It’s official: fans won’t be going back to Degrassi next year. After the announcement earlier this year that HBO Max would be reviving the series, it looks like it won’t be moving forward. The show would’ve been next in the line of teen dramas HBO Max was bringing back for a new audience, including Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl.

This is yet another sudden ending for the Degrassi franchise. When Netflix took over the franchise with Degrassi: Next Class, it abruptly ended after four seasons in 2017. The confirmation that it wasn’t returning came from long-time Degrassi actor and producer Stefan Brogren on Twitter, with no comment made by the streamer to this day.

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While fans received confirmation from the network itself this time, it still was a hard pill to swallow. But was it necessarily a surprise that the series isn’t coming to fruition? Let’s break down the signs that this announcement was likely to come based on the status of the show and the recent changes to HBO Max’s parent company.

There Was Never a Degrassi Cast Announcement

     Entertainment One

Despite the announcement of the series, fans never saw any cast attached to the project. With the time that has passed between the new series and the Netflix series, it was incredibly unlikely that the students still at Degrassi would make the jump. The franchise has always operated in real-time, which means the students that fans were meant to see graduating with the Netflix series will have moved on to college and the great beyond.

With that, it means audiences would’ve gotten a chance to see a new generation of Degrassi students and the new cast that comes along with it. While it was expected that casting had begun, there was never any confirmation. There weren’t even any notes on the type of characters the series would include. It’s hard to have a series when the characters aren’t potentially written or cast.

Production Didn’t Happen as Planned

     Netflix

With the announcement of the series came the intention for production to begin in the summer of 2022. This meant the project would be on track for a 2023 release, as announced. However, production doesn’t seem to have happened in earnest.

When confirming the cancelation, The Hollywood Reporter noted that production “did begin as planned during the summer but then paused.” It’s unclear what caused the pause or what was done while it was in production. CP24 notes, “a representative would not discuss how deep the series was into its production,” which continues to provide a lack of insight into the situation. Were scripts written? Had actors been cast? We may never know.

There was also concern over where filming would take place. While it was anticipated to shoot in Toronto, there was no word on the set. The main set was sold by WildBrain, then DHX Media, in 2019. This was a surprise to fans, as the set had been used since Degrassi: The Next Generation. There was even an online auction to sell items found around sets, like old posters, chairs, and other memorabilia.

The Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Has Been the Death of Many Projects

     Warner Bros. Pictures

The merger between Discovery and Warner Bros. has been the nail in the coffin for many projects. Most notably, it resulted in the cancelation of the Batgirl movie after it was nearly complete. The decision came as a shock to both everyone involved in the project and fans that were eagerly awaiting it. With a further twist of the knife, the project was deleted from the servers before the director could save it.

In July, it was confirmed by Deadline that the studio was pulling back on the amount of family and child content they offered. This came with the announcement that Gordita Chronicles, a coming-of-age series set in the 1980s, would not be renewed for a second season. In a statement to Deadline, a representative discussed the shift, saying:

The phrase “immediate future” stands out. If they shift away from family programming, Degrassi would undoubtedly be on the chopping block. While recent iterations have been more teen-oriented, it can certainly be characterized as “coming-of-age” content.

“Live-action kids and family programming will not be part of our programming focus in the immediate future, and as a result, we’ve had to make the very difficult decision to end Gordita Chronicles at HBO Max.”

While they have renewed their other teen revival shows, like Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, those series were set before the merger in April. It makes sense to continue with franchises they had already established rather than develop a new one.

This Might Not Be the End of Degrassi

     CBC Television

This is disappointing news for fans, but it doesn’t mean it’s the end. WildBrain, the production company behind the project, has made a statement regarding the cancelation and their contract with WarnerMedia:

With contract negotiations seemingly taking place, Degrassi: The Next Generation may hop platforms if the new series finds a different home. It remains to be seen which networks or streamers WildBrain could be speaking with.

“Production on the series remains paused, and discussions concerning the contract with WarnerMedia are ongoing. The 14-season library of Degrassi: The Next Generation continues to stream on the HBO Max platform.”

While we wait to see if the revival will move elsewhere, check out some of the best shows about being a teenager.