It may seem like a lark — puerile Clerks creator Kevin Smith directing an earnest teen series — but the dude knows his Degrassi. He gets that queen bee Paige and skanky Manny’s beef can only end violently (with untimely disrobing). He sees that crazy Craig must get his bipolar brain off of Ashley, even if it means more awful guitar playing. And, most important, he understands that even though balding used-car salesman Joey was once the school hottie, Caitlin is now totally slumming. A- — Neil Drumming