Kevin Smith gets his dream date
By JIM SLOTEK -- Toronto Sun

Big-time American director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Jersey Girl) lives his TV fantasy by getting close to Caitlin, played by Stacie Mistysyn, in three episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation.

In some jurisdictions they would call this "stalking."

Here, we call it an American celebrity fulfilling a decades-long Canadian wish-dream -- to share a soul-kiss with Degrassi kid Caitlin (Stacie Mistysyn).



To that extent, it's kind of like you or me getting to play ourselves in an episode of The O.C. or Desperate Housewives and insinuating ourselves in the plot. (Or maybe like guest-star Tim Conway dropping into sketches on a '70s variety series.)





There are subtle differences, of course, between real life and the bizarro world version that's been specially created for the director of Clerks. For starters, Smith is married in real life. But he's enthused for years about the old Degrassi (the one with Snake, Wheels, Spike, etc) in magazine interviews, etc., and made no secret of his lust for the character of Caitlin (and by extension, I suppose, Ms. Mistysyn).

It all makes for the weirdest, and most entertaining Degrassi arc ever, old or new --the kind of surreality you usually encounter only in dreams where people from your high school years interact with the ones from your adult life.

Viewers of the new series know it offers about a 2-to-1 mix of storylines involving the new kids (Emma, Manny, Craig, Marco, et al) and the now-grownup characters from the old show, including Snake and Spike who've married (he's now suffering from leukemia) and Caitlin, who lives with Joey and his stepson Craig.

That balance is a little askew for the next few weeks, what with Smith being the elephant in the room and all. Tonight, there's but one student subplot that doesn't involve the filmmaker -- the catfight between cheerleaders Paige (Lauren Collins) and Manny (Cassie Steele) comes to a head.

The rest of the way, however, it all revolves around Kevin Smith, Caitlin and Craig (who's headed for a meltdown).

Which means a lot of Smith referencing himself as a "B-list" "C-list" and finally "Z-list" celebrity, and many asides of Smith sidekick Jason Mewes and/or his character Jay, falling in lust with high school girls -- a vibe that could best be described as ... um, what's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah! Creepy.

Sample dialogue: "Jay, if you really love me, you'll wait 'til I'm 18."

"What grade are you in now?"

"I'm a freshman."

Ohmigawd!

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I'm a fan, but I'm not happy with The-N considering 4 new episodes a season.

I watch it but miss episodes very often as they only show the new ones on the weekends

I watch it once in a while. I still like the original better though.

I've only really watched a couple times. I did watch all three with Kevin Smith though.

I enjoy the show, but found Radio Free Roscoe and Out There to be better shows. Seems like now that they know people are watching they're trying to be extra risque and push buttons. I missed the Kevin Smith episodes, had no idea they were starting new episodes. It's smart for The N to try and keep Degrassi fresh all year (2 new eps here, 6 new eps here, 4 new eps here).

God bless all those shows for having 13-20 yr olds actually playing 13-18 yr olds. I keep thinking how stupid Tom Welling would look if he were a transfer student from Smallville to Degrassi.

Are these new or old, or what not? Which season do you know?

These were from this season they aired in January I think. Though I live in Canada and the show airs earlier here then it does in the U.S. I'm not sure how far ahead we are here but I doubt were more than a couple of months. Someone down in one of the border states will probably be able to help out with this info.

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Degrassi Junior High
 

Recently been getting into this show... from the previews there was no way i thought.. that i would like it but as usually happens that proves wrong and i like what i thought i wouldn't.

never seen the first degrassi so this next generation is my first step into the world of degrassi.. it's a bit heavy on the drama with alot of heavy topics but that's not always a bad thing if done right... the show i just watched was pretty deep with the one kid coming out and telling his best friend he was gay and what kind of reaction that type of thing has.. makes you think about it a bit more.. how hard that must be.

anyway any fans? also was the first generation better? would it be a good blind buy on dvd for the first season?

it airs alot on the N channel or Noggin or something like that for anyone don't know.. also my so called life airs on that channel at 5am teus.- fri.

What's it aboot?


:lol: nah, I'm just messing with you. I just wanted to say Aboot. :p Kevin Smith did a guest spot on the show sometime back and it was pretty interesting. Over all it's a melodrama for teens up north. Enjoyable if I flip through the channels and nothing else is on.

Let me just be the first one to say that your thread title is misleading if you are talking about the Next Generation show.

I used to watch the original when I was a kid but I find it now that it hasn't aged very well. I don't know if I would recommended it to someone as a blind buy for the DVD set.

well not really misleading as i'm talking about the whole thing.. both.

if canadian schools are really like this.. canada must be an insane asylum and i thought america was bad. :p

Tonight's aired episode was really deep and emotional.. something about school shootings that always gets to me.

anyway if anyone happens to catch it rerun later in the night check it out... very moving episode.

gotta feel for rick... i hate bullies.

Actually, Rick was introduced in the third season, and he was abusive to his girlfriend Teri (no longer on the show, friends with Paige and Ashley). At one point after getting back together, he pushed her and she ended up hitting her head on a rock and was in a coma for a while.

After leaving school, Rick returned and received nothing but torment from the kids. This constant bullying led to the shooting. I'm not condoning either his actions or the other kids on the show, but I think it is important to mention that both his actions and theirs were slightly more complex than teasing.

This show is filled with melodrama but it has its moments when it is really strong, and that episode was definitely one of them. I haven't seen the Junior High episodes yet so I can't comment on those.

Degrassi Junior High/Degrassi High > Degrassi: The New Generation

I own both series' first seasons on DVD and Degrassi Junior High blows the first season of The New Generation away and then some. While both are cliched Canadian teen melodramas that are train wrecks to watch, there's something about Degrassi Junior High that makes it a better show than it's spinoff...

I can't place my finger on what it is...

Oh yes, I know what it is. It's likeable characters.

Degrassi TNG is amazing and wonderful. I've really gotten into it since its first season. While I've read tons and tons about Degrassi Jr. High and High I've never gotten the chance to see them. The episodes sound great when reading and I feel like I know the characters already. I'm just wondering if its a good enough blind buy, it is pretty pricey everywhere but the internet.

I love DEGRASSI !!! I probably like the older shows more than the next generation but thats only because I grew up with the first cast. I still think TNG is great. The characters are all wonderfully written and acted. Plus its always cool to see some of the previous cast pop up on TNG. For example, when Wheels showed up or when Emma went to find her brain damaged dad, shane. Its good to know that they still respect and make reference to the "old school". Does anyone know if the new season is starting next month or what?

I would like to see that "Schools Out" Degrassi movie come out on DVD. That was the one where Wheels was drunk and wrecked the car with Lucy.

The original series from many years ago was fantastic. It started out as Degrassi Junior High and then the name was changed to Degrassi High as the kids got older.

But the new series Degrassi The Next Generation seems kind of dumbed down by comparison.

The original series was Kids of Degrassi Street.

Oh wow! I didn't know that.

Thanks!

They must have been really, really young then, I guess.

Indeed. I don't think that any characters were brought forward (maybe one or two) but some of the same actors were used (if I recalled correctly).

The only one that I remember is Wheels.

Wasn't Rick a part of DJH for a while? I can't really remember it very well.

Staci Mistysyn :drool: , Caitlin in DJH and NG, was also in Kids but different character name.

Stacie was in [b]Kids...[/i] as Lisa Canard. Wheels was in it under a different name, Griff. Alex (the nerdy Greek entrepreneur kid) was also in "Kids...", as was the obese girl named Nancy (the over-achiever, who was seen occasionally in the later series). I think those are the only four actors from the repertory who were carried over, except for the (last name) Talbot guy, who was a mainstay in Kids, but only appeared in the first couple of episodes of Junior High. The actor was recently acquitted in two separate cases here in Toronto, one an assault, the other a beating death.

I haven't watched the new series at all. From clips and previews, it doesn't appear to have the same edge as the previous ones.

Right, Griff, I remember him. God that was a long long time ago...

Thanks for the clarification in regards to Wheels/Griff. I remember watching an episode of Kids with Griff and the Crosswalk guard ages ago.

Griff/Wheels was an ass way back then too :)

All the way with Stephanie K !

Reminder, Kevin Smith episode of Degrassi TNG 8/12 on Noggin
 

This is just a reminder that the kevin smith episode that he did for degrassi (there's one next week and the week after as well) is airing tonight at 8 on the N! (digital cable or satilite)

Noggin?

its one of those nickolodian networks on digital cable. (its also known as The N!

And just a reminder its not a awesomely great storyline/episode so if you want to skip waiting and just view them now PM me. ;)

So I have watched this show a couple of times because of all the buzz it seems to get, am I missing something about this show? Its been horrible each time I watch it, and Im just wondering if there is something Im just not getting?

The original shows from 15 years ago were awesome. This new series is pretty bad, by comparison.

That's my opinion. Others may disagree, which is fine.

Depends on what you saw. The heavy hitting subjects they deal with are great but when they turn to others its so so. So, again, it all depends on what you saw.

I'd seen my kids watching this, but never bothered to watch it myself. I tivo'ed the episode because of Smith (wow, he was awful). I was then hit by the realization that a couple of the kids from the original version, which I enjoyed watching on PBS, are on this version of the show.

Man, I am so damn old.