AOL Canada launched a ‘verbal mash-up’ of Degrassi: The Next Generation at AOL.ca/entertainment yesterday. The teen town hall discussion put cast members into a live audience discussion with stars from the Broadway musical Spring Awakening. The online show kicked off with comedy by Scrubs star Zach Braff, while the discussion was moderated by Rosie O’Donnell. The cast members answered questions from the audience about how both shows relate to current teen topics.

The content came from AOL in the US and required no special arrangement with Degrassi rights owner CTV, because AOL reporters were on the ground floor for the May taping at New York’s Eugene O’Neill Theatre. There were no exclusive sponsors, although advertisers on the AOL Canada network get exposure at the site.

AOL Canada managing editor Shanda Deziel says the multiplatform event ‘combines the online medium with the theatre and broadcast television. Degrassi has an extraordinary fan base in Canada, and we were thrilled to bring them into the homes of teens that could not make it to New York for this event.’