"Showtime" is a two-part episode of the Canadian teen drama Degrassi High. It was the tenth and eleventh episodes of the show's second season, airing on CBC on 28 January and 4 February 1991. In the two-part episode, the titular school is thrown into disarray after Archie "Snake" Simpson (Stefan Brogren) finds Claude Tanner (David Armin-Parcells) dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The episode was the first time the franchise had depicted suicide.
Production
Degrassi's producers had avoided tackling the topic of suicide, as they feared they would mishandle it and potentially cause copycat suicides. David Armin-Parcells, who plays Claude Tanner, the student who commits suicide, said to the Montreal Gazette: "I think the show portrays suicide as harsh, and keeps away from romanticizing death." For the episode, they aimed to avoid glorifying suicide, instead focusing on the damage it does to those around someone who does it.
A message ran before the beginning of the first part, presented by actors Stacie Mistysyn and Pat Mastroianni. In the message, Mistysyn tells the viewer; "What you're about to see is a dramatic story about suicide". Mastroianni states that if the characters in the show had taken Claude's signs seriously, they could have called for adult intervention, and the phone number for the Boys Town National Hotline is displayed in a chyron on the bottom of the screen. On part two, before the credits, there is another message from Mistysyn and Mastroianni, the former of which assures that Armin-Parcells did not actually commit suicide. The hotline is again displayed at the end.
Broadcast
On PBS, the episode was followed by a live phone-in telecast.
Plot
Part one
Degrassi High is planning on hosting a talent show, which has been named Showtime. Lucy Fernandez (Anais Granofsky) and Bronco Davis (L. Dean Ifill) are hosting auditions in the gym, and several other students, such as Caitlin Ryan (Stacie Mistysyn), Maya Goldberg (Kyra Levy) and Claude Tanner (David Armin-Parcells), are planning to audition. Caitlin and Maya discuss their nerves for the audition on their way to the gym, but are approached by Claude, who asks if Caitlin is planning to audition. She says she is, to which Claude replies so is he. Caitlin wishes him good luck. Claude asks her if they could rekindle their relationship, but Caitlin scoffs and walks away, telling Maya she wished Claude would leave her alone. Joey Jeremiah (Pat Mastroianni) and Archie "Snake" Simpson (Stefan Brogren) are also planning to audition
When Claude is called to audition, he recites a very morbid poem. Joey snickers at him, but Snake tells him to stop and let him finish. Bronco cuts off Claude, telling him that while his poem was good, it wasn't right for the show, as it was too serious for the otherwise good-natured intentions of the talent show. Angered, Claude storms out, calling everyone a "bunch of sheep". While Joey laughs at him, Snake begins to show concern. Joanne Rutherford (Krista Houston), his friend, follows Claude out and tells him that she cares, but Claude, while thanking her for being supportive, retorts that "you don't know what it's like to be me" and leaves.
Back in the gym, Joey and Snake do their act, which consists of wearing big sombreros with faces drawn on their shirtless bodies, dancing to "Everybody Wants Something" by their band The Zit Remedy. The next day, Claude approaches Caitlin at her locker holding a white rose. Caitlin refuses to take the rose, and tells him to stop harassing her. Claude tells her that he won't bother her anymore and that he came to say goodbye. An unmoved Caitlin asks him where is he going, to which he backs and walks away. Caitlin scoffs to Maya, "What a creep!".
Claude goes to his locker and opens it. Scott Smith (Byrd Dickens) passes by and tells Claude that he will be late for class, but Claude responds that he won't be going to any more classes, as Degrassi has never done anything for him. Scott scoffs that he will get in trouble and walks away. Claude says "No...I won't". As the hallways empty, Claude produces a gun from his bag and walks in the direction of the boys washroom, leaving his locker open.