Nickandmore!

[via press release]

The N Celebrates the 25th Anniversary Of Degrassi

Celebration Kicks Off September 30 With a Degrassi: Behind The Scenes Special Followed By Classic Degrassi Episodes Culminating With the season 5 Premiere of Degrassi: The Next Generation

Simon and Schuster’s Pocket Books To Release ‘Degrassi Generations: The Official 411’ 25th Anniversary Book On September 20

19 New Episodes of Season Five of Degrassi: The Next Generation Set to Premiere Beginning Friday, October 7

NEW YORK, Sept. 13 – The N, the nighttime network for teens, will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Degrassi franchise this Fall. The celebration kicks off with a special hour-long, behind the scenes look at the teen cult hit on Friday, September 30th from 8-9 p.m. (ET) leading up to the season five premiere of Degrassi: The Next Generation on Friday, October 7 at 8 p.m. (ET).

As part of the festivities, The N has acquired the rights to air the entire classic Degrassi library which is comprised of 70 of the classic Degrassi episodes culled from Degrassi Jr. High and Degrassi High, as well as the Degrassi two hour movie of the week, School’s Out.

On Thursday, October 6 from 8-10 .p.m. (ET), The N will unveil a two-hour block of four back-to-back classic episodes from Degrassi Jr. High and Degrassi High. This classic block will encore on Saturday, October 8 from 6-8 p.m. (ET).

In the season five premiere “Venus”, (Friday, October 7 at 8:00 p.m. ET), Manny is ready to put humiliation and alienation in her past now that is a new school year. She’ll do anything to become an actress, but a meeting with a cutthroat agent leaves her wondering if she’ll ever be pretty enough. Suddenly, the idea of plastic surgery sounds more and more appealing. And when she sees an opportunity to showcase her assets for the new guy – Peter – she thinks it will be perfect. But her big acting break turns into a humiliating nightmare. Meanwhile, Craig can’t wait for Ashley to come back from England, but Ellie has some bad news to break to him-on his birthday.

Parent discussion guides are available for Degrassi: The Next Generation on http:%5C\discussions.the-n.com. The episode-specific guides offer parents tips and questions about the issues raised in Degrassi to use as discussion starters with young adolescents.

In addition, The N will also air a classic Degrassi episode with a corresponding theme to a new Season 5 episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation on Friday, October 14 and Friday, October 21. Degrassi: The Next Generation airs regularly Friday nights at 8 p.m. (ET) and 10 p.m. (ET) on The N.

DEGRASSI GENERATIONS: The Official 411 will be available from Pocket Books on September 20 to coincide with the 25th Anniversary of the very first Degrassi show. Written by Kathryn Ellis and featuring an introduction by filmmaker Kevin Smith, DEGRASSI GENERATIONS is the official retrospective guide to the decades-spanning Degrassi franchise, from its early days as The Kids of Degrassi Street to the present-day series Degrassi: The Next Generation. The book takes fans behind the scenes and into the lockers of one of television’s most successful ongoing teen series. DEGRASSI GENERATIONS is the ultimate fan book and a remarkable history of all the kids of Degrassi Street.

The N’s Degrassi: Behind The Scenes is a one-hour special where fans follow Jake Epstein, Adamo Ruggiero, Miriam McDonald, Aubrey Graham, Stacey Farber, Shane Kippel and Cassie Steele as they chat about the characters they play on Degrassi and discuss some of the intense moments and how they’ve lived vicariously through their TV alter egos.

In addition to bloopers and outtakes, Degrassi: Behind the Scenes will reveal which scene was the most fun to film, take a look at how the actors have matured and play a little “kiss-and-tell” with all the love-story carnage that takes place within the walls of Degrassi Community School. Viewers will also witness the process of creating the hit teen drama and get an exclusive sneak-preview of the upcoming season of The N’s Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Viewers will meet Degrassi writers, James Hurst and Shelley Scarrow, who take fans on a tour of the four-and-a-half acre studio in Toronto, Canada where the show is filmed. Viewers will get an inside look at the authentic school set, the backlot of the studio where the characters live and a sneak- peek of the brand new shopping mall built for the upcoming season. James and Shelley will also reveal some of the inside jokes that writers throw into their scripts.

Degrassi is a fictional, dramatic series that tackles tough issues in a realistic way. The series introduces a new generation of teens going through the trials and tribulations of adolescence in the 21st century at the newly refurbished Degrassi Community School. The series follows Emma (Miriam McDonald), Paige (Lauren Collins), Manny (Cassie Steele), Ellie (Stacey Farber), Craig (Jake Epstein), Jimmy (Aubrey Graham), Hazel (Andrea Lewis), Liberty (Sarah Barrable Tishauer), Spinner (Shane Kippel), Marco (Adamo Ruggiero), Toby (Jake Goldsbie), J.T. (Ryan Cooley), Jay (Mike Lobel) and Alex (Deanna Casaluce) as they journey through high school.

Epitome Pictures and its affiliate companies have been producing quality Canadian programming since 1976, including the multi-award winning, internationally recognized Degrassi franchise, The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High, which still air throughout the world. Epitome Pictures has also produced the series Liberty Street and Riverdale, as well as several MOWs. For more information, please visit www.epitomepictures.com.

The N, the nighttime network for teens, is a programming arm of MTV Networks and is currently available in 43 million households via cable, digital cable and satellite television. The N’s mission is to be the authentic voice for teens and help them figure out their lives with relevant, topical programming on-air and online at the network’s web site www.the-n.com. The N airs everyday from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (ET). The N and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.