degrassi: it goes there

some recent degrassi news:

Degrassi junior high season two goes on sale on tuesday. The amazon editorial review actually does a nice job describing the show. I got season one as a birthday present this year and recently watched the whole thing in order with my boyfriend. I was obsessed with Degrassi in a weird way when I was younger. The show seemed to air at completely random times on PBS, and I would catch an episode here or there without having any real concept of its context in the overall series, something that would frustrate me now that I insist on watching everything in order. Seeing season one I realized that most of the episodes I had seen as a kid were actually from later on in the series; still, it was fun to see all the actors so young, especially those who are adults now on degrassi: the next generation.

Speaking of degrassi TNG, this article talks about how with production beginning its fifth season, we're now celebrating the 25th anniversary of degrassi. I'm wondering if this will be the last season for TNG; more than half the characters are graduating, and the original degrassi only had five seasons. The article is a tad bit spoiler-ish in that it reveals (in very broad terms) some upcoming storylines and also lists the cast, with at least one person not returning if the list is to be believed.

I also wonder what they'll do on DTNG this season to top last season, with its school shooting and STD storylines (and the abortion storyline the season before.) What taboos are left? What issues are still unexplored? Lesbianism? Incest? Those are the only two I can think of.

Is there any other show out there that has seen success twice, with two (mostly) different casts of characters in the way degrassi has?