Entertainment

'Degrassi: Next Class' Could Arrive In Early 2017

by Molly Freeman

At this point, there has been a version of Degrassi for pretty much every generation since the show kicked off in 1979. There's been The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and Degrassi High in the late '70s through the early '90s, then the franchise saw a resurgence in 2001 with the premiere of Degrassi: The Next Generation. Now we've got Degrassi: Next Glass on Netflix, but when is Degrassi: Next Class Season 3? Thankfully, Degrassi: Next Class has already been renewed through Season 4, as reported by Entertainment Weekly, and fans of this particular teen drama won't have to wait too long for more — at least by Netflix standards.

Most Netflix original streaming series usually go about a year in between seasons (though there are, of course, exceptions to this rule and a little wiggle room since it isn't always exactly 12 months). But, so far, there have only been six months in between seasons of Degrassi: Next Class. If the series continues with that pattern, Season 3 should arrive in January 2017. However, we won't know for sure if that's the case until Netflix confirms a release date for Season 3. But, what can we expect from Season 3 of Degrassi: Next Class? I've nailed down some things I'd like to see during the third season of Netflix's take on the Degrassi Community School.

More Relevant Teen Topics

The entire Degrassi franchise has always tackled the important topics affecting modern teenagers — from teen pregnancy and cyberbullying to drug use and mental illness — and Next Class is no different. Still, there's always something new, and I hope Next Class stays relevant. Really, this is more of a "keep doing what you're doing" comment than anything else, but I'd still like to see Next Class tackle relevant topics in a way that's relatable to teens.

More Character Development

This is a bit of a tall order for Next Class since they have such a large ensemble cast and only 10 half-hour episodes in each season, but I'd like to see more development of the characters. Sure, tackling the tough subjects facing today's teens is the core of any Degrassi show, but sometimes it feels as though the tough subject of an episode takes precedence over the characters involved — but that can easily be remedied by a little more character development!

More Degrassi Alum

OK, I am 100 percent not in the Degrassi: Next Class targeted audience (since I'm a full-blown Millennial and not a part of Generation Z), but I grew up watching The Next Generation and I'd totally appreciate some more cameos from that cast. I wouldn't want the cameos to take priority over the Next Class cast, but considering all the buzz surrounding the Degrassi reunion happening in Next Class Season 2, it can only help to get more viewers watching the new Degrassi iteration.

Of course, none of these things I hope to see in Degrassi: Next Class Season 3 are necessarily what the show is currently lacking, but there's always room for improvement! Although, really, Degrassi has been doing this for so long they've got it down to a TV science — a glorious, bingeable science.

Images: Netflix; driancas, muazanas/Tumblr