Behind the Scenes of the Degrassi Craze with Melinda Shankar and Lauren Toyota

Welcome back to Late Night Scrolling 🪩


There is no Canadian pop culture without Degrassi, so when Degrassi:Whatever It Takes was announced in the TIFF lineup, I was expecting big things: a red carpet that would shut down King Street in ways reminiscent to the Queen Street Live at Much Music days, stars from all generations coming together in celebration, a nostalgic trip down memory lane of the show that defined modern CanCon…


But that’s not what we got. Much to the shock and chagrin of those of us who wanted a HUGE spectacle of a moment that could rival what Drake made in his music video:


While there was a premiere in the TIFF Lightbox that hosted some cast that appeared in the documentary, the scale and vibes were not the spectacle many of us anticipated. And once you see the documentary… you get it.


I won’t spoil the documentary for you, but it is really real look at the behind the scenes, what the cast (the majority of which were minors!) dealt with and how they felt through the process, and narratives that ultimately led co-creator Linda Schuyler to file (and eventually pull) a lawsuit ahead of the TIFF premiere (https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment...) .


But one thing that will never change in the Degrassi legacy is how much this show meant to the fans. We haven’t seen a show shape Canadian teen culture the way Degrassi has, and putting that piece of the puzzle under the microscope is where I wanted to focus this episode and these conversations.


At the heart of the Degrassi craze that I grew up with was the After Degrassi show hosted by Much Music VJs. These were live shows unpacking the episode we all just watched with cast, fan questions, games and more. ICYMI, here’s a taste (and this is the episode I’m referencing in my conversation with Lauren):


PS: My full conversation with Lauren is up next on the pod, stay tuned!


It was so great to talk to Melinda Shankar who of course played Alli on Degrassi: The Next Generation and Lauren Toyota who was one of the iconic Much Music VJs who hosted the Degrassi After Show amongst many other live watch-along specials.


Have you seen the Degrassi: Whatever It Takes documentary? I’m so excited to talk about this one with you all so get in the comments or come chat on Instagram with me.


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