CTV Airs The Degrassi Story September 17 in Honour of Franchise’s Silver Anniversary
Toronto, Ontario (September 7, 2005) –

After 25 years, four incarnations and a whole new generation of viewers on both sides of the border, the Degrassi franchise is stronger than ever. CTV announced today it will honour the storied franchise’s 25th anniversary with a special retrospective documentary The Degrassi Story, airing Saturday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. ET (check local listings).

The broadcast provides a natural springboard to CTV’s Season 5 premiere of Degrassi: The Next Generation on Sept. 19.

From The Kids of Degrassi Street to The Next Generation, The Degrassi Story is a one-hour look at the 25-year history of the Degrassi franchise. Hosted by Stefan Brogren (a.k.a. Archie “Snake” Simpson), the behind-the-scenes styled doc answers the long-standing question: Why do people love this franchise? Who better to lead the journey answering that question than Brogren, who also serves as Co-writer of the documentary, and has lived with alter ego “Snake” for more than 19 years.

Brogren embarks on a mission – reconnecting with friends he hasn’t seen in some time, as well as those he still sees on a regular basis. Together, they reminisce about life as child actors. Guests include former cast members Amanda Stepto (“Spike”); Pat Mastroianni (“Joey Jeremiah”); Dayo Ade (“BLT”); Angela and Maureen Deiseach (“The Twins”); Siluck Saysanasy (“Yick Yu”), Stacie Mistysyn (“Caitlyn Ryan”); and Neil Hope (“Wheels”). Degrassi: The Next Generation cast-mates Adamo Ruggiero (“Marco”), Miriam McDonald (“Emma”), and Jake Epstein (“Craig”) discuss their current experiences with the series, and their thoughts on what makes this show so successful.

Through interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, The Degrassi Story reveals how the franchise has thrived for a quarter century. The secret ingredient remains its ability to speak directly to its audience, tackling the toughest of issues in a realistic way.

The Degrassi Story is executive produced by Gordon Henderson for 90th Parallel Productions Ltd. Mike Sheerin is Producer, Director and Co-writes with Stefan Brogren, who is also the host. Bob Culbert is CTV’s Vice-President of Documentaries. Susanne Boyce is President, CTV Programming and Chair of the CTV Media Group.