Degrassi To Return For New Series At HBO Max

School is back in session at Degrassi!

For over four decades, watching Degrassi has been a rite of passage for teenagers everywhere. Now WarnerMedia Kids & Family has officially greenlit a new series of the iconic Canadian teen drama to air on HBO Max. Set in Toronto, the new Degrassi will explore teens and school faculty living in the shadow of events that could bring them together or tear them apart. It will dive into the homes of diverse and complicated characters searching for a new normal. Additionally, they’ve picked up the U.S. rights for the 14-season library of Degrassi: The Next Generation coming to the streaming platform this spring.

The new Degrassi will be led by showrunners Lara Azzopardi (Backstage, The Bold Type) and Julia Cohen (Riverdale, The Royals) who both got their start writing on the franchise. “Having produced the first six series in the long-running Degrassi franchise, Linda [Schuyler] and I think the time is perfect to pass the baton over to Lara Azzopardi and Julia Cohen for a brand-new generation of Degrassi,” tweeted Stephen Stohn, former Degrassi executive producer, about passing on the baton. “We worked with Lara and Julia as writers on Degrassi in the early stages of their careers, so we are particularly proud of how their careers have soared over ensuing years. Now they can lend their brilliance and creativity to showrunning what has turned out to be a great and enduring franchise.”

Degrassi truly changed the game when it came to reflecting the trials and tribulations that teens deal with in an honest and realistic way. They were’t afraid to go there, breaking ground on controversial topics like teen pregnancy, abuse, gender identity, racism, and more. “Series after series, the Degrassi franchise continues to make an indelible impact on young viewers looking for trustworthy and authentic storytelling," said Amy Friedman, the Head of Kids & Family Programming at Warner Bros.

Josh Scherba, President of WildBrain, confirmed that this creative team has “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 territory, both creatively and dramatically.”

"What excites us maybe the most about reviving this beloved franchise is turning it into a truly serialized one-hour drama,” said showrunners Azzopardi and Cohen. “We're honored to be given the opportunity to lead this evolution and bring this iconic series back into people's homes."

Back in October of 2021, I spoke with Jake Epstein on the Pop Culture Planet podcast in honor of Degrassi: The Next Generation’s 20th anniversary. We discussed his character Craig Manning, the intense storylines, and if he sees a future for more Degrassi. “I could totally see them bringing back the show. I think the show will forever be relevant because a show about portraying teenagers in a realistic way will always be personal to that generation of teenagers,” Epstein told me, but whether or not he’d be a part of it is another question. “I’d have to see what the script is like. In the same way that Joey Jeremiah, his stepdad, was part of The Next Generation, I could see [Craig] being a parent or the guidance counselor or the music teacher.”

Epstein looked back fondly on his years on the iconic franchise, calling it “a gift.” “It certainly paved the way for a lot of other shows. I don’t think you’d see a lot of teen shows that are on today without Degrassi,” he said. “Teen shows that continue to try to push the envelope of what can be shown on TV and striving to represent teenagers.”

He isn’t the only Degrassi alumni interested in a continuation. “The last time I spoke with Lauren Collins, she recently had a baby, and she was talking about wanting a show like Degrassi for her child,” said Epstein, “to give them a perspective, a positive influence, a bit of teaching in a way that parent's can’t fully do for a lot of that stuff.”

The 10 one hour long episodes of the new Degrassi are expected to launch on HBO Max in 2023.