Birth Date: June 4, 1986 / Age: 22
Birth Place: Toronto, Ontario

Biography: Shane Kippel June 4, 1986, is a Canadian television actor who was born on in Toronto, Ontario. As of 2005, he appears as a regular cast member in the part of Spinner on Degrassi: The Next Generation, which is broadcast on CTV in Canada, ABC in Australia, and “The N” in the United States. He’s 5′10″, left handed, has a pierced tongue, and two tattoos.

He starred as Chad the Jock in Canada’s 2003 movie Todd and the Book of Pure Evil which was tagged as “A teenager’s guide to heavy metal, cheerleaders, true love, and Satan.”

Kippel is also currently the drummer for the band Two Left Feet, which has been described by some as being the next Kansas.

Birth Date: July 26, 1987 / Age: 20
Birth Place: Oakville, Ontario

Biography: Miriam Katherine McDonald (born July 26, 1987 in Oakville, Ontario, Canada), better known plainly as Miriam McDonald, is a actress who stars in the hit television show Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Miss McDonald, whose nickname is Billy, is also an accomplished dancer who has dedicated herself to the practice of ballet, hip hop, tap and jazz dancing. She has worked hard at her craft as an entertainer, taking acting classes with renowned television actor Dean Armstrong.

Miss McDonald, who has blonde hair, was awarded adancing scholarship at the prestigious school, the Toronto’s Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre academy.

Although she was happy to receive consideration for that academy, this was also what has been, so far, one of the hardest moments of her life, as she had to choose between her two passions: acting and dancing. McDonald decided on the former, landing a short time period job in the hit series, System Crash, in 1999.

McDonald found a niche as a voice-over actress, after she was cast in 2001 to participate in a cartoon series named Ripping Friends. The change from dancer to full time actress was easy for the young lady, and, soon enough, she found herself doing voice-overs in two other series. She has done a total of 39 voice-overing jobs.

Then came Degrassi: The Next Generation, a show that would change McDonald’s life: not only was she acting in front of the television cameras for the second time in her career, but she also happened to be participating in a show that became a major hit across Canada, thus her looks becoming known by a wide Canadian audience. The show, which is part of the successful Degrassi series, has lasted four seasons on the air, with McDonald present during each season. McDonald plays Emma Nelson in the series.

In 2004, she participated as “Dawn Gender” in the made for television film, She’s Too Young.

That same year, American children and teenager television network giant, Nickelodeon, bought over the rights to show Degrassi: The Next Generation in the United States. The show was placed in The N, a Nickelodeon channel geared towards teenagers, and McDonald found fame in the United States as well.

Debuting October 14, 2001 on Canada’s CTV network, the weekly, half-hour Degrassi The Next Generation was the long-awaited spinoff of the enormously popular and occasionally controversial teen-oriented drama series of the 1980s and early 1990s, Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High (both of which, in turn, had evolved from 1979’s The Kids of Degrassi Street. As before, the action took place in a modern urban Canadian high school, which during the “new” series’ second season merged with its affiliated junior high. The title of the show was literal in many ways: One of the main characters, high-schoolers Emma Nelson (Miriam McDonald) was the daughter of longtime Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High stalwart Caitlin “Spike” Ryan, played as ever by Amanda Stepto).. Other carryovers from the earlier series included Archie “Snake” Simpson (still played by Stefan Brogren), who’d become Degrassi High’s “media immersion” teacher and who would eventually marry his former classmate Spike; Joey Jeremiah (Pat Mastroianni), now the owner of a car dealership; Caitlin Ryan (Stacy Mistysyn), who had become a TV producer and who would live with Joey for a while; and anal-retentive school principal Mr. Raditch (Dan Woods), who in the middle of Season Three would leave the “Degrassi” franchise after 18 years, to be replaced by one Ms. Hatzilakos (Melisa DeMarco).

In the tradition of the original series’ youthful cast, Degrassi’s new student body boasted an impressive ethno-religious mix and a startling variety of personal problems and hang-ups. Principal characters in the huge cast included Ellie Nash (Stacey Farber), troubled daughter of an alcoholic mom; Ashley Kerwin (Melissa McIntyre), who felt stigmatized when her dad came out of the proverbial closet; Jimmy Brooks (Aubrey Graham), who would be paralyzed from the waist down during a devastating school shooting in Season Three; Gavin “Spinner” Mason (Shane Kippel), who was led against his better judgment to commit a theft that would get him expelled; Hazel Aden (Andrea Lewis), a Muslim girl who for a while dated Jimmy; Manny Santos (Cassie Steele), insufferable head of the Pep Squad, who in the course of events had an abortion and was publicly humiliated during her brief reign as Prom Queen; Manny’s chief rival Paige Michalchuk (Lauren Collins), who was raped by a star athlete from another high school; Craig Manning (Jake Epstein), the bipolar, musically gifted product of an abusive home who was adopted by Joey Jeremiah; JT Yorke (Ryan Cooley), the requisite class clown with a sensitive soul; Liberty Van Zandt (Sarah Barrable-Tishauer), who for a while was in the unenvious position of being the most intelligent and least popular girl in school; Toby Isaacs (Jake Goldsbie), resident nerd who was determined to break free of his uncool persona; Kendra Simpson (Katie Lai), Spinner’s sports-jock adoptive sister; Dylan Michalchuk (John Bregar), Paige’s sexually confused brother; Terri McGreggor (Christina Schmidt), so desperate for a boyfriend that she ended up being abused and beaten into a coma by the guy in her life; Sean Cameron (Daniel Clark), a failing student and petty thief who redeemed himself when he saved Emma from being killed; Jay Hobart (Mike Lobel), resident tough punk and bully, who gave Emma gonnorhea; Alex Nunez (Deanne Casaluce), misunderstood “bad girl” and inadvertent catalyst for tragedy; and Chris Sharpe (Daniel Sharpe), African-American aspiring deejay whose romance with Ashley had unintended ramifications.

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Episode Number: 143    Season Num: 7    First Aired: Monday June 23, 2008    Prod Code: 724

Degrassi’s Class of 2007’s dance and graduation ceremony is approaching. Liberty has a plan to make the ceremony perfect but events don’t go according to plan, which puts Emma and Toby at odds with Liberty.

The teens of Degrassi: The Next Generation prep for graduation day in tonight’s season finale with the usual fluttery nerves and hopes for the future — and a rumour that Natasha Bedingfield might perform at the prom. (7:30 p.m., CTV, channel 42, cable 13)

Here’s what’s happening today on the small screen:

The country’s phone lines will be buzzing tonight as Canadian Idol fans vote on this, the first live performance episode of the season. Twelve of the Top 24 contestants will sing in this instalment. The other 12 hit the stage Tuesday and the results show is on Wednesday. This season producers are breaking from the traditional format of male singers on one night, female singers on another. Instead, the performance episodes will be coed, a result of the uneven gender split in the semifinalists (15 guys, nine girls). (CTV)

* Over at How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? the two candidates with the fewest votes will square off in a singing contest. One will be sent packing in the end. (CBC)

* OMG. “Seven years of friendship teeter on the precipice of ruin” tonight on the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, says a press release. The shocking developments happen as Liberty and Damian make out at the Class of ‘07 prom and graduation ceremony - much to the dismay of Emma and Toby. Pop star Natasha Bedingfield has a cameo. (CTV)

* Speaking of big revelations, Mr. & Mrs. bin Laden on The Passionate Eye profiles the little-known fourth son of Osama bin Laden. Omar bin Laden reveals in the doc that his last name is a burden. He also offers his thoughts on his father and the Sept. 11 attacks. (CBC Newsworld)

Music and Film in Motion (MFM) is pleased to announce its next workshop from the In Sight and Sound Seminar Series titled “The Craft of Storyboards” on Wednesday, June 25th from 7 to 9 p.m.

Storyboarding is an essential skill employed by filmmakers and animators to conceptualize their script and communicate their vision to their crew. This session will cover tips and techniques on how to get the most from your storyboard and approaches to translating a script from words to images.

The session will be instructed by Storyboard Artist Sean Moore. Sean has been an Assistant Art Director on several projects such as the films “Breach”, “Art of the Dead” and the popular television series “Degrassi: The Next Generation” among others. His work behind the scenes also includes Props Assistant and Set Dresser on various projects.

Northern Ontario filmmakers cannot afford to miss out on this vital session which will focus on starting up as a Storyboard Artist, technological advances, new techniques and changes to the process among other topics.

The session, free for members and $5 for non-members, will be taking place at Music and Film in Motion, located at 96 Larch St., suite 200, in Sudbury. For more information or to register for this session, please call MFM at 705-674-9954 or visit the website at www.thinknorth.ca. Space is limited so please book ahead to reserve a place. This session is offered in English only.

Music and Film in Motion is a non-profit organization whose mandate is to foster and promote the development of the music and film industries in Northern Ontario.

CTV

Degrassi may be closing its doors for the summer, but fans can stay connected with their favourite characters and other viewers through the latest phenomenon in social entertainment, vSide.

Degrassi: The Next Generation has become the first Canadian television series to launch a presence in vSide, the 3-D, online, next-generation virtual world.

To celebrate, Degrassi: TNG will host “Degrassi Spirit Week”, a virtual, week-long event beginning Monday, June 16 that will see Degrassi cast members make appearances through their avatars in vSide at degrassi.ctv.ca.

Airing Mondays at 7:30 p.m. ET on CTV, just one new episode is left before Degrassi ends Season 7 with a prom and a special appearance by Natasha Bedingfield in the finale on June 23 (visit CTV.ca to confirm local broadcast times). Degrassi: TNG will continue to air on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. ET until Season 8 premieres in the fall on CTV.

A “place to party with your friends online,” vSide is a three-dimensional platform that provides a real-time place to interact with friends in a graphically stunning online environment.

Targeted for the 13-24 age demographic, vSide allows teens to express their creativity and connect with friends who have similar interests in music, entertainment and fashion. Users create a customized avatar, which is a user’s representation of themselves in the form of a 3D animated character.

The avatar allows them to travel through the vSide universe, interact with others in the vSide community, and play games and trivia to earn vSide credits to purchase virtual items. Users can also select and decorate their own apartments, where they can throw parties, play music, stream YouTube videos and more.

Activity and chat in the vSide environment is monitored at all times to ensure that it’s a safe environment for teens.

In a Canadian exclusive last night, eTalk’s Ben Mulroney created a 3D avatar of himself and held the first-ever virtual interview with Degrassi cast member Mike Lobel (Jay) in the Degrassi DOT Grill in vSide.

To view the innovative eTalk interview and take a firsthand look at the vSide environment click here.

To download vSide, visit degrassi.ctv.ca.

“vSide is the latest extension of the Degrassi brand beyond the television screen,” said Susanne Boyce, President, Creative, Content and Channels, CTV Inc.

“This series continues to break barriers and vSide is literally a virtual breakthrough for Canadian television.”

“Our fans tell us they want to connect with our show any way they can, so what better way to do that than by spending time with their friends in vSide’s version of Degrassi’s DOT Grill, listening to music from Degrassi, watching clips, and taking up residence in a DOT Dorm,” said Christopher Jackson, Epitome Pictures’ Director of Digital Media.

“We’re confident that 3D social networking platforms such as vSide will be a big part of ‘what’s next’ in the digital space. We couldn’t be more excited about our involvement with vSide!”

“Degrassi Spirit Week” is set to begin in vSide at The DOT Grill on Monday, June 16. The party will be raging as Degrassi cast members make appearances through their avatars in vSide all week long.

Among the week’s highlights are a Q&A with Paula Brancati (Jane) and Dalmar Abuzeid (Danny) on Monday; an interview about all things Degrassi with co-executive producer Linda Schuyler on Tuesday; Raymond Ablack (Sav) and Charlotte Arnold (Holly J) appearing on vSide’s After School Radio on Wednesday; Mike Lobel co-hosting vSide’s VRL (Virtual Request Live) on Thursday; and a Spirit Week Wrap-up on Friday. Users will also have the opportunity to purchase Degrassi clothing and play Degrassi trivia.

To get to Degrassi’s DOT Grill in vSide, follow these simple steps:

1. Download the vSide client (for Mac or PC) from degrassi.ctv.ca
2. Follow instructions to install the program on a computer.
3. Start vSide - users will be asked to create an account and choose an avatar.
4. Once the user has selected an avatar, they will be taken to vSide’s Gateway for a brief tutorial.
5. When the tutorial is over, take the train to the DOT Grill in vSide city LaGenoaAires and join the party!

From rival students coming together, to date rape and cancer, Degrassi Season 7 continues to tackle some of life’s toughest issues. In next week’s episode, “If This Is It” (airing Monday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET), Spinner (Shane Kippel) and Jimmy (Aubrey Graham) have just one more exam before they’re finally done school.

With Jimmy’s help, Spinner’s sure he can pass and enjoy his cancer-free future. However, when a great opportunity for Spinner’s new band presents itself, Spinner is faced with a dilemma: focus on the music and return to high school to be with Jane (Paula Brancati) next year, or study hard with Jimmy and leave Degrassi without any real plans.

And as the season comes to an end, international recording artist Natasha Bedingfield makes a cameo appearance, singing her hit song “Pocket Full of Sunshine” in Degrassi’s Season 7 finale “We Built This City” on Monday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET on CTV.

With time ticking towards the Class of ‘07 Prom and Graduation ceremony, Liberty (Sarah Barrable-Tishaur) has the perfect night planned: a hotel prom with the amazing Natasha Bedingfield performing. But amidst all the fabulousness of the prom, the undeniable attraction Liberty and Damian (Mazin Elsadig) have for each other leads to a forbidden makeout session.

When Emma (Miriam McDonald) and Toby (Jake Goldsbie) discover Liberty’s betrayal, seven years of friendship teeter on the precipice of ruin.

Season 8 of Degrassi: The Next Generation is currently in production in Toronto.

vSide virtual world is produced by the award winning social entertainment company Doppelganger. vSide is an immersive and connected virtual environment that complements and amplifies the interests of the youth demographic: music, pop culture, fashion, celebrities, self-expression, communication, community and social networking.

Television series featured in vSide include The Tyra Banks Show and musical act The Pussycat Dolls has launched a presence as well. vSide makes it possible for media partners and brands to connect with this influential demographic in compelling and interactive new ways through a vibrantly created, expertly targeted social entertainment world. Doppelganger is a privately held company with offices located in San Francisco, California.

Episode Number: 142 Season Num: 7 First Aired: Monday June 16, 2008 Prod Code: 723

Spinner and Jimmy couldn’t be any happier that exams are finally ending and graduation is approaching. Though Spinner must face a difficult decision that can change his future.

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