CBC News NL: Degrassi’s Long Legacy with Pat Mastroianni and Stacie Mistysyn (2022)

Source: CBC News NL (Here & Now)
Air Date: July 26, 2022
Document Type: Broadcast News Segment
Source Link: Watch original segment on YouTube

On July 26, 2022, CBC News NL’s Here & Now featured an in-depth interview with original Degrassi legends Pat Mastroianni (Joey Jeremiah) and Stacie Mistysyn (Caitlin Ryan) ahead of the Degrassi Tour’s highly anticipated stop in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Bringing Degrassi to “The Rock”

Hosted by CBC’s Jeremy Eaton, the segment highlighted the actors’ cross-country tour, which gave fans across Canada a chance to reconnect with the stars of their youth. For the first time, the tour finally made its way to Newfoundland and Labrador, a stop Pat and Stacie had been trying to organize for years prior to the pandemic. The interactive event, held at the LSPU Hall on August 5, offered a screening of School’s Out, a live Q&A, and a nostalgic “love fest” for lifelong fans.

30 Years of School’s Out & The F-Bomb

The interview coincided with a major franchise milestone: the 30th anniversary of School’s Out, the groundbreaking 1992 television movie that wrapped up the original Degrassi High run. A major topic of discussion was the infamous “F-word” scene, a defining moment in Canadian broadcast history when Caitlin confronts Joey about his affair with Tessa Campanelli.

“It felt pretty grown up and it was very liberating… We wanted to have that moment be real, and people would realize that we weren’t pulling any punches back then.”

— Stacie Mistysyn, on swearing on public television

Mistysyn revealed that the cast and crew weren’t entirely sure the moment would actually air. Alternate, family-friendly takes (using words like “screwing”) were filmed just in case the CBC refused to broadcast the explicit version. Fortunately, the network allowed it, airing it past 9:00 PM and cementing the dramatic breakup in television history.

A Lasting Legacy

Decades later, the connection between the cast and their audience remains uniquely strong. Mastroianni reflected on how the show functioned as a relatable “safe place” for youth, dealing with hard-hitting issues that made viewers feel less alone. Today, Pat noted, the tour acts as a fun, nostalgic escape, allowing fans in their forties and fifties to forget the stresses of the modern world and feel like a sixteen-year-old kid again.