Degrassi: Next Class (season 2)

Degrassi: Next Class (season 2)
Country of origin	Canada
No. of episodes	10
Release
Original network	Family (Canada) Netflix (International) ABC3 (Australia)^1
Original release	Australia: May 30 Canada: July 19 – June 10, 2016 September 20, 2016

The second season of Degrassi: Next Class premiered on July 19, 2016 on Family Channel under the teen block F2N in Canada and began streaming internationally on July 22, 2016 on Netflix.^[1][2] The season made its debut in Australia on May 30, 2016 and concluded on June 10, 2016. This season followed a group of high school sophomores and juniors from Degrassi Community School, a fictional school in Toronto, Ontario, and depicts some of the typical issues and challenges common to a teenager's life. This season picked up where the first left off and depicted the second semester of the school year. It continued to tell the stories of a new generation navigating high school drama with groundbreaking stories such as cyber bullying, mental illness, dysfunctional families, sexuality, online harassment, feminism, racism, racial discrimination, life-threatening diseases and drug use.^[3] It also continued to target the new post-millennial teen cohort known as Generation Z.

Cast

Series regulars

The second season has nineteen actors receiving star billing with all nineteen of them returning from the previous season.^[4]

• Amanda Arcuri as Lola Pacini (9 episodes)
• Amir Bageria as Baaz Nahir (6 episodes)
• Soma Bhatia as Goldi Nahir (7 episodes)
• Jamie Bloch as Yael Baron (5 episodes)
• Stefan Brogren as Archie "Snake" Simpson (2 episodes)
• Chelsea Clark as Esme Song (5 episodes)
• Reiya Downs as Shaylynn "Shay" Powers (9 episodes)
• Ana Golja as Zoe Rivas (9 episodes)
• Nikki Gould as Grace Cardinal (9 episodes)
• Ricardo Hoyos as Zigmund "Zig" Novak (9 episodes)
• Ehren Kassam as Jonah Haak (7 episodes)
• Andre Kim as Winston "Chewy" Chu (8 episodes)
• Lyle Lettau as Tristan Milligan (8 episodes)
• Spencer MacPherson as Hunter Hollingsworth (6 episodes)
• Eric Osborne as Miles Hollingsworth III (9 episodes)
• Dante Scott as Vijay Maraj (5 episodes)
• Olivia Scriven as Maya Matlin (8 episodes)
• Sara Waisglass as Frankie Hollingsworth (9 episodes)
• Richard Walters as Deon "Tiny" Bell (9 episodes)

Supporting cast

Alumni

• Jamie Johnston as Peter Stone (4 episodes)^[4][5]
• Raymond Ablack as Sav Bhandari (2 episodes)
• Shane Kippel as Spinner Mason (2 episodes)
• Charlotte Arnold as Holly J. Sinclair (1 episode)
• Sarah Barrable-Tishauer as Liberty Van Zandt (1 episode)
• Lauren Collins as Paige Michalchuk (1 episode)
• Jake Epstein as Craig Manning (1 episode)
• Miriam McDonald as Emma Nelson-Mason (1 episode)
• Jacob Neayem as Mo Mashkour (1 episode)
• Adamo Ruggiero as Marco Del Rossi (1 episode)

Students

• Clarissa Anson as Kara (4 episodes)

Parents & Faculty

• Stephanie Moore as Mrs. Diana Hollingsworth (5 episodes)
• Aisha Alfa as Ms. Grell (3 episodes)
• Michael Brown as Mr. Mitchell (3 episodes)
• Michael Kinney as Mr. Darryl Armstrong (2 episodes)
• Elle Downs as Mrs. Powers (1 episode)
• Sterling Jarvis as Mr. Powers (1 episode)
• Cheri Maracle as Ms. Cardinal (1 episode)
• Tom Melissis as Mr. Dom Perino (1 episode)

Production

After the cancellation of Degrassi's 14-season run on TeenNick, Nickelodeon passed on the pitch for Degrassi: Next Class. This reboot of the series was later picked up by Netflix and is considered a stand-alone series for a new generation—a new incarnation. This season was filmed along with season 1. The show was given a 20 episode order with the episodes being split into two seasons on Netflix and Family.^{[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]} Filming for the two seasons began in June 2015 and wrapped early September the same year.^[13]

This season featured the 500th episode of the Degrassi franchise which in turn featured an alumni reunion with characters from Degrassi: The Next Generation. Confirmed guest appearances are Adamo Ruggiero as Marco Del Rossi, Miriam McDonald as Emma Nelson, Lauren Collins as Paige Michalchuk, Shane Kippel as Gavin "Spinner" Mason, and Sarah Barrable-Tishauer as Liberty Van Zandt. Several others are also expected to return.^[14] Appearing throughout the season will be former cast member Jamie Johnston who portrayed Peter Stone from seasons five through ten of Degrassi: The Next Generation. He first appears in the premiere.

During May 2016, Australian network ABC3 began releasing episode titles and descriptions for this season, two months before its premiere in the United States and Canada. A week after the first season concluded on the network, it began airing this season on May 30, 2016. This will be the first time in the Degrassi franchise history that an entire season airs in a foreign country before its release in Canada and the U.S. The season will run for 2 weeks on ABC3 and use the telenovela/soap opera format incorporated in the later seasons of Degrassi.^{[15][16][17][18]}

In Canada, the season premiered on July 19, 2016, on Family Channel's F2N block. Unlike the previous season, it will air for 10-weeks and move to Tuesday's at 9:45 PM ET/PT. Also, due to the season premiering in Australia beforehand, Family released the entire season on July 22, 2016, on its subscription-based Family Channel App alongside Netflix's release.^[1][19]

Episodes

No. in season	No. in series	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original airdate	Netflix Release	Production code
1	11	"#SquadGoals"[16][20]	Stefan Brogren	Courtney Jane Walker	May 30, 2016 (Australia)[21] July 19, 2016 (Canada)[1]	July 22, 2016[2][22]	201
After a rival school pranks Degrassi, Frankie retaliates & is called out. When Hunter purposely endangers himself, Miles realises that he needs help. Maya's feelings for Zig threaten her co-op placement opportunity.
2	12	"#TurntUp"[16][20]	Stefan Brogren	Courtney Jane Walker	May 31, 2016 (Australia)[21] July 26, 2016 (Canada)[1]	July 22, 2016[2][22]	202
Hunter realises he must accept professional help. Shay considers whether or not she can defend Frankie. Angry, Zig blames Maya for everything that happened between them.
3	13	"#CheckYourPrivilege"[16][20]	Phil Earnshaw	Cole Bastedo	June 1, 2016 (Australia)[21] August 2, 2016 (Canada)[1]	July 22, 2016[2][22]	203
Frankie organises a diversity mixer to fix things with the Northern Tech team and hold onto her position. Tristan, worried about pressuring Miles and straining their relationship, takes over their robot baby assignment. When Yael's app goes viral, she has to choose between her integrity and her success.
4	14	"#BuyMePizza"[16][20]	Phil Earnshaw	Alejandro Alcoba & Ian MacIntyre	June 2, 2016 (Australia)[21] August 9, 2016 (Canada)[1]	July 22, 2016[2][22]	204
When Zoë doesn't receive a callback, she worries that it's because of her homosexual feelings & comes up with a way to hide her true self. When Grace is made fun of for her appearance, she decides to take on a new look. After Tiny asks Lola to delete her dating profile, she makes a bold decision.
5	15	"#ThrowBackThursday"[16][20]	Phil Earnshaw	Matt Huether	June 3, 2016 (Australia)[21] August 16, 2016 (Canada)[1]	July 22, 2016[2][22]	205
Lola stages a protest for Tiny's unfair suspension and garners attention during the Degrassi Alumni event. Tristan sets out to alleviate tension in the air by censoring all gala night sketches. Frankie looks for a way to change people's perception of her after being kicked off the volleyball team. Note: This is the 500th episode of the Degrassi franchise and features several guest stars from previous seasons of Degrassi: The Next Generation. Guest stars include: Raymond Ablack as Sav Bhandari, Charlotte Arnold as Holly J. Sinclair, Sarah Barrable-Tishaur as Liberty Van Zandt, Lauren Collins as Paige Michalchuk, Jake Epstein as Craig Manning, Jamie Johnston as Peter Stone, Shane Kippel as Spinner Mason, Miriam McDonald as Emma Nelson-Mason, and Jacob Neayem as Mo Mashkour.
6	16	"#ToMyFutureSelf"[16][20]	Phil Earnshaw	Matt Huether	June 6, 2016 (Australia)[21] August 23, 2016 (Canada)[1]	July 22, 2016[2][22]	206
Shay is given the opportunity of a lifetime, but must apologize for the protest & compromise her values in order to get it. When Grace begins spending more time with Zig, Maya decides to pursue a friendship with Peter. Zoe's rivalry with Esme comes into play while working on a school project with Winston.
7	17	"#ThatAwkwardMomentWhen"[16][16]	Rt!	Courtney Jane Walker	June 7, 2016 (Australia)[21] August 30, 2016 (Canada)[1]	July 22, 2016[2][22]	207
Frankie tries to escape from her problems by driving off with Jonah, but soon realises that running away isn't always a solution. A suffering Tiny takes Shay's advice over Lola's. Zoe takes a friendly competition with Miles & Tristan too far, resulting in Winston questioning their relationship.
8	18	"#RiseAndGrind"[21][23]	Rt!	Matt Huether	May 31, 2016 (Australia)[21] June 8, 2016 (Canada)[1]	July 22, 2016[2][22]	208
Miles and Tristan run into relationship troubles when they disagree on the importance of sex. When a dancing opportunity presents itself to Zig, he's eager to prove himself and turns to Esme for help. Meanwhile, when Maya asks Vijay to take down his cover of her song, he responds online.
9	19	"#TheseAreMyConfessions"[21][24]	Rt!	Sarah Glinski	June 9, 2016 (Australia)[21] September 13, 2016 (Canada)[1]	July 22, 2016[2][22]	209
Grace confesses to having feelings for Zig during a party in the woods. To win Volleyball City Finals, Shay realises that they need Frankie, but wonders if she can forgive her. Yael must go on a date with Baaz due to him winning a bet, although she is reluctant.
10	20	"#OMFG"[21][25]	Rt!	Sarah Glinski	June 10, 2016 (Australia)[21] September 20, 2016 (Canada)[1]	July 22, 2016[2][22]	210
Lola shuts down Shay's request to date Tiny, which leads Shay to act out during their championship game. Zoe's burning intensifies & as Winston begins to second-guess their relationship, she finally gives in to her true self. Hunter is reluctant to date Yael because he worries that he will lash out again.

^Note 1 : ABC3 in Australia aired the season before both Family Channel in Canada and Netflix internationally.

References

1. "Degrassi: Next Class - Episode Guide - Zap2it". Tvlistings.zap2it.com. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
2. Kickham, Dylan (2016-01-14). "Degrassi: Next Class renewed for seasons 3 and 4". EW.com. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
3. "Sara, Spencer & Ehren Talk Degrassi On CP24 – Kary's Degrassi Blog". Degrassiblog.com. 2015-12-14. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
4. "Degrassi: Next Class - Series 2 Ep 1 #SquadGoals : ABC iview".
5. "Jamie Johnston (@JamieJohnston89) - Twitter".
6. "Stefan Brogren on Twitter: "Well Canada, tonight's the season finale of Degrassi:NextClass on @F2N_TV. Soooooo quick. Loved watching with you guys! Let's do it again.xo"". Twitter. 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
7. "Degrassi on Twitter: "@F2N_TV Bring on tonight's #Degrassi: Next Class season finale! It's an incredibly powerful episode that will leave a lot to discuss. 9 pm."". Twitter. 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
8. "Amir Bageria on Twitter: "@DegrassiRedux @F2N_TV season finale :)"". Twitter. 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
9. "F2N on Twitter: "Tonight's season finale of #DegrassiNextClass is going to be crazy emotional. Mentally prepare for the next 5 hours. "". Twitter. 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
10. "Amir Bageria on Twitter: "@DegrassiRedux Hey! There are 10 episodes for the first season of Next Class :)"". Twitter. 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
11. "Netflix US on Twitter: "Go there with @ChelseaHandler, race with dragons, and meet #DegrassiNextClass in this month's #NetflixPicks. "". Twitter. 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
12. Natalie Jarvey (2016-01-17). "'Degrassi: Next Class' Team Talk Female Masturbation Storyline, Adding a Muslim Character". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
13. Peltz, Jonathan (2015-08-03). "High School Never Ends: An Interview with the Creators of 'Degrassi' | VICE | United States". VICE. Retrieved 2015-08-11.
14. Goldblatt, Henry (2016-05-06). "Degrassi: Next Class: First look at the reunion". EW.com. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
15. "ABC3 - TV Program - Degrassi: Next Class (Series 2)". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
16. "Degrassi: Next Class : ABC TV". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
17. 8:37pm 9:00pm 9:30pm 10:00pm 10:30pm 11:00pm. "TV Guide". Foxtel.com.au. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
18. "TV Guide". Foxtel.com.au. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
19. "MUAZANA on Twitter: "Degrassi's back July 19 @ 9:45pm ET/PT on @F2N_TV! And download the Family Channel App to watch the ENTIRE SEASON July 22! #DegrassiOnFamily"". Twitter. 2016-06-22. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
20. "ABC3 - TV Program - Degrassi: Next Class (Series 2)". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
21. "Degrassi: Next Class : ABC TV". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
22. "Stephen Stohn on Twitter: "Just announced: Degrassi: Next Class Season 2 will premiere Friday July 22 on Netflix"". Twitter. 2016-04-11. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
23. "ABC3 - TV Program - Degrassi: Next Class (Series 2)". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
24. "ABC3 - TV Program - Degrassi: Next Class (Series 2)". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
25. "ABC3 - TV Program - Degrassi: Next Class (Series 2)". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2016-05-27.

External links

• List of Degrassi: Next Class episodes at IMDB.
• List of Degrassi: Next Class episodes at TV.com.