The tenth season of Degrassi premiered in Canada on July 19, 2010, concluded on April 22, 2011, and consists of 44 episodes. Degrassi is a Canadian serial teen drama television series. Previously known as Degrassi: The Next Generation, the suffix "the Next Generation" was dropped this season, due to the original next generation of students having all been written out. With the start of the tenth season, the series has survived longer than the nine-year gap between Degrassi High's telemovie School's Out, and Degrassi’s premiere episode "Mother and Child Reunion". Although only two school years have passed in the story timeline since season six, season ten is set in the first semester, and first half of the second semester, in which the year it aired. Writers have been able to use a semi-floating timeline, so that the issues depicted are modern for their viewers. This season depicts the lives of a group of high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, as they deal with some of the issues that young adults face such as abusive relationships, bullying, sexual identity, gender identity, pregnancy, illegal situations, family issues, drug abuse, running away, and alcoholism. This season doubled the order of episodes, and switched to a telenovela/soap opera format, with the show airing new episodes four days a week, for the first 24 episodes. Six actors are added to the ensemble cast, while eight cast members have either left the series or been dropped from the main cast to guest appearances.