1986-87 Season
Term 1: Premiered January 18th, 1987 on CBC, and Spring 1987 on PBS
Term 2 : Premiered in Canada January 4th, 1988 for CBC, and January 11th, 1988 for PBS
Term 3: Premiered on CBC November 1988 and on PBS December 10th, 1988
1 ,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
1. Kiss Me, Steph – Topics For Discussion: Friendship, Loyalties, Sexuality,
Stephanie Kaye and her brother Arthur Kobalowsky both go to Degrassi Junior High. Steph is an 8-grader while Arthur starts grade 7. Their parents are divorced, and Steph makes it clear that nobody in school should know that Arthur is her brother. Stephanie runs for school president, campaigning on kisses and wild promises, and neglecting her best friend Voula. At the same time Joey becomes the manager of Stephanie’s campaign, and feels on the top of the world after Stephanie wins. Voula dumps Steph as a friend when she finds out that Joey has replaced her as manager…Just three comments about the very first episode of Degrassi Junior High. The characters were not well established into their roles, Joey was friends with Hank, Wheels was in grade 7, and so were the twins, when they were supposed to be in Stephanie’s grade 8 class… Heather Farrel was called Stacy Farrell, and Liz was in Degrassi, slapping Joey a high five. I thought she came 2nd season, after transferring from another junior high school.
2. The Big Dance- Topics For Discussion: alcohol abuse, lying, parent-child relations,
Voula’s “old-world” parents won’t let her to go to the school dance, but she sneaks out. Stephanie and her friends stop by Lucy’s house and become too drunk to make it to the dance, though Stephanie is supposed to make a speech. She then gets really ill at the dance when she goes there really drunk. Voula makes the speech instead of Stephanie, ( because she is too drunk) but then Voula’s father appears at the dance, and she has to do some explanations.
3. The Experiment– Topics For Discussion: Stereotyping, Cheating, Drugs
Yick tries to improve his grades by turning in old term papers that had been written by Arthur’s sister, Stephanie Kaye. At first Yick really gets higher grades, and thinks that he has proved that Mr. Raditch stereotyped him, since even his new grades are different than Stephanie’s although the grades were given for the same paper. Eventually Mr. Raditch exposes Yick’s cheating , and both Arthur and Yick are in trouble. Joey sells “drugs” to Melanie and Kathleen, telling them they will “get high,” though the drugs aren’t really drugs. A few other kids join the buyers group and Joey thinks he has found an easy way to earn money by selling simple vitamins. Melanie and Kathleen overhear Joey’s conversation with Steph that the “drugs” are just vitamins.
4. The Cover-Up Topics For Discussion: Child Abuse
Joey discovers that a fellow student, Rick, is being beaten by his father. Rick is the school tough guy, who looks like the school tough guy, and who is repeating Grade 7 over. He is a loner who rarely speaks to anyone, although Caitlin and Susie try to make him smile. Rick offers Joey to sell him a jean jacket after Joey’s mom threw out his old jacket. Joey visits Rick’s home and sees how Rick is being beaten by his father. Joey’s dilemma is to betray Rick’s confidence by reporting the beating or to keep silent and see his new friend suffering. Joey asks the school secretary without mentioning any names, but she becomes suspicious because Joey himself has a few bruises after he fell from a skateboard, and a social worker visits Joey’s home where he meets Joey and Rick, and understands that Rick and not Joey is the one who needs help.
5. The Great Race Topics For Discussion: Sexism, Gender Equality, Puberty
Melanie, the star swimmer, is embarrassed about getting her first bra, and doesn’t want to be seen wearing her swimsuit for fear of being taunted. L.D. helps Melanie to buy the bra, but she can’t help to restore Melanie’s self confidence after Joey and other kids tease Melanie about her bra. Jason states that girls “aren’t good athletes,” which provokes L.D. to challenge the boys soccer team to a relay swim meet against the girls swim team. The boys are actually afraid to lose the competition and need to convince Snake , who’s a good swimmer to swim with them against the girls. Jason asks Snake to join the soccer team to make things look legal, but Snake soon understands Jason’s intentions and doesn’t appear to the match. Melanie also doesn’t want to participate, and Jason together with his teammates seem to be happy since she’s the one that makes the girls’ team so strong.
The swimming competition is about to start with L.D.,Caitlin and Susie for the girls’ team, and Jason, Wheels and Wailee for the boys’ team, since the fourth swimmer for both sides didn’t appear. The seats around the pool are crowded with fans and the sudden Melanie’s entrance gets a loud response from the girls’ team fans. Joey tries again one his insulting remarks about Melanie’s breast but this time L.D. moves quick and shoves him into the water. Melanie is the fourth swimmer for the girls and everything depends on her. Obviously she’s way better swimmer than Jason who has no chance against her. Jason tries hard but Melanie finishes first and the girl’s team wins the match.
6. Rumor Has It Topics For Discussion: Homosexuality, Gossiping
Rumors begin to circulate that Ms. Karen Avery is gay. Caitlin begins to have disturbing dreams about her favourite teacher and wonders about her own sexuality. Yick discovers that twenty dollars is missing from his locker, and when Rick seems to have a lot of money, Yick and Arthur begin following him around.
7. The Best Laid Plans Topics For Discussion: Sex, Contraception, Maturity
Steph asks Wheels out on a date, but overheard conversations and bravado lead them to imply to their friends that they are going to “do something” – though neither is sure they are ready for it. Yick has obtained a porno videotape and he and Arthur look forward all day to viewing it.
8. Nothing to Fear Topics For Discussion: Death, Fear
When L.D.’s father must go to the hospital, L.D. suffers painful childhood memories of when her mother died while in the hospital. The school’s pet snake gets loose, causing Melanie to fall apart.
9. What A Night! Topics For Discussion: Shoplifting, Trust,
Steph gets to meet her soap opera idol, who sets up a date. The twins warn her against going out with a totally strange man. Voula has always wished to be “sophisticated” like Lucy, who has developed a shoplifting habit.
10. Smokescreen Topics For Discussion: Pollution, Smoking
When tough Rick suddenly takes an interest in the school’s Environmental Action Committee, Caitlin sees that he can make it if people give him a chance. Yick doesn’t know what to do for a project on his family history and buys a cheap vase which he will pass off as an heirloom. Arthur doesn’t know what to do when he accidentally smashes it.
11. It’s Late! Topics For Discussion: Sex, Pregnancy
Spike has sex with Shane, and later discovers she is pregnant. Yick develops a crush on Melanie and asks Arthur’s advice on how to approach her. After much confusion, he asks her to go skating.
12. Parents’ Night Topics For Discussion: Adoption, Identity Confusion,
Wheels meets his biological father, Mike, for the first time. Spike discusses with Wheels whether she should put her baby up for adoption. Joey tries to keep his parents from visiting the school and hearing about his behavior.
13. Revolution! Topics For Discussion: Deceit, Lying,
Stephanie begins to flirt with Joey in order to make Wheels jealous. This and other connivances drive the students to impeach her.
Degrassi Junior High Term 2 1987-1988
Term 1: Premiered January 18th, 1987 on CBC, and Spring 1987 on PBS
Term 2 : Premiered in Canada January 4th, 1988 for CBC, and January 11th, 1988 for PBS
See Note Below for Dinner and a Show
Term 3: Premiered on CBC November 1988 and on PBS December 10th, 1988
1 ,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
1.Eggbert Topics For Discussion: Pregnancy, Responsibility
As part of a teen parents’ counseling experiment, Spike and Shane must take care of an egg as if it were an infant. Stephanie competes with Alexa to capture the attention of the new boy, Simon, who was once a model.
2. A Helping Hand Topics For Discussion: Sexual Abuse, Trust
L.D. warns Lucy that Mr. Colby is eyeing her. Later, Mr. Colby tries to caress Lucy. L.D. becomes more conscious of her looks and gets a makeover from Lucy. Wheels has to quit the Zit Remedy when his grades go down.
3.Great Expectations Topics For Discussion: Sex, Puberty, Stereotypes, False Expectations
Joey decides to find out if the new girl, Liz, is as fast as everyone says. Arthur is confused about having “wet dreams” and phones up Dr. Sally, a well known radio sex expert for advice.
4.Dinner and a Show Topics For Discussion: Dating, Pregnancy and its circumstances
Shane’s parents are upset that Shane is the father of Spike’s baby and invite Spike’s family to dinner. Yick summons enough courage to ask Melanie out to a movie, but when Snake asks her too, she tries to make up an excuse to give to Yick. She ends up in a big predicament when she goes out with Snake, gives a stupid excuse to Yick, and then they “bump” into each other at the theatre.
Note: If you look in the background of the theatre, you will see Anabelle Waugh, Duncan Waugh’s sister, who played Dorothy from Seasons 3-5
5.Stage Fright Topics For Discussion:Epilepsy, Fear of Failure, Jealousy
Caitlin learns that she has epilepsy. She denies it by pretending it doesn’t exist, by not taking her medication. Michele is overcome with shyness when Mr. Raditch asks everyone to make a speech. When Kathleen wins the lead part in the school play, Caitlin almost drops out. Caitlin has her first seizure and it scares her friends. They start to think she is a freak.
6. Fight! Topics For Discussion: Bullying, Stength, Competition
Joey faces trouble when he crosses Dwayne, the school bully. Steph finally realizes Simon likes Alexa more than her.
7. Bottled Up Topics For Discussion: Alcoholism, Repressed Identity, Depression
The Degrassi quiz team goes to Kathleen’s house to prepare for a match and discover that Kathleen’s mother is an alcoholic. Rick and Caitlin try to help Kathleen. Scooter and Max try to change their image when Yick and Arthur call them nerds. They obtain some cigarettes. Kathleen become more friendly with Rick, who has something in common with Kathleen, problems in their family with alcohol.
8. Sealed with a Kiss Topics For Discussion: Jealousy, Love, Dating
Erika becomes involved with a strange boy at the school dance, making her twin, Heather, jealous. Wheels rejoins the Zit Remedy, but Snake begins to have second thoughts about the band. Stephanie and Arthur discuss their parents’ fights for custody.
9. Dog Days Topics For Discussion: Suicide, Depression, Divorce,
Steph falls into a depression amidst her father’s fight for custody and her mother’s plans to remarry. She thinks of committing suicide. Arthur find a puppy, names it Phil, and tries to sneak him to school.
10. Censored Topics For Discussion: Censorship, Pregnancy, Sexism,
When word is out that some parents want to exclude Spike from the school because she is pregnant, Caitlin tries to save the day by distributing a controversial editorial article defending Spike’s right to stay in school. Spike tells her off because she did not ask permission to exploit her. Offended by the pin-up posters in Joey’s locker, L.D. strikes back with male pin-ups.
11. Trust Me Topics For Discussion: Lying, Deceit,
Disaster strikes when Joey and Wheels talk Snake into letting them have a party at Snake’s house. The next morning Wheels is late for his eye doctor’s appointment, so they take the family car. After they have a car accident, they repair the damage, but they wronly thought that the car’s dent was made by the accident, but in fact there was no damage by the truck that hit the car. They are caught for taking the car without their license, and repairing the dent that was already there. The community succeeds at having Spike thrown out of school for “setting a bad example to students”
12. He’s Back Topics For Discussion:Sexual Abuse, Legal rights of students
When Mr. Colby reappears, Lucy tries to warn Susie about him. Mr. Colby seems to be attracted to Susie as well, as he starts to make her feel more than his student.
13. Pass Tense Topics For Discussion: Fear of Failure, Scholastic Anxieties
The eighth graders’ dreams of high school are crushed when they learn that Degrassi will include ninth grade the next year. Joey has to repeat grade 8, due to grades. The seventh graders go on strike and they decline from decorating the grad dance, because there will be a grade 9 at Degrassi next year, and they will not be the oldest grade. They will still be ruled by the older grades. Spike feels labour pains and tells Heather and Erica, “Call my mom, quick.”, while Joey, Wheels, and Snake, make their first public debut with their band The Zit Remedy’s “Everybody Wants Something”
TERM 3 1988-1989
Term 1: Premiered January 18th, 1987 on CBC, and Spring 1987 on PBS
Term 2 : Premiered in Canada January 4th, 1988 for CBC, and January 11th, 1988 for PBS
Term 3: Premiered on CBC November 1988 and on PBS December 10th, 1988
1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,12, 13,14, 15 ,16
1.Can’t Live With ‘Em (Part 1)
Wheels’ parents forbid Wheels to spend time with Joey, whom they see as a troublemaker, because they drove Snake’s car last year without a driver’s license. Arthur confides to Yick that his mother won over a million dollars in a lottery. Also, Stephanie Kaye was sent to a private school. Shane offers money to Spike to prove he wants to share responsibility for the baby. Wheels receives news that his parents have been killed in an auto accident, by a drunk dirver.
2. Can’t Live With ‘Em (Part 2)
Wheels experiences difficulty in going back to school after his parents’ deaths. Lucy becomes involved with Paul, a high school boy.
Lucy’s relationship with Paul makes her a neglectful friend to LD, and the twins. Paul wants to have sex with Lucy during the party with the “older high school studetns” and without her friends. Kathleen becomes school vice-president, which strains her friendship with Melanie.
Yick and Arthur are mad at each other, over arguments about whether Arthur is “rich.” They experience flashbacks of the times they have had together. Spike brings her baby to school but is reluctant to let Shane hold the baby. Joey tries to cheer up Wheels by inviting him to Christmas dinner.
5. Loves Me, Loves Me Not Topics For Discussion: Misunderstood feelings, Crushes,
Caitlin is hurt when she misunderstands Joey’s intentions about a dance. Joey needs Caitlin’s help to improve his grades , and asks her to work together on a movie report. Caitlin interperts this as “almost a date” while Joey is pleased with his first A. Joey invites Liz to the dance while Caitlin still thinks that Joey wanted a date when he promised to Caitlin to dance with her. Alexa tries to help shy Michele gain the attention of BLT. It backfires since Alexa actually wants BLT for herself and uses Michele only as an excuse to start talking to BLT without making Simon suspicious. Of course Simon and Michele see what’s going on and find the right response.
6. He Ain’t Heavy topic for discussion: Homosexuality,
Snake is distressed to learn that his all-star brother Glen is gay. Joey tries selling the Zit Remedy to the local radio station. BLT makes fun of Joey’s new scheme of getting his band onto the air-waves, by being a janitor at the radio station.
7. The Whole Truth Topics for Discusssion: Animal Rights, Lying, False Advertising
Liz organizes a protest against cruelty to animals, which Caitlin supports in her newspaper editorial. But Caitlin begins to realize there are two sides to every issue. Scooter and Bart buy what they think are “sea creatures” for the aquarium. Joey becomes a nuisance at the radio station. Joey gets fired for leaving his tapes throughout the office, thus the executives get annoyed. Dr. Sally encourages Joey, becasue she heard them sing, and she told him that they were really good.
8. Star-Crossed Topics for Discussion: Astrology, Love, Crushes, Fate
True to her horoscope, Erika falls in love with Clutch. When Clutch asks Heather to the bowling match, the two twins switch places. Alexa decides she wants Simon back after losing him to Michele. Wheels is provoked into a fight with some high school toughs.
9. Food For Thought Topics for discussion: Eating Disorders, Perfectionists, Friendships, Family Problems, Food as a social construct
Melanie notices that Kathleen is obsessive about winning the science fair and tries to help her when she sees signs of anorexia. The twins do their project on eating disorders and begin to worry about Lucy’s eating habits. Alexa misunderstands Simon and thinks he considers her fat. Scooter and Bart’s science fair rats become fat ,and the kids think they’ve discovered something about junk food.
10. Twenty Bucks Topics for Discussion: Lying, Stealing, Responsibility, Honesty
Melanie spends $20 treating her friends to a fries and cokes and 13 Busy Street, a local Degrassi hangout. When Snake asks her to go to a concert with him, she “borrows” $20 from her mother. Shane tells Spike he’s too broke to give her the child-support money, but then spends $20 on a concert ticket. Spike find out and gives him hell. BLT bets Joey $20 that Joey can’t get a date to the concert.
11. Taking Off (Part 1) Topics of Discussion :Running away, Drug Abuse, Sexual Abuse From Strangers
Wheels is on the verge of giving up on school and living with his grandparents. When he receives a post card from his biological father, he decides to run away. Luke gets Shane to try drugs at the concert. In the morning, Shane is missing.
12. Taking Off (Part 2) Topics For Discussion: Drugs, Running Away, Rejection
Wheels finds his biological father but cannot confide in him. His grandmother attempts to track him down. Shane is found badly hurt and in a coma after jumping off a bridge when taking acid at the Gourmet Scum Concert
13. Making Whoopee Topics of Discussion :Dating (after divorce), Crushes
Arthur feels left out and is jealous when his father begins dating. Allison tries to attract Snake away from Melanie.
14. Black & White Topics of Discussion :Racism, Inter- Racial Dating, Prejudice
BLT is provoked into a fight because of he was called a racist name. Michelle’s parents disapprove when BLT asks her to the dance. Spike is rejected from a job because of her punk haircut. Liz wants to break the windows because they were bigoted of her hairstyle.
Check out some of the yearbook photos Bartholomew Bond took.
15. Pa-arty! Topics of Discussion :Alcohol Abuse, Lying, Under-Age Drinking
Lucy hosts a secret party when her parents are away. Joey, Snake and Wheels try to buy beer by having Snake masquerade as an adult. Eventually they succeed but are caught by the police. Lucy stops seeing Clutch when he makes advances on her while drunk.
16. Bye-Bye Junior High Topics of Discussion : Fear of Failure, End of Semester Anxieties
Wheels is concerned about whether he can pass, and Joey has made a deal with his parents that he can go to the graduation dance only if his grades are good enough. Ms. Avery tries to persuade Spike to continue school. The school catches fire.
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