Degrassi: The Next Generation season 5

The fifth season features twenty actors who receive star billing, with sixteen of them returning from the previous season. Mike Lobel (Jay), Deanna Casaluce (Alex), Jamie Johnston (Peter) and Melissa DiMarco (Hatzilakos) join the main cast, replacing Melissa McIntyre (Ashley), Daniel Clark (Sean) and Dan Woods (Mr. Raditch). Main cast • Stacey Farber as Ellie Nash (10 episodes) • Miriam McDonald as Emma Nelson (13 episodes) • Mike Lobel as Jay Hogart (7 episodes) • Deanna Casaluce as Alex Nuñez (9 episodes) • Andrea Lewis as Hazel Aden (11 episodes) • Cassie Steele as Manuela "Manny" Santos (14 episodes) • Lauren Collins as Paige Michalchuk (15 episodes) • Ryan Cooley as James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke (14 episodes) • Aubrey Graham as Jimmy Brooks (13 episodes) • Jake Epstein as Craig Manning (11 episodes) • Shane Kippel as Gavin "Spinner" Mason (10 episodes) • Jake Goldsbie as Toby Isaacs (14 episodes) • Sarah Barrable-Tishauer as Liberty Van Zandt (13 episodes) • Amanda Stepto as Christine "Spike" Nelson (6 episodes) • Stefan Brogren as Archie "Snake" Simpson (13 episodes) • Pat Mastroianni as Joey Jeremiah (4 episodes) • Stacie Mistysyn as Caitlin Ryan (1 episode) • Jamie Johnston as Peter Stone (10 episodes) • Melissa DiMarco as Daphne Hatzilakos (13 episodes) • Adamo Ruggiero as Marco Del Rossi (14 episodes) Recurring cast Former and future series regulars who appear this season in recurring roles include: • Shenae Grimes as Darcy Edwards (8 episodes) • Marc Donato as Derek Haig (6 episodes) • Dalmar Abuzeid as Danny Van Zandt (5 episodes) • Jajube Mandiela as Chantay Black (3 episodes) • Melissa McIntyre as Ashley Kerwin (2 episodes) Other recurring cast members include Linlyn Lue as Ms. Laura Kwan and Michael Kinney as Coach Darryl Armstrong. Film director Kevin Smith and actor Jason Mewes returned to the show for two episodes where they guest starred as exaggerated versions of themselves. The episodes depict the premiere of Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh!, a fictional feature film in the View Askewniverse series that used Degrassi Community School as a filming location during season four. The scenes Alanis Morissette had filmed in season four to play the film's school principal were replayed as part of the film at the premiere. Degrassi Highs Cathy Keenan also reprises her role as Liz O'Rourke in "I Against I". ==Crew==

The season was produced by Epitome Pictures in association with CTV. Funding was provided by The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, the Canadian Television Fund and BCE-CTV Benefits, The Shaw Television Broadcast Fund, the Independent Production Fund, Mountain Cable Program, and RBC Royal Bank. ==Reception==

The fifth season of Degrassi: The Next Generation had an audience average of 767,000 viewers, had an increase of twenty-four per cent over the previous season, and was Canada's most watched Canadian drama series. The second episode of the season was watched by over one million Canadian viewers; it was the first time the series had reached that figure. Laura Betker of the Winnipeg Sun said "Thankfully, the show moves far away from the health-class ideal that anorexia and bulimia simply stem from self-conscious teens. Rather, it displays it as the ugly disease that it truly is... All aspects of the story were done well. The plot was realistic. The display of the disease was truthful and progressive, while the acting was at an all time high... Miriam McDonald's performance was phenomenal. [She] performs with strength and credibility." Bill Harris of the Toronto Sun criticized the episodes' "ham-fisted handling of anorexia" and wrote: "It's just that, well, the Degrassi foray, while well-intentioned, leaves you hungry for a fresh insight, some relevant information, a compelling storyline, good writing, believable dialogue, anything." Harris even went as far as saying, "That Degrassi episode was so bad it made me want to throw up." Other storylines were well received, however. AfterElton.com, a website which focuses on the portrayal of homosexual and bisexual men in the media, and owned by MTV Networks' Logo cable television network, reported on the portrayal of two Degrassi: The Next Generation gay characters. "Degrassi features ongoing stories of real-life teen dilemmas—including intense gay and lesbian storylines—and does it without the righteous, 'On a Very Special Blossom' endings that many teen dramas and sitcoms thrive on." Despite being well received by audiences and the generally good reviews, season five received only two nominations for awards. At the Gemini Awards, Jim McGrath won the category for "Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Series". The younger members of the cast were nominated for a Young Artist Award in the "Best Young Ensemble Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama)" category. ==Episodes==

In a change to previous seasons, CTV broadcast episodes one and two over two weeks, as opposed to an hour-long special. In the United States, Noggin's "The N" block aired the episodes as an hour-long special on October 7, 2005. The N proceeded to broadcast the next ten episodes, and then put the season on hiatus until April 7, 2006, when it returned with another hour-long special. ==DVD release==

The DVD release of season five was released by Alliance Atlantis Home Entertainment in Canada, and by FUNimation Entertainment in the US on July 3, 2007 after it had completed broadcast on television. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including deleted scenes, bloopers and behind-the-scenes featurettes. ==References==