From Drake's music to Raymond Alblack's very dreamy romantic persona to a generation of viewers who were a little too obsessed with the song "Shark in the Water," Degrassi has pushed pop culture forward in ways we're only beginning to fully understand . It was also many young viewers' first exposure to a television series - one that will continue to entertain (and potentially traumatize) generations to come. It was announced in January that a reboot of HBO Max Degrassi was in the works, to be directed by two of the original series' writers.
The reboot is still a while away (you can catch up on the entire Next Generation catalog in the meantime), but here's everything we know so far about the new Degrassi cast, plot, and release date — plus, a few of the show's original The team commented on the news.
Degrassi Reboot release date and trailer
There's no trailer yet, but HBO Max has revealed that the Degrassi reboot will premiere in 2023. Filming will begin this summer.
Degrassi reboot plot
Want to know what happens when Degrassi reboots? First of all, it won't be a Canadian Euphoria . Yes, the new Degrassi is airing on HBO Max, but the streamer describes it as a "teen and family series." This is in keeping with the original show, which dealt with some very serious matters but always maintained a PG vibe. According to HBO Max:
"Degrassi is a character-driven series about the high school experience and the thrilling and often painful journey of self-discovery. Set in Toronto, the new series follows a group of teenagers living in the shadow of the events "
Yes, this is Degrassi ! In terms of specifics, last year before the reboot was announced, the cast revealed some potential plot points they wanted to explore. Daniel Clark (Sean Cameron) tells Deadline he wants to know more about Sean's time in the military; Sean Kiper (Spinner Mason) wants "closure" between his character and Emma relationship; Stefan Brogren (Mr. Simpson, aka Snake) says he thinks one day he'll be the janitor, and Luke Billick (Drew) will take over as principal.
There's at least one big difference between the old series and HBO's biggest iteration -- there will be 10-hour-long episodes this time around, whereas past episodes were typically shorter (and more frequent).
Degrassi reboot cast list
The new Degrassi cast has yet to be announced, but the talent behind the scenes will have you excited. Lara Azzopardi and Julia Cohen have been named showrunners on the series, bringing with them extensive TV production experience. In addition to their previous collaboration on "Degrassi: The Next Generation," Azzopardi and Cohen's most recent credits include "The Bold Type" and "Riverdale," respectively.
the most important is? They had the blessing of Degrassi's parents, series creator Linda Schuyler and her producer husband, Stephen Stone. Storen wrote in a series of tweets that he and Skyler "worked with Laura and Julia as writers on Degrassi in the early stages of their careers, so we have a lot of insight into where their careers were at." I am particularly proud of the rapid development over the next few years.”
Degrassi reboot returns characters
Will the original Degrassi cast return for the reboot? We don't know yet, but there's good reason to believe there will be at least some familiar faces. Mixing generations is a Degrassi thing — Emma's mom has been a student at Degrassi Junior High School. So does Mr. Simpson. Many alumni of the school returned to the Netflix-era TV series Degrassi: Next Class, so this is definitely a standing invitation to have your favorite Degrassi come back anytime.
Cassie Steele (Manny Santos) recently joked with NYLON that she would "always consider anything as long as it makes a lot of money," and offered up some possible plot points for her character — like, maybe, as "A drunken drama teacher" returns. Lauren Collins (Paige Michalczak) seemed to have a meta-reaction to the news of the reboot. "If any streamers are interested in a pilot I wrote about this moment in my life, watch it!!" she tweeted in January.
Brogren has not commented on the reboot, but he has been outspoken about his love for all things Degrassi. He is a central figure at the school, so his return seems likely.
Now that Degrassi is on HBO Max, maybe Drake (who serves as a producer on Euphoria ) will guest star as Jimmy. From his Degrassi reunion music video for "I'm Upset," we know there's a lot of love between him and his fellow alums.
Degrassi reboot theme song
Like Mr. Simpson, "Whatever It Takes" is another important part of the Degrassi canon. Although intro details have yet to be revealed, here’s hoping the song sticks around.
Another memorable Degrassi tune may also return in the reboot. VV Brown, who sang the iconic "Shark in the Water" in the Season 10 promo, wrote that she "would love to recreate" the song for HBO Max. "I'm going to help people." Thank you, Legend!
As more information about the Degrassi revival becomes available, this article will be updated with trailers, release dates, and other plot details .