Degrassi: Whatever It Takes is some good old Canadiana mixed with nostalgia, and an ode to one of Canada’s greatest entertainment exports.
The Toronto International Film Festival features films and series from all over the world, but despite the festival’s global profile and influence, it’s still the preeminent platform for Canadian films. One that had locals buzzing this year was Degrassi: Whatever It Takes which chronicles the rise of the legendary drama series, from its humble beginnings to its rise to global phenomenon.
The story of Degrassi wouldn’t be what it is without starting with its creator, teacher turned producer Linda Schuyler, who, alongside her then-partner Kit Hood, produced their first series, The Kids of Degrassi Street, from 1979 to 1986. The documentary shows Linda and Kit as mother and father figures to the young cast, a recurring theme over the many iterations of Degrassi.
The documentary is quite the lovefest with superfans, including the Degrassi varsity jacket wearing actor Andrew Pheung, sharing their love for the series, which was not only ahead of its time in grappling with the real issues teens were facing, but promoted diversity long before it became a thing. We also see a whose-who of former cast members from the various generations of the show, including Miriam McDonald (Emma), Stacie Mistysyn (Caitlin), Christine Nelson (Spike), Archie Simpson (Snake), Melinda Shankar (Alli), Shenae Grimes (Darcy), Dayo Ade (BLT), and, of course, Drake, who parlayed his onscreen success into global music superstardom.
But the film isn’t just a puff piece about one of the most successful series in Canadian TV history. The cast take viewers behind the veil, revealing the downside of working on the show, from the “all hands on deck” philosophy which saw them taking turns working in food services and other departments, to being severely underpaid given the show’s popularity. For his part, Ade bemoans the lack of storylines for Black characters. Meanwhile, Nelson notes that some people made a lot of money off of the Degrassi empire while others didn’t.
While Schuyler looks visibly nervous as certain topics are broached, they aren’t enough to call into question the legacy of her creation, which, over the course of 36 years, has been credited with not only educating teens about hard hitting topics like sex and drugs, but actually saving lives by talking about suicide.
Despite the brutally honest moments, Degrassi: Whatever It Takes is not only a love letter to the groundbreaking series, but a love letter to the fans who made this legendary run possible. Simply put, Degrassi was a unicorn when it comes teen drama that may never be duplicated again. It stood in stark contrast to its more glamorous counterparts like Beverly Hills 90210.
Degrassi: Whatever It Takes is some good old Canadiana mixed with nostalgia, and an ode to one of Canada’s greatest entertainment exports. It will make you laugh, it might make you cry, but more than anything, it will hopefully make you proud.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s Toronto-based editor and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named one of 340 international voters for the Golden Globe Awards and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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