Country of origin Canada | No. of episodes 23 | |
Original network CTV (Canada: 1-14)
MuchMusic (Canada: 15-23)
TeenNick (United States) Original release October 4, 2009 (2009-10-04) – July 16, 2010 (2010-07-16) | ||
The ninth season of Degrassi: The Next Generation premiered in Canada on October 4, 2009, concluded on July 16, 2010, and consists of twenty-three episodes (19 episodes, and 1 movie). Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian serial teen drama television series. Although only one school year passed in the story timeline since season six, season nine is set in the second semester in which the years it aired. Writers have been able to use a semi-floating timeline, so that the issues depicted are modern for their viewers. This season continues to depict the lives of a group of high school freshman, juniors and seniors, along with some college age students as they deal with some of the challenges and issues that young adults face such as drug abuse, sexting, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual identity, homosexuality, crime, sex, and relationships.
Contents
Production for the season began on May 19, 2009 at Epitome Pictures' studios in Toronto, Ontario. The final episodes of the season were filmed in part in New York City, New York, and were written and directed by Stefan Brogren, who plays Archie "Snake" Simpson. This was the first season to air on TeenNick in the United States, and to have some Canadian premieres on MuchMusic.
Cast
The ninth season features twenty-five actors who receive star billing with twenty-one of them returning from the previous season. Returning cast members include:
Beginning this season, Stefan Brogren, Miriam McDonald, Shane Kippel and Cassie Steele are the only original cast members to still appear in the series.
Joining the main cast are Jessica Tyler, Jahmil French, Landon Liboiron, and Annie Clark as Fiona Coyne (12 episodes), Dave Turner (12 episodes), Declan Coyne (18 episodes), and Jenna Middleton (17 episodes).
The eight actors from season eight who did not return this season are Sarah Barrable-Tishauer as Liberty Van Zandt, Lauren Collins as Paige Michalchuk, Nina Dobrev as Mia Jones, Marc Donato as Derek Haig, Jake Epstein as Craig Manning, Stacey Farber as Ellie Nash, Adamo Ruggiero as Marco Del Rossi and Evan Williams as Kelly Ashoona. All left the series, while Sarah Barrable-Tishauer, Nina Dobrev, Adamo Ruggiero and Evan Williams all guest starred this season.
^Note 1 : Although Mike Lobel is removed from the opening credits this season, he is credited as a series regular in the original two hour broadcast of Degrassi Takes Manhattan.
Crew
Season nine was produced by Epitome Pictures in association with CTV. Funding was provided by The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, the Canadian Television Fund and BCE-CTV Benefits, The Shaw Television Broadcast Fund, the Independent Production Fund, Mountain Cable Program, and RBC Royal Bank.
Linda Schuyler, co-creator of the Degrassi franchise and CEO of Epitome Pictures, served as an executive producer with her husband, and President of Epitome Pictures, Stephen Stohn. Brendon Yorke is also credited as an executive producer again. David Lowe was the producer, and Stephanie Cohen the supervising producer. As well as playing Snake Simpson, Stephen Brogren also served as a producer, and, for the first time, directed episodes, after previously writing, producing, and directing the exclusive online series Degrassi Minis. The casting director was Stephanie Gorin, and the editor was D. Gillian Truster.
The executive story editor was Sarah Glinski, and Matt Heuther the story editor. The script supervisor was Nancy Markle. Episode writers for the season are Duana Taha and Brendon Yorke. The director of photography was Jim Westenbrink, and the director was Phil Earnshaw.
Reception
Linda Schuyler, Stefan Brogren, David Lowe, Stephen Stohn, Stephanie Williams, and Brendon Yorke, along with Epitome Pictures, were nominated for the 25th Gemini Awards for best children's or youth fiction program or series, for producing Degrassi: The Next Generation, but lost to Overruled!. Directors Phil Earnshaw and Stefan Brogren were nominated for "Just Can't Get Enough (Part 2)" and "Beat It (Part 2)" respectively, for best direction in a children's or youth program or series, Brogren would win. On screen couple Landon Liboiron (Declan Coyne) and Charlotte Arnold (Holly J. Sinclair) were nominated for best performance in a children's or youth program or series, for "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "Somebody" ("Love Games, Parts 1 & 2") respectively, Arnold would win. Linda Schuyler was honoured with the Academy Achievement Award. The following year "Degrassi Takes Manhattan" was nominated for best sound in a dramatic program, but lost to the first episode of The Pillars of the Earth miniseries. At the 2010 Young Artist Awards, Jamie Johnston and Aislinn Paul were nominated as a Leading Young Actor and Supporting Young Actress in the Best Performance in a TV Comedy or Drama Series, Laytrel McMullen and A.J. Saudin were also nominated as a Guest Starring Young Actress and Recurring Young Actor 14 and Over in the Best Performance in a TV Series.
Episodes
The first half of this season included a number of two-part episodes that aired on the same night on CTV, and MuchMusic later in the week. "Just Can't Get Enough" was an hour-long season premiere, and "Beat It" and "Heart Like Mine" were two-part episodes that aired on the same night in Canada, however on consecutive weeks in the US. Episodes 904 & 906 and 903 & 905 also aired together in Canada, to follow the ongoing story lines. The second half of the season premiered on MuchMusic, at one episode a week, then CTV a couple of weeks later in back-to-back format again. The first episode to have its Canadian premiere on MuchMusic was "Why Can't This Be Love? (Part One)". The US had aired the first half of the season by order of production, but opened the second half with the two-part "Why Can't This Be Love?", which was on consecutive weeks in Canada. In the US, four episodes were renamed by TeenNick, in both the TV spots, and the on-screen titles. This list is by order of production, as they appear on the DVD.
DVD release
The release of season nine was made available online and on DVD in select stores by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment in the US on July 20, 2010; this is the third season not to be released by Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment in Canada or by FUNimation Entertainment in the US. As well as every episode from the season, the release features the Degrassi Takes Manhattan movie, and bonus material including deleted scenes, bloopers and behind-the-scenes featurettes.