ABOUT LINDA SCHUYLER:
Linda Schuyler, C.M., O.Ont., is a trailblazing force in Canadian television and a visionary storyteller whose influence spans more than four decades. As the co-creator and executive producer of the multi-award winning Degrassi franchise, she has shaped the narratives of over 500 episodes, including The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, School’s Out, Degrassi Talks, Degrassi: The Next Generation, and Degrassi: Next Class, now available on Netflix in 239 territories worldwide.
The franchise has earned global acclaim, including the prestigious Peabody Award, two International Emmys, over 25 Gemini/Canadian Screen Awards, and multiple Teen Choice and Prix Jeunesse International Awards. In 2010, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television honoured Degrassi with a special 30th-anniversary tribute, cementing its legacy as a groundbreaking cultural touchstone. Most recently, in 2023, Degrassi was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame, further recognizing its enduring impact on Canadian culture and its influence across generations.
Linda’s journey from classroom to studio began in 1976 with the founding of her first production company, Playing With Time Inc. A former junior high school teacher in Toronto, she earned acclaim for her documentary Between Two Worlds, which inspired her transition to producing. The short film Ida Makes a Movie led to the creation of The Kids of Degrassi Street, the seed from which the expansive Degrassi universe would grow.
In 1995, she and her husband and producing partner, Stephen Stohn, launched Epitome Pictures. The company produced Canada’s first prime-time soap opera, Riverdale, as well as teen dramas like Open Heart, The L.A. Complex, and Instant Star, and, importantly, brought Degrassi back to screens in 2001.
Beyond her remarkable production achievements, Linda is deeply committed to mentorship and education. She has hosted the first Prime Time Television resident program, participated in the CFTPA Mentorship Program, and served as a guest lecturer at Yale University, the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, Trent University, and Wilfrid Laurier University.
Her dedication extends to philanthropy as well. Through the Skystone Foundation, Linda and Stephen support MusiCounts, Kids Help Phone, and other initiatives. Linda has also actively volunteered with UNICEF, Big Sisters, and Free The Children.
Her memoir, The Mother of All Degrassi, published in 2022, won the Axion Silver Medal, and in 2023, Degrassi was proudly inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.
With a career defined by breaking stereotypes, amplifying authentic voices, and inspiring generations, Linda Schuyler remains a luminary in the world of storytelling and a steadfast advocate for mentorship, equality, and creative excellence.
Q&A WITH LINDA SCHUYLER:
What is your most valuable possession and why?
MY HEALTH!
In 1968 I was the only survivor of a car crash that killed my two friends. This crash left me infertile and with permanent damage to my left eye. Since then, I have almost lost that eye due to shingles (a direct result of the crash) and have survived thoracic surgery (a large tumour removed from my windpipe), infertility, two hip replacements, thyroid cancer, a knee replacement, and . . . I’m still going strong! I am incredibly grateful to still have my health.
What are your top 3 life lessons and how have they changed your life for the better (in other words, how have you implemented them to better your life)?
- Being an immigrant kid. At age 8, I left England with my family to come to Canada. I was unmercifully teased for my plummy accent and British schoolgirl outfits. This experience gave me great empathy when I started teaching in inner-city Toronto and was faced with a class of young people who had different skin tones and whose families often didn’t speak English. This awareness informed the basis for my first documentary, Between Two Worlds.
- My car crash. I almost lost my life at 20 years old. For a while, I felt sorry for myself, as it had cut my world travels short and left me infertile. However, in time, I was able to count my blessings that I was alive. I have had the opportunity to, through authentic stories for and about young people, able to make a difference in the world (it took a LONG time to get to this realization!!!).
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My infertility. For the longest time, I thought that I was a lesser woman because I couldn’t have children. Yet my life calling has led me to work with young people on a daily basis, being their advocate and mentor. Perhaps I might not have arrived at this place had I had children of my own . . . we’ll never know!
Trust your gut. It’s guided me through every career decision and personal challenge I’ve faced."
What is the most valuable advice you’ve received and how did it set you up to win?
My British dad and mum were both active participants in WWII as a pilot and nurse, respectively. In 1956 they decided to immigrate to Canada for a better life for their kids. My parents knew how much I got teased at school as a British immigrant. They always said to me, “Linda, hold your head high and walk across the room with purpose!” I’ve never forgotten that advice.
What is the worst advice you’ve received and how did it impact you?
Early on in my production company, I had obtained the rights to a children’s book. I had secured some, but not all, investors and a distributor. I booked a meeting with the newly appointed Independent Production Officer of the CBC for advice. I told him I had many pieces of the puzzle in place but was looking for guidance on how to proceed. I was told, “Linda, what do you want from me? This is like saying you are half pregnant.” I truly did not know how to react to that.
As a businessperson, I thought this was the worst advice ever. What was I supposed to do with this? As a woman, I was angry. At that point, I was deep into infertility treatments and devastated when each treatment failed. I’m sure this same comment would not have been made to a man in the same position.
What is the one mistake you regret in life, and why? How would changing it have helped?
Not setting up my own distribution company. Early in my production company’s life, we made a deal with Isme Been International to distribute The Kids of Degrassi internationally. She did a great job, and we continued to give her our ongoing productions to represent. Subsequently, Isme made a deal to sell her company. It didn’t go well, and we lost a lot of money.
In hindsight, Isme and I should have joined forces and started our own distribution wing within my production company. This is what other young independent producers were doing at the time, and I didn’t have the vision to see that protecting your own intellectual property (IP) through international distribution was critical. Even though I never started my own distribution company, I learnt from this experience. I was much smarter when making deals, knowing I needed to protect my IP.
When you face a challenge, what’s your method to move past it?
Challenges can paralyze you or mobilie you. It’s all about decision-making. I need three good reasons to make a critical decision in light of a challenge — and I’m willing for the third reason to be . . . because my gut tells me!
Just go for it. The difference between those whose dreams become a reality and those whose don’t is knowing when to stop talking and start making it happen.
How do you create a work-life balance?
This is a challenge for all entrepreneurs. For me, physical activity works the best . . . swimming, tennis, yoga all help, along with jigsaw-puzzle solving. But it’s hard to focus on these when either creative or operational issues are demanding your attention. But . . . I know I need to find space . . . and sometimes, after I swim a few lengths, I actually find a solution to something that has evaded me before.
What “women” hangups have you been a victim to, that you feel sets women up to fail in their professional career?
For me . . . I feel I have been privileged. Even though I was a young immigrant to Canada and for years felt like an outsider, and that my opinions were ‘lesser than’ those of other, more worthy people . . . I’ve come to realise that I have had privilege. I am white, and I speak English fluently. But my immigrant experience, uncomfortable at the time, also turned out to be a blessing. It gave me empathy for others.
My first documentary, Between Two Worlds, was made as a class project with my eighth-grade students. I listened to their unique stories about having the expectations of immigrant parents while they navigated the Canadian school system and their own puberty. I didn’t know it at the time, but this first film, giving an authentic voice to young people, would lay the groundwork for my approach to filmmaking for the next fifty years and produce 525 episodes of the Degrassi franchise.
Are you affected by the Confidence Gap, where studies show that women require confidence as well as competence to succeed in the workplace environment, whereas their male counterparts don’t?
I think confidence is an issue for all entrepreneurs. By definition, entrepreneurs need to be risk-takers and project confidence in their own ideas. However, like so many others, I have fallen victim to ‘imposter syndrome’. I’m prone to this late at night, while all others sleep, or after rejection . . . from the bank, broadcaster, or investors. It’s easy to feel confident when things are going well, but very difficult to project an air of confidence when things seem to be collapsing.
However, at this point, I find it is really important, even when you don’t feel it—to project an air of perceived confidence for your team. As my parents always said, “Walk across the room with purpose!”
What does equality mean to you and is it important?
I believe, and always have, in equality for all . . . we all breathe, eat, and have beating hearts. We should all be treated with equality regardless of ethnicity, religious values, skin colour, sexual orientation, financial standing, health challenges, and more. This is a belief, but, unfortunately, not always a reality.
I built equality for all into the DNA of Degrassi from its earliest beginnings in the late 1970s. DEI was hard-baked into Degrassi from the very first episode, long before the term became popular, and, regrettably now, somewhat overused. This recognition of equality for all has continued throughout the entire Degrassi franchise, spanning over forty years. Through rich and diverse representations, I wanted my young audience to be able to identify with characters and storylines and to be comforted by the fact that “They are not alone.”
Walk across the room with purpose! My parents’ advice has stayed with me through every challenge and moment of self-doubt.
In your experience, what types of male allyship do you feel women need to foster at home and at work, to encourage an equitable ecosystem?
Many of my greatest cheerleaders have been men . . . my partners, my husband, my best gay friend, brothers, and more. Allies, whether male or female, share qualities of respect, honesty, and being non-judgemental. My cheerleaders have been a critical part of helping me become successful. They have supported me through moments of self-doubt and the paralyzing ‘imposter syndrome’. They also know how to gently remind me that not everything is a crisis, and, most importantly . . . they make me laugh!
What would you tell your 18-year-old self, looking back over your life’s experiences?
I think I would tell my younger self not to overreact when life throws curveballs, and not to draw inaccurate conclusions from these events. I would also explain to my young self that no life experience is ever a wasted experience.
After high school, and before university, I set out on a hippie trip to travel around the world on my own. My travels were cut short by a fatal collision with a double-decker bus. Without realising what I was doing, I reacted as though the universe was telling me that I shouldn’t strike out on my own and shouldn’t follow an independent streak. As proof of that, I enrolled in a traditional career—schoolteacher—and married my high school sweetheart. The marriage lasted five years. What I came to realize, over time, was that even though bad things happened, it didn’t mean I had to abandon being adventurous or independent.
Although the accident led me to a career I never thought I would pursue—school teaching—the lessons I learnt in the classroom turned out to be invaluable for my work as a creative producer and as a boss.
What advice would you give to women to help them step into their power?
Trust your gut.
Can you share one resource (book, course, mastermind/masterclass, etc.) that you feel all women need to have?
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. Although I find a lot of this book a bit too spiritual for my taste, I enjoyed the discussions of the functions of the left and right brain. I do not agree with the theory that we are either left-brain or right-brain people, but learning more about the functions of each side of the brain was interesting. It helped me understand how I was able to move easily from creative sessions with my writers and editors to practical sessions with my bankers and investors, then back again to creative meetings with actors and directors. I find that throughout the day I’m constantly switching from one side of my brain to the other, and I really enjoy the challenges they both offer.
Just go for it. Stop talking about a good idea and start making it happen.
What mantra do you live by and how has it impacted your life?
Just go for it . . .
All good ideas begin with a talking and testing-out phase. We all engage in these activities that let us dream about ‘what if?’. The difference between those whose dreams become a reality and those whose don’t is knowing when to stop talking about a good idea and start making it happen. This is often much more complicated than it sounds, and in hindsight, many of us might say, ‘If I’d known how difficult it would be, I’m not sure I would have started.’ But fortunately, we don’t know that at the time! There comes a point when you must stop the talking and ‘just go for it’.
Which therapies/modalities have helped shape your healing and empowerment journey?
Despite well-intentioned cheerleaders and supportive family and friends, there sometimes comes a point where an outside, non-conflicted voice becomes necessary. I’ve had a couple of good therapists over the years who have helped me place my various personal challenges in context. In particular, therapy has helped me come to terms with ‘survivor guilt’ when I was the only one of three to survive a major car crash. Therapy has also helped me come to terms with my value as a woman, even though I can’t have children of my own. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has guided me with practical advice to manage debilitating panic attacks.
THE MOTHER OF ALL DEGRASSI: BEHIND THE SCENES WITH A TELEVISION LEGEND:
Co-creator and executive producer of the iconic Degrassi franchise, Linda Schuyler, takes readers deep behind the scenes of over 500 episodes of groundbreaking Canadian television. From a young schoolteacher introducing her Grade 8 class to filmmaking, to surviving life-threatening challenges and building one of the most-loved teen television universes in history, Linda shares her remarkable journey of creativity, determination, and resilience.
Filled with candid anecdotes, inspiring insights, and fabulous behind-the-scenes stories, the book reveals how Linda championed adolescent voices, broke stereotypes, and navigated the independent Canadian television industry as a pioneering woman entrepreneur. This is a must-read for Degrassi fans, storytellers, educators, and anyone inspired by authentic storytelling and the courage to dream big.
To purchase the book, click here.
