‘Degrassi’ Revival Series Coming to HBO Max

WarnerMedia Kids & Family has announced that they have greenlit a brand new series in the award-winning Degrassi franchise that will be debuting on HBO Max sometime in 2023 with these episodes becoming available on Cartoon Network at a later date. The series announcement also came with the news that HBO Max has picked up the U.S. rights to the franchise’s longest-running and most popular iteration, Degrassi: The Next Generation with the entire library of the 14-season run arriving to the streaming service this spring.

Similar to its past incarnations, this new Degrassi outing will consist of 10- one-hour episodes. Taking place in Toronto at the school that shares the name of the series and follows the lives of a group of teenagers well as school faculty as they all attempt to make their way through the trials and tribulations of high school life as well as facing dark events and secrets that affect them all. “Series after series, the Degrassi franchise continues to make an indelible impact on young viewers looking for trustworthy and authentic storytelling,” said Amy Friedman, Head of Kids & Family Programming at Warner Bros. “WildBrain continues to artfully capture high school life in a compelling format that can be experienced seamlessly on HBO Max.”

WildBrain will be producing the project with the series’ showrunners being multi-nominated writers Lara Azzopardi and Julia Cohen. Azzopardi has been nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for her work on the youth drama Backstage with her other credits including Hulu’s The Bold Type as well as 911, Mary Kills People, and The LA Complex. Cohen has worked as a writer and producer on a number of critically acclaimed shows such as A Million Little Things, Riverdale, Legion, Quantico, and Dallas.

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

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Beginning in 1979, the Degrassi franchise originally created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood has had a total of five television series as well as two television movies and a television special. The over four-decade-old series has seen the Degrassi become one of the most recognizable teen drama franchises, with over 500 episodes under the franchise’s umbrella and having won two International Emmy Awards, two Teen Choice Awards and a Peabody. Over its lifetime, the numerous series that the franchise has seen have tackled a number of topics and challenges prominent in teenage life. Degrassi: The Next Generation aired from 2001 to 2015 with a total of 385 episodes in its sizable library. The last series of Degrassi to air was Degrassi: Next Class which was the follow-up to The Next Generation and ran for four seasons from 2016 to 2017.

Josh Scherba, President of WildBrain, said this in a statement about Degrassi‘s longevity:

Now in its fourth decade, Degrassi is one of those beloved evergreen properties that demands to be refreshed for each new generation. Stephanie Betts, our Chief Content Officer, along with showrunners, Lara Azzopardi and Julia Cohen, have 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. We’re delighted to be partnering with HBO Max to deliver this new vision to fans and extend Degrassi’s legacy.

The new Degrassi series will premiere on HBO Max sometime in 2023 with the entire library of Degrassi: The Next Generation coming in the spring of 2022. Read the official description of the upcoming new series down below.

A reprise of the original teen drama, ‘Degrassi’ is a character-driven series about the high school experience and the thrilling, often painful journey of self-discovery. Set in Toronto, the new series explores a group of teenagers and school faculty living in the shadow of events that both bind them together and tear them apart. The show travels deep into the hearts and homes of diverse, complicated characters, as they struggle to find their new normal, reaching for hope, redemption and love.

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