If there's one thing Toronto has long been known for, it's the teen drama franchise that has graced our television sets for decades, portraying realistic and heartwarming moments from the everyday lives of adolescents. 

The Degrassi franchise was life-changing for many millennials who learned how to deal with everything from teen pregnancy, to eating disorders, to drugs, to bullying, and more from the show, and let's not forget that it's also how the city's favourite hip hop star got his start. 

But while it may be common knowledge amongst most Torontonians that the newer Degrassi: The Next Generation and Degrassi: Next Class series were born out of the original shows from the 70s and 80s, one American only just now made the discovery and hilariously announced it on Twitter. 

"I was today years old when I learned that Degrassi had a series in the 80s featuring all the teachers and parents when they were kids," wrote LA-based actress Cheyenne Ewulu on the social media platform yesterday along with a photo from Degrassi High.

I was today years old when I learned that Degrassi had a series in the 80s featuring all the teachers and parents when they were kids pic.twitter.com/gcmHaZ77iL

— Cheyenne #ENDSARS (@CheyenneTheGeek) October 21, 2020

"You're gonna upset a lot of Canadians with this one," quipped one Twitter user in response.

And they were right.

The replies to Ewulu's tweet are filled with messages from Canadians who simply can't believe there could be someone out there who doesn't know about Spike's pregnancy or the younger version of Snake before he was a high school principal. 

"You missed some good Canadian TV. Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, & Degrassi High! Having 'Everybody wants something' stuck in your head for years!" wrote one Canadian.

"I feel old now - I watched the original series: Kids of Degrassi Street, then Degrassi Jr High, then Degrassi High, Degrassi Next Generation and Next Class," wrote another. "My grandma knew some of the actors from the bowling alley she ran youth bowling leagues at in Toronto."

Twitter users have also been using Ewulu's tweet as an opportunity to reminisce about the wholesome Canadian-ness of the franchise, dating all the way back to the very first series The Kids of Degrassi Street from 1979. 

"Watch every episode! they still hold up in spite of AND because of their 80s-Canadian-ness!" said one Twitter user who clearly understands Degrassi's everlasting charm.

"In Canada where the #Degrassi show originated, this is very common knowledge," wrote another. "But it's still pretty cool! #Degrassi : The Next Generation lives on in perpetuity....lol."

Ewulu's original tweet has garnered 119 replies and 764 likes since it was first posted Wednesday, and though some respondents were so shocked by her admission of ignorance that they actually lashed out in anger, for the most part the thread has served as a time capsule about the decades-long franchise that taught Canadian kids about the most difficult and wonderful parts of growing up.