This may not live up to the level of the original '80s Degrassi series, but I still think this is the best (new) show ever for the set age group (preteens and teens). This NOT a fluffy and unrealistic show like Dawson's Creek or Saved By The Bell; it deals with issues many kids face in real life (discrimination, drugs, rumors, and so forth), and often like in real life, things don't just get back to normal at the end of each episode.
The characters on this show range from fantastic to 'eh.' My absolute favorites are Terri and Sean. Terri is VERY sweet and goes to show you that you don't have to be underweight to be beautiful. Sean's often misunderstood. Most see him as a rebel, but he's really a sensitive and loving kid who comes from a bad family.
Tobey and J.T. are great together, though J.T. gets on my nerves sometimes. I don't care much for Liberty or Paige for the fact that they're a bit over the top. Emma's self-righteous at times, but she's still a good character (she's also the daughter of one of the original Degrassi characters, Spike). Manny, Ashley, Jimmy, Spinner, and Craig are all okay too. (I'd say more about these characters but I don't want it to get too long!)
Degrassi: TGN is a breath of fresh air from all the crummy teen shows on nowadays. For one thing, you really can relate to certain characters and plots (I can really relate to the pilot episode where Emma finds out that someone she meets from online isn't who she quite expects. I wasn't so careful about who I talked to online back when I did). But I REALLY hope that Noggin also airs the original Degrassi series someday. That would be incredible.
