Degrassi co-creator Christopher "Kit" Hood dies at 76

The Hollywood Reporter

Hood and Linda Schuyler were responsible for 1980s Canadian teen series Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High, which they began as The Kids of Degrassi Street in 1979. "As Kit and I created Kids of Degrassi Street in the early 1980s, he shifted his focus to directing and brought his influence to the world of Degrassi," Schuyler said in a statement. "He added his trademark impish charm, and a kid’s-eye view, never letting the camera look down on our young protagonists. Kit’s intimate and respectful style of directing, small of scale and richly layered, was integral to the success of the series through Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High. To this day, his style is deeply imbedded in Degrassi’s DNA." Degrassi High star Pasquale "Pat" Mastroianni, who played Joey Jeremiah, praised Hood on Twitter for being "fundamental in laying the foundation of the Degrassi franchise."