Degrassi is a Canadian teen drama television franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler. With five main installments between 1979 and 2017, the franchise follows the lives of youths in Toronto, with the titular junior high and/or high school as the central setting; since 1987, each entry has taken place in the same fictional universe. Outside of television, the franchise comprises a variety of other media, such as companion novels, graphic novels, documentaries, soundtracks, and non-fiction works.

Christopher Hood, known professionally as Kit Hood, was a Canadian director, editor, writer, and producer who is best known for being the co-creator of the Degrassi television franchise. He was the co-creator and a major creative force of the first three series of the franchise, The Kids of Degrassi Street (1979–86), Degrassi Junior High (1987–89), and Degrassi High (1989-91). As a director, Hood won a Gemini Award in 1987 for the Degrassi Junior High episode "It's Late".