Kids Of Degrassi Street (WGBH)
Picture:
C- Sound: C Extras: D Episodes: B-
In what
was likely the end of one of the greatest cycles of children’s TV, The Kids Of Degrassi Street is the
quality end to a series of new shows spearheaded by public television that
treated the young children with exceptional respect, intelligence and
care. Only vaguely related to the hit
series Degrassi Junior High
(reviewed elsewhere on this site) in name only, the show features 26 half-hour
episodes, each focusing on one character in particular learning about life and
growing up.
The more
interesting episodes include pet care, hospitals, remarriage, business, sports,
babysitting, street gangs, distant relatives, voting, conformity, publishing,
death, telling the truth and even filmmaking.
The show took itself serious without cracking suspect jokes and having
an ad placement every three minutes, is written with heart & soul and has
not dated much at all except where some technology is concerned. In the later respect, if updating technology
is so important (and it is not if the shows are this good), why not revive the
show?
The 1.33
X 1 image is shot in 16mm film, but unfortunately comes from digital backups of
old digital transfers and the look is not good.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono has background hiss and is at a lower volume
than usual for TV of its time, meaning the transfer materials are a few
generations down. If any WGBH show needs
an upgrade for HD, it will be this one and it deserves it. There are no extras.
- Nicholas Sheffo
