This show is pure goodness, and the writing is awesome. It is the kind of show that has things you dont notice until the 2nd or 10th time you watch it! Screw shows like 902010 and them, THIS is school! Many of the characters are very reminiscent of kids I went to school with (I was in junior high in the mid 90s, this was in the late 80s), especially characters like Stephanie Kaye(the stuck up girl who dressed like a whore), her younger brother Arthur Kobawalski, Spike, and course the infamous Zit Remedy (Joey, Snake, and Wheels). Melanie is awesome as well! They actually showed this Canadian show on PBS down here in the States from like 91-95, they showed the High School ones as well. I love it and I believe it is HIGHLY under-rated! The best episodes in this season are, in my opinion, "The Experiment", "The Cover Up", "The Great Race", and the famous "It's Late" episode. Special mention to "The Best Laid Plans" for a great title, story, and BADASS 80's music! Get this and you will warp back to the late 80s! I recommend any season of Degrassi Junior High or Degrassi High. There is a new generation out nowadays but I dont find it nearly as interesting, it is too polished and high budget, one of the great things about the original was the low budget feel to it! RECOMMENDED!