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Could Drake's Video Reunion Lead to an Actual Degrassi Revival?

Exclusive: Original stars Miriam McDonald and Shane Kippel weigh in on the possibility of an actual on-screen revival of the iconic Canadian teen drama

By Tierney Bricker Jun 15, 2018 2:57 PMTags

Is it time for Degrassi: The Next Next Generation?

After witnessing the Internet's freakout over Drake staging an epic Degrassi reunion for his "I'm Upset" video, it's clear there's still a lot of love and interest in the iconic Canadian teen soap. And given the TV industry's recent obsession with all thing revival and reboots, is it time to head back to Degrassi High for an actual on-screen reunion? 

"Never say never," original star Miriam McDonald told E! News of a possible Degrassi revival series. "We couldn't have predicted this video was going to come along. Who knows what the next stop on this crazy train we're on is going to be." 

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Degrassi: Where Are They Now?

With most of the original cast being pre-teens when they first started working on the show, they've shared a "unique childhood," which was one of the main reasons the "I'm Upset" video shoot was "such a layered experience" for the stars. 

"Us being in the same room together again just reminded us of what a unique childhood we all had and how we have this bond that will transcend time no matter what," Kippel said. "We could go five years, ten years without seeing each other and then it brings it all back." 

Most of the original cast (minus a few notable standouts) appeared in the video, which took just two weeks from concept to release to put together, and Kippel seemed confident that a majority of the series' stars would be open to a revival. 

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"I don't think there would be anyone out there that if there was an opportunity to do some sort of reboot in some sort of form, whatever form that may be, I don't think anyone would be quick to turn that down!

 

Degrassi: The Next Generation itself was a revival of sorts, and you could almost say it kicked off the trend back in 2001. Degrassi actually began airing in 1979 and went through many iterations, from The Kids on Degrassi Streetto Degrassi Junior HighDegrassi High and, finally, Degrassi: The Next Generation.

And it was McDonald's character Emma, the daughter of Degrassi Junior High's Spike (Amanda Stepto), who was pregnant at 16 on that show's run, that spearheaded The Next Generation, which began with her entering middle school 17 years ago.

"I think we've all evolved as people too, so if there were to be something I think what we would bring to the table would actually be something quite different from what we did 5, 10, 15 years ago," McDonald said. "I think it would actually be a pretty exciting concept.

IN 2015, TeenNick made the shocking announcement that they would no longer be airing the long-running series after 14 seasons, but Netflix swooped in to pick up the show, premiering Degrassi: Next Class in 2016. Four seasons are currently available to stream.