Degrassi Junior High is a Canadian CBC Television teen drama series that was produced from 1987-1989 as part of the Degrassi series. The show followed the lives of a group of students attending the titular fictional school. Many episodes tackled difficult topics such as drug use, child abuse, teenage pregnancy, homosexuality, homophobia, racism, and divorce, and the series was acclaimed for its sensitive and realistic portrayal of the challenges of teenage life. The cast comprised mainly non-professional actors, which added to the show's sense of realism.
The series featured many of the same actors who had starred on The Kids of Degrassi Street a few years earlier, including Stacie Mistysyn, Neil Hope, Anais Granofsky, Sarah Charlesworth and others. However, their character names and family situations had been changed, so Degrassi Junior High cannot, therefore, be considered a direct spinoff.
The legal counsel for all the episodes was Stephen Stohn who later became the executive producer of Degrassi: The Next Generation. The series was filmed at the unused Vincent Massey Public School in Etobicoke, Ontario.
Episodes
S01E01 Kiss Me, Steph
January 18, 1987 5.5 30 min
Stephanie begins her first day of the eighth grade by ignoring her younger brother, Arthur, who is a year younger than her. Stephanie decides to run for student council president for the school year. After...
Against her father's orders, Voula attends the school dance, but doesn't tell him she's going. Stephanie asks Wheels to be her date for the date, and he accepts. Before arriving, Stephanie, Heather and Erica go...
Yick feels that Mr. Raditch gives him poor marks without even reading his work. Arthur suggests copying some of Stephanie's old assignments and submitting it as Yick's, too see if his marks improve. All is...
Joey and Rick work together on a school assignment. While working at Rick's house, Joey discoveries that Rick's bruises aren't the results of school yard fights, but an abusive father. Joey confides in his mother,...
Melanie fears she is too flat chested for the school swim team. After constant complaining that her mother wont buy her a bra, L.D. takes Melanie to the department store. When she arrives at school,...
Many of Ms. Avery's students think that she is a lesbian. Caitlin, who admires her teacher, defends these rumours and insists that her teacher isnt gay. After dreaming that her classmates think that she is...
Stephanie asks Wheels out on another date, and rumours start floating around the school that they will have sex on their date. Wheels unknowingly buys condoms at the drugstore where Stephanie's mother works. All pressure...
L.D. is worried when her father is admitted to the hospital. She fears that after losing her mother to cancer, her father will die as well. She is afraid to see him in the hospital,...
Voula befriends Lucy by helping her with her homework. After her marks improve, Lucy shows her appreciation by taking Voula shopping for clothes. At the store, Voula learns that her friend shoplifts. Lucy steals a...
In an effort to impress Caitlin, Rick joins the school's anti-pollution committee. Yick buys a vase, passing it off as an ancient family heirloom for his school project. When Arthur accidently breaks the vase, Yick...
Shane and Spike have sex for the first time, at Lucy's party. Spike is later worried when her period is late and fears she might be pregnant. Her mother discoveries a home pregnany test and...
Wheels meets his birth father for the first time when he comes to town. Wheels finds he has a lot in common with his father and is hopeful that they will become close. After realizing...
After Wheels rejects a date with Stephanie, she starts flirting with Joey to make him jealous. After she appoints Joey as sports rep on the student council, the grade sevens retaliate because Yick was interested...