CTV announced today that they will air episode 2 of the new season of The O.C. Tuesday, November 7th @ 8pm ET, one day before its broadcast on FOX. Episode 3 will air Thursday @ 7pm ET. They also announced they will be streaming the season premiere of Degrassi: The Next Generation Tuesday, November 21 at 12 noon ET. Season 6 returns in double-feature style with back-to-back episodes airing Tuesdays at 8 and 8:30 p.m. ET, beginning November 28th.

After five years of thrilling audiences in more than 150 countries around the world, Degrassi has evolved into a sizzling primetime soap. This year, Degrassi comes of age – and with that, comes a whole new set of problems. As the Degrassi teens approach adulthood, they learn that the consequences of their actions are bigger than they used to be.

Emma

In all, 19 episodes will debut this season, and for the first time, CTV confirmed it will surround the Season 6 broadcast schedule with a comprehensive broadband strategy, including a broadband pre-release of Episode 1 a full week ahead of its television premiere. The CTV Broadband Network (at CTV.ca) will begin streaming the season premiere Tuesday, November 21 at 12 noon ET. The first-look initiative is designed to reignite audience buzz for the series and to generate audience momentum leading up to the season premiere. Moving forward, each week’s episodes will be loaded up to The CTV Broadband Network and made available Wednesdays at 9 a.m. ET.

Ellie and Marco

Producers have also delivered exclusive online content with 19 scripted webisodes (a.k.a. “Degrassi Minis”); 19 behind-the-scenes documentaries (a.k.a. “Degrassi: On the Set”); and two animated shorts (a.k.a. “Degrassi Mangasodes”). All 40 bonus-elements will be available on-demand throughout the season via The CTV Broadband Network. In addition to the multi-platform campaign in support of the series, CTV welcomed the recent release of Degrassi: Extra Credit, a multiple-volume series of graphic novels that expand on Degrassi plotlines.

Alex, Sean and Jay

“Degrassi continues to lead on television, online and now in print,” said Susanne Boyce, President of Programming for CTV and Chair of the Media Group. “Six seasons later, the series continues to tackle new and provocative issues while connecting with audiences on multiple platforms.”

“Season 6 continues to delve into the high school experience but also follows the characters beyond the classroom and into the post-secondary world,” said Linda Schuyler, Executive Producer and CEO, Epitome Pictures Inc. “It’s a bold move for Degrassi but we want to stay with them as they deal with more adult problems – most of which come with bigger consequences.”

About Season 6
In Season 6, the high school sagas continue – true love, secret romance, school dances and cheerleading – while other storylines venture into the exciting world of university life. Ellie embarks on a hot new romance with an older man while Jimmy, confined to a wheelchair, explores news ways to deal with his sexuality. After a tragic drag-racing accident, one student will end up in jail, and a new character, a 16-year-old single mom, graces the halls of Degrassi. For the first time ever, the series will also deal with the murder of a major character.

Nina Dobrev joins the cast as Mia while Steve Belford joins the cast as Jesse. Returning cast regulars are Dalmar Abuzeid as Danny; Sarah Barrable-Tishauer as Liberty; John Bregar as Dylan; Deanna Casaluce as Alex; Daniel Clark as Sean; Ryan Cooley as JT; Jake Goldsbie as Toby; Aubrey Graham as Jimmy; Shenae Grimes as Darcy; Jamie Johnston as Peter; Shane Kippel as Spinner; Mike Lobel as Jay; Miriam McDonald as Emma; Melissa McIntyre as Ashley and Cassie Steele as Manny. Also returning this season for their first year out of high school are Lauren Collins as Paige; Jake Epstein as Craig; Stacey Farber as Ellie and Adamo Ruggiero as Marco. Returning adult cast members are Stefan Brogren as Archie “Snake” Simpson, Amanda Stepto as Christine “Spike” Nelson, and Melissa Dimarco as Principal Hatzilakos.

Last Year’s Landmark Season
Last season marked a number of firsts for the popular series: its 25th anniversary, its landmark 100th episode, an audience increase of 24 per cent and the breaking of the one million viewer mark for the first time ever. In addition, in 2005 the series beat out four American programs at the Television Critics Association Awards for “Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programming” and took home the coveted surf board for its Teen Choice Award win for “Choice Summer Series,” illustrating its growing success across the border.

Degrassi Around The World
Degrassi: The Next Generation has been successfully licensed in over 150 countries, including France, Switzerland, and Australia. In the U.S Degrassi is the flagship series for cable channel The N.

Degrassi Online
Check out Degrassi’s award-winning Website at www.degrassi.tv, winner of the 2003 Gemini for Most Popular Website and Best Interactive Award in 2003 and 2002.

Degrassi: The Next Generation is produced by Epitome Pictures in association with CTV.