Old Vs. New

[Me]

I like the old series. The new series has nice clothes and is
updated, but the old series REALISTICALLY tackled the issues facing
kids. Remember, Spike got pregnant in 6th or 7th grade. The new
series didn't tackle pregnancy until high school.

The old series did a much more thorough job of discussing HIV
(everything was called AIDS back then), rape, abortion, drugs (Spike's
baby's father took LSD and ended up half brain dead), adoption,
bastards (remember, Spike's baby was born out of wedlock), sex,
racism, relationships (Caitlyn & Joey, Wheels and his adoptive
parents), suicide (that goth guy killed himself in the school bathroom
after Caitlyn broke up with him), loneliness (Lucy's parents were
always gone), shoplifting, pedophilia (the substitute tried to seduce
Lucy - the mulatto chick) lying, diseases (LD had lukemia and Caitlyn
had epilepsy), multi-racial relationships (remember the black guy with
the huge lips (BLT) was going out with the trailer trash
girl(Michelle)), depression (the slutty school president wanted to
kill herself in Degrassi Jr. High), on and on and on....

They even talked about homosexuality -- Snake's big brother, Glenn,
was gay.

[Someone]

Post by Me
I like the old series.

I do too. I think part of the magic the older series had that the
new one doesn't came from the teaming of Kit Hood and
Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore.

Kit is gone, and Linda has become just one of a sea of
"Executive Producers" that a contemporary series has to endure.
This "production by committee" is almost always a mistake,
and DNG is a perfect example.

Also, the new series lacks the writing genius that Yan Moore
gave the original.

[Callen Damornen/Judi Clarke-Copeland]

Post by Me
I like the old series. The new series has nice clothes and is
updated, but the old series REALISTICALLY tackled the issues facing
kids. Remember, Spike got pregnant in 6th or 7th grade. The new
series didn't tackle pregnancy until high school.
The old series did a much more thorough job of discussing HIV
(everything was called AIDS back then), rape, abortion, drugs (Spike's
baby's father took LSD and ended up half brain dead), adoption,
bastards (remember, Spike's baby was born out of wedlock), sex,
racism, relationships (Caitlyn & Joey, Wheels and his adoptive
parents), suicide (that goth guy killed himself in the school bathroom
after Caitlyn broke up with him), loneliness (Lucy's parents were
always gone), shoplifting, pedophilia (the substitute tried to seduce
Lucy - the mulatto chick) lying, diseases (LD had lukemia and Caitlyn
had epilepsy), multi-racial relationships (remember the black guy with
the huge lips (BLT) was going out with the trailer trash
girl(Michelle)), depression (the slutty school president wanted to
kill herself in Degrassi Jr. High), on and on and on....
They even talked about homosexuality -- Snake's big brother, Glenn,
was gay.

The old ones at least left legacy scars, where the new the problem seems
to be dealt with and forgotten in most cases.

Example, Spike getting pregnant. It wasn't just over being dealt with
in a few episodes. From that moment on she was an unwed teen mother.

Vs.

Liberty getting pregnant. She dealt with it for a few episodes by
keeping it under wraps for most of it. Gave it up for adoption. And
that is probably the last we will ever hear about that.

Another example - abortion.

Old Degrassi had Erica pregnant. She had Heather to help her go through
this rough time, even if she hated the idea of abortion. Even after the
abortion was performed, it continued to haunt Heather while Erica was
trying to move on with her life.

New Degrassi had Manny pregnant. She dealt with it and it was not
brought up again to haunt her in any way except the one time hippy chick
Emma threw it in her face to be mean.

Back then the consequences of their actions stuck with them. TNG
problems tend to be swept under the rug and forgotten until the time
with the Rick beating up Terri and then the consequences of Rick getting
killed and permanently hurting Jimmy.

TNG also lacks parental involvement, even if the problem is so huge that
no child should handle it on their own. Joey, Caitlin, Stephanie,
Arthure, Wheels, Snake, Spike, Michelle, Maya, Shane, Liz all had more
parental interaction and a connection with their parents/guardians.
This helped to explain more why they turned out the way they did. Even
the kids with horrible families like Kathleen and Rick, we at least got
a glimpse of who they were to explain why their kids acted as they did.

But back then, they didn't really delve too much on the homosexual issue
as they do in TNG because I think back then people were still far too
prudish to hear it in the detail they can get away with it now.

Don't get me wrong, I actually like the new series. On some levels, I
like it better.

[Someone]

Post by Callen Damornen/Judi Clarke-Copeland
TNG also lacks parental involvement, even if the problem is so huge that
no child should handle it on their own.

You bring up some very good points about the differences in the continuity
of the old versus the new. For example, I'll never forget "Can't Live With 'Em"
and "A Tangled Web," which, although seasons apart, maintain the storyline
with Wheels' domestic situation. The actors played their roles in an
excellent, understated way, no doubt helped by Kit Hood's excellent direction.

[Shadow]

Post by Callen Damornen/Judi Clarke-Copeland

Post by Me
I like the old series. The new series has nice clothes and is
updated, but the old series REALISTICALLY tackled the issues facing
kids. Remember, Spike got pregnant in 6th or 7th grade. The new
series didn't tackle pregnancy until high school. The old series did a
much more thorough job of discussing HIV
(everything was called AIDS back then), rape, abortion, drugs (Spike's
baby's father took LSD and ended up half brain dead), adoption,
bastards (remember, Spike's baby was born out of wedlock), sex,
racism, relationships (Caitlyn & Joey, Wheels and his adoptive
parents), suicide (that goth guy killed himself in the school bathroom
after Caitlyn broke up with him), loneliness (Lucy's parents were
always gone), shoplifting, pedophilia (the substitute tried to seduce
Lucy - the mulatto chick) lying, diseases (LD had lukemia and Caitlyn
had epilepsy), multi-racial relationships (remember the black guy with
the huge lips (BLT) was going out with the trailer trash
girl(Michelle)), depression (the slutty school president wanted to
kill herself in Degrassi Jr. High), on and on and on.... They even
talked about homosexuality -- Snake's big brother, Glenn,
was gay.

The old ones at least left legacy scars, where the new the problem seems
to be dealt with and forgotten in most cases.
Example, Spike getting pregnant. It wasn't just over being dealt with in
a few episodes. From that moment on she was an unwed teen mother.
Vs.
Liberty getting pregnant. She dealt with it for a few episodes by keeping
it under wraps for most of it. Gave it up for adoption. And that is
probably the last we will ever hear about that.
Another example - abortion.
Old Degrassi had Erica pregnant. She had Heather to help her go through
this rough time, even if she hated the idea of abortion. Even after the
abortion was performed, it continued to haunt Heather while Erica was
trying to move on with her life.
New Degrassi had Manny pregnant. She dealt with it and it was not brought
up again to haunt her in any way except the one time hippy chick Emma
threw it in her face to be mean.
Back then the consequences of their actions stuck with them. TNG problems
tend to be swept under the rug and forgotten until the time with the Rick
beating up Terri and then the consequences of Rick getting killed and
permanently hurting Jimmy.
TNG also lacks parental involvement, even if the problem is so huge that
no child should handle it on their own. Joey, Caitlin, Stephanie,
Arthure, Wheels, Snake, Spike, Michelle, Maya, Shane, Liz all had more
parental interaction and a connection with their parents/guardians. This
helped to explain more why they turned out the way they did. Even the
kids with horrible families like Kathleen and Rick, we at least got a
glimpse of who they were to explain why their kids acted as they did.
But back then, they didn't really delve too much on the homosexual issue
as they do in TNG because I think back then people were still far too
prudish to hear it in the detail they can get away with it now.
Don't get me wrong, I actually like the new series. On some levels, I
like it better.

People have a far shorter attention span these days. I think that's most of
the reason for the choppy writing and one-call resolution approach to all
the problems in the new series.