Drake is talking about where it all started. Before arena tours, before Grammys, he was just another kid on Degrassi: The Next Generation. Jimmy Brooks. A kid in braces, on a set with other teenagers, trying to figure it out. Drake is all set to feature in the new doc, Degrassi: Whatever It Takes, and the makers dropped the trailer on Wednesday, August 27. The film hits the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13.
How the show hit different
According to Just Jared, Degrassi was never the glossy teen drama you expected. It went at tough stuff-sex, drugs, bullying, identity-sometimes all in one episode. Other shows tiptoed around it. Degrassi just went for it. That is why it connected. The doc promises to show all of that, plus the chaos behind the cameras.
The official line says it “dives into the behind-the-scenes truth of the Degrassi franchise-raw, real, and sometimes troubling-while celebrating the powerful legacy of a show that made teens everywhere feel seen.” But watching the trailer, you get the sense it is more than that.
Drake opens up
Drake talks about what it meant. “Damn, I never thought about it like that. It was kind of a whirlwind experience,” he says. And he got honest about his own teen years. “I didn’t have a great time in high school. I just didn’t really fit in,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Drake talks about what it meant. “Damn, I never thought about it like that. It was kind of a whirlwind experience,” he says. And he got honest about his own teen years. “I didn’t have a great time in high school. I just didn’t really fit in,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The old crew comes back
The documentary brings back the brains behind the show. Co-creator Linda Schuyler. Executive producer Stephen Stohn. Filmmaker Kevin Smith, a longtime fan.
And the actors, Dayo Ade, Stefan Brogren, Shenae Grimes-Beech, Jake Epstein, Miriam McDonald, Shane Kippel, Melinda Shankar, Amanda Stepto, Stacie Mistysyn, Jordan Todosey, Amanda Deiseach, Maureen Deiseach also return.
It is not just nostalgia. The documentary digs into what it took to make the show real, the fights, the compromises, and the toll on the people involved. For fans, TIFF on September 13 will finally show what it was like behind the scenes-how wild it got, and why it mattered so much.
FAQs
What is the new Degrassi documentary called?
It’s titled Degrassi: Whatever It Takes.
When does the documentary premiere?
It makes its world premiere September 13, 2025, at TIFF.
What did Drake say in the trailer?
He reflected that the show was a “whirlwind experience” and admitted he didn’t fit in during high school.
Who else appears in the film?
The project includes creator Linda Schuyler, producer Stephen Stohn, Kevin Smith, and numerous cast members from the franchise.