Degrassi: The Next Generation
When the writers came up with the idea for a reunion special, they realized Emma would be starting middle school, and made the planned reunion special into a pilot for a new series. Emma is, therefore, literally the title character of The Next Generation and one of the two title characters of the show's pilot episode, "Mother and Child Reunion".
In addition to serving as a tie-in to Degrassi Jr. High/Degrassi High, teenage Emma was initially written as The Next Generation's counterpart to the earlier series' character Caitlin Ryan (played by Stacie Mistysyn). Both rabidly pursue various environmental and social causes, and Emma's first boyfriend, Sean Cameron began as a near-duplicate of Caitlin's first, Rick Munro (very similar back-story, abusive parents, nearly identical wardrobe, interest in motorcycles, interest in the girl's causes only insofar as it let him be close to her, inter alia). Moreover, Caitlin's father was a teacher, as would be Emma's stepfather, beginning in the second season. Emma's interaction with Rick Murray and his demise strikingly parallel Claude Tanner's reaction to Caitlin's rejection. As is normal for television series characters, however, Emma soon grew into a wholly unique individual who actually did a lot of more mature and deeper things within the story, a collaboration of McDonald and the series' writers.
Emma receives far more screen time in Degrassi: The Next Generation than Spike had in the original series.
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