A  documentary series on Canadian teen franchise Degrassi is in the works.

The untitled 3 x 60-minute series is commissioned by WildBrain Television, and produced in partnership with Toronto’s Peacock Alley Entertainment. The documentary will explore the lore and teenage experience of the 40-year strong series through interviews with the co-creator Linda Schuyler, as well as the cast and crew, and include exclusive behind-the-scenes footage.

Lisa Rideout (Sex with Sue) is set to direct the docuseries, and executive producers include Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts and Angela Boudreault at WildBrain, as well as Carrie Mudd (Leonard Cohen: Tower of Song) at Peacock Alley. The series producer is Erin Sharp (Hip-Hop Evolution).

Created in 1979 by Schuyler and Kit Hood, the Toronto-set, high school-centric series has undergone several iterations, including The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, Degrassi: The Next Generation and Degrassi: Next Class. The show has helped launch the careers of Canadians such as Drake (then Aubrey Graham), Raymond Ablack (Ginny & Georgia) and Nina Dobrev (The Vampire Diaries).

“Degrassi has brought [the] awkward, embarrassing, and unspoken truths of youth to the screen for over four decades,” said Rideout in a statement.

In more than 500 episodes and four TV movies, the Canadian institution has touched on issues of teen pregnancy, racism, AIDS, eating disorders, child abuse, learning disabilities, gender identity and violence.

“Degrassi continues to be enormously popular, resonating with fans across generations, from adults who grew up watching the show to today’s teens who are discovering it for the first time. In fact, more people today watch Degrassi around the world than ever before,” added Scherba.

Image courtesy of WildBrain