Watch Degrassi Junior High

Degrassi Junior High was a popular Canadian television drama series that aired from 1987 to 1991 on CBC. The show was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood and was a spin-off of the earlier Degrassi series, The Kids of Degrassi Street. The series dealt with a range of sensitive and topical issues that were facing teenagers at the time, such as racism, drug use, sex, peer pressure, and relationships. The show was praised for its candid and honest portrayal of these issues by featuring realistic and relatable characters.

The show revolved around a group of students at the fictional Degrassi Junior High School in Toronto, Ontario. The main protagonists of the show were Joey Jeremiah (Pat Mastroianni), Snake Simpson (Stefan Brogren), and Wheels (Neil Hope). The series introduced a large ensemble cast of recurring characters, most notably the girls of the show: Caitlin Ryan (Stacie Mistysyn), Stephanie Kaye (Nicole Stoffman), and Lucy Fernandez (Anais Granofsky).

The show tackled various topics over its four-year run. One of the recurring themes was loyalty and friendship. The friendships formed in the show's early episodes were tested as the characters grew and faced new challenges. For example, Caitlin Ryan's relationship with her best friend Joey Jeremiah was put under strain as Caitlin became more politically active on issues such as apartheid and started dating another character, Claude (David Armin-Parcells). Similarly, Lucy's friendship with Stephanie suffered when she discovered Stephanie was bullying her about her weight behind her back.

Another key issue addressed in the show was peer pressure. During the series, we see characters dealing with this problem in a variety of ways. When the character of Snake is diagnosed with leukemia and starts chemotherapy, his friends Joey and Wheels try to make him drink and smoke cigarettes as a way of cheering him up; when he refuses, they taunt him as being 'no fun.' Meanwhile, in a later episode, Caitlin's friend L.D. (Amanda Stepto) is pressured into trying cigarettes with other students and ends up struggling to quit smoking.

Other issues addressed in the show included dating, sexual health and pregnancy, physical and emotional abuse, and drug use. One of the memorable episodes dealt with the issue of bullying when a student, Rick (Ephraim Ellis), who had previously isolated himself from his peers, got involved in a high school dance, and was later subjected to humiliation by some of the other students.

Overall, Degrassi Junior High was a pioneering show that tackled several topics that were then considered taboo or too controversial to address on television. The show was a success and won three Gemini Awards. Although it might sound outdated today, it was groundbreaking in its time and paved the way for current shows like Euphoria and 13 Reasons Why, that push the boundaries of what subjects can be discussed on television.