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Lisa Makes the Headlines

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Episode Details

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Synopsis

What Lisa Canard needs to make her newspaper is a real scoop. But when she does find some real news, she has to decide which is more important — the truth or her family.

Plot

Lisa Canard and her best friend Casey Rothfels start their own newspaper, the “Degrassi Street Journal.” However, sales are slow, and Lisa is desperate for a “scoop” to boost subscriptions. She observes suspicious behavior from her brother Noel and the other boys, who are holding secret club meetings and excluding Ida, the club president.

When Ida discovers her joke books are missing, she claims she has been robbed. Seizing the opportunity, Lisa investigates and concludes that Noel is the “Thief on the Grassy” (Degrassi). Despite warnings from Casey that she might not have all the facts, Lisa prints a special edition of the paper accusing her brother of the theft.

Just before Lisa distributes the paper, she discovers the truth: Noel didn’t steal the books. He and the boys had taken them to get them signed as part of a surprise party they were planning for Ida. Realizing she prioritized a sensational headline over the truth and her family’s reputation, Lisa decides to throw away the papers. She apologizes to Noel and attends the surprise party, learning a valuable lesson about journalistic integrity.

Cast

Main Cast:

Supporting Cast:

Crew

Trivia

  • This episode marks Stacie Mistysyn‘s first appearance in the Degrassi Franchise. She would later go on to play the iconic character Caitlin Ryan in Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, and Degrassi: The Next Generation.
  • Continuing the trend of real-life relatives appearing in the show, Sarah Charlesworth‘s real-life mother, Barbara Charlesworth, plays her on-screen mother in this episode.
  • The name “Ida T. Lucas” printed on the sweater is the name Ida entered the film competition with in the earlier episode Ida Makes a Movie.
  • The location used for the “Degrassi Realty Co.” is actually the Toronto Real Estate Board.
  • This is the first time Lisa and Casey meet Irene on-screen.

Transcript

Lisa: Every day there’s lots of news. There’s good news, bad news, happy news and sad news. But no matter what the news is, people always want to read all about it. That’s why I wanted to be a journalist. You know, a newspaper reporter.

Lisa: Hi, Casey. I’m going to sell subscriptions. Do you want to come?
Casey: I have to eat my breakfast. Meet me later at Mom’s office?
Lisa: Sure. See ya. That’s Casey. She’s my best friend. We started our very own newspaper.

Lisa: The Degrassi Street Journal had everything. We had news, weather, sports, lots of jokes, and even a lost and found. All for only 10 cents. We should sell a million today. Don’t you think, Casey?

Lisa: Extra! Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Hey, you! Extra! Extra! All about what? The news.
Kid: What news? Degrassi news.
Lisa: Lisa’s gerbils. One died. I think my cat scared its death. It’s all in here.
Kid: Yeah, well, I think we’ll buy some gum instead.

Lisa: Nutty news time again. It’s a good one this time, Noah.
Noel: Noah, aren’t you going to read your own sister’s newspaper? Sure, I’ll read it. At home. For free.
Lisa: Oh, Lisa, tell Dad I’m going to be late tonight.
Dad: How come?
Noel: Club meeting.
Dad: Noah, can we come, too? How many times do I have to tell you? It’s a private club.

Casey: Hey, how come you guys have a club meeting today instead of Tuesdays like usual?
Lisa: That’s brothers for you. Noah and his friends thought they were so smart just because they had their own special club. Everything was secret this and secret that.

Lisa: What we really need is a good scoop.
Casey: Scoop? You know, a big story. The kind that everybody sits up and takes notice of.

Lisa: Hey, Ida. I thought you had a club meeting this afternoon.
Ida: Lisa, can’t you get your facts straight? For your information, we meet on Tuesdays, not Fridays.
Lisa: But Noel said…
Ida: Look, I’m the president. You think I wouldn’t be the first to know?
Lisa: But… That’s weird. Why do you suppose they call a club meeting and not tell the president about it? I bet they’re planning to do something to Ida.

Ida: Look, I’ve got lots of stuff to do.
Lisa: Oh? Like what? These things are all gone. What’s that? I’m looking for some joke books. You lost them?
Ida: I didn’t lose them. I put them here. They’re missing? Well, I can’t find them. Stolen! Ida, I bet you’ve been robbed.

Lisa: Now that’s a story. A real scoop, right, Case? This calls for special attention. A thief on the grassy street. Ida Lucas was robbed. Right off the porch, the robber took all of Ida’s stuff. Lisa will investigate.

Lisa: Extra, extra, read all about the grassy. Extra, extra, thief on the grassy. Lock your doors, thief on the grassy. Read all about it. Get the story right here, folks.

Ida: Why didn’t you tell us you were robbed, Ida?
Noel: It wasn’t such a big deal.
Ida: No big deal? All your books and stuff?
Noel: It was me calling the RCMP. Is that what it says? All my books? Let me see. The RCMP doesn’t investigate crimes like this, stupid. It’d be a miracle the day Lisa comes up with the facts.
Ida: What do you mean?
Noel: What I mean is that I’m missing two lousy joke books.

Lisa: I’ll get the truth, find the thief, and then you’ll see who’s wrong around here. Okay, be the laughing stock in the neighborhood. See if I care.
Casey: I tried. I smell a rat.
Lisa: I live with one. It’s strange. I wonder why he wants the robbery out of the paper so badly.

Lisa: Stolen property. Hey, what do you think you’re doing in my room?
Noel: Noel, I know. I know about your plan.
Lisa: What plan?
Noel: Ida. It has to be kept a secret, Lisa. I can’t believe it’s really true. Man, if you don’t know when to keep some things to yourself. How could you?

Lisa: Casey, do you think you can drop these off to Mrs. Lucas?
Casey: Right now? Yes, she has to sign them.
Mrs. Lucas: Oh, brother, I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen. Do you think she’ll print it in a newspaper?
Noel: Of course she’ll print it. She needs a story, doesn’t she? And now she has it. Our surprise. That sister’s for you.

Lisa: I had to close the newsstand, Casey.
Casey: You mean we’re all sold out?
Lisa: No. Nobody’s seen the story. You mean you didn’t sell any copies? We threw them away.
Casey: Threw them away? We could save them. We have responsibilities to our subscribers.
Lisa: Wait. Come on. Wait till I tell you the real story.

Noel: Here comes somebody. No. No. Don’t let them near you. No. No. Can I talk to you?
Ida: Get lost, Lisa. How about you wreck things up enough for me as it is?
Lisa: But I just wanted to apologize. A bit too late, don’t you think? But at least nobody’s going to read all about it. What? We changed our minds. Nobody saw it? Not yet. Want to buy a copy? Revised edition.

Crowd: Shh. Surprise! You’re way ahead of the subscriptions, Ida.
Lisa: Why should I buy a newspaper with holes in it? Don’t worry. We’ll fill them up next time. You’re right about this cake. It tastes like rubber.

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