Skins (TV series)

Skins
Genre	Teen drama Dramedy
Created by	Jamie Brittain Bryan Elsley (Series 1-4)
Starring	Kaya Scodelario Lisa Backwell Merveille Lukeba Jack O'Connell Luke Pasqualino Megan Prescott Kathryn Prescott Lily Loveless Ollie Barbieri and others
Theme music composer	Segal
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	37 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Bryan Elsley Charles Pattinson George Faber John Griffin[1]
Producer(s)	Chris Clough
Location(s)	Bristol, England
Camera setup	Multiple-camera
Running time	47 minutes
Production company(s)	Company Pictures
Broadcast
Original channel	E4
Picture format	HDTV 1080i
Audio format	Surround
Original run	25 January 2007 (2007-01-25) – present
External links
Official website
Production website

Skins is a British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of sixth form. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness (including eating disorders), sexual orientation identity, substance abuse and death. The show was created by father and son television writers Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain for Company Pictures,^[1] and premiered on E4 on 25 January 2007.^[2]

The show is notable for its casting of amateur actors and young writers. The cast are entirely replaced every two series, when the characters leave sixth form. Skins has broadcast four series, and has been commissioned up to a sixth. A Skins film is also in production, as well as an American adaptation by MTV, set in Baltimore, Maryland.

On 5 August 2010, the "third-generation" cast was unveiled by E4. The characters they are to play in Series 5 are still to be announced.^[3]

Cast and characters

First generation

The first generation of Skins characters. From left to right, Cassie Ainsworth, Michelle Richardson, Tony Stonem, Sketch, Anwar Kharral, Sid Jenkins, Chris Miles, Jal Fazer, and Maxxie Oliver.

Tony Stonem (portrayed by Nicholas Hoult) is an attractive, intelligent and popular boy. His manipulative ways often go unnoticed by many, and are a catalyst for the majority of the events in the series. Sid Jenkins (Mike Bailey) is Tony's best friend, but has an entirely opposite personality. He lacks confidence, is socially uneasy and struggles with school work. Tony's girlfriend is Michelle Richardson (April Pearson), a girl who can never stay angry at his mischievous behaviour for long. Outwardly, Michelle appears shallow, vain and conceited but she works hard and is emotionally mature. She is friends with Cassie Ainsworth (Hannah Murray), an odd girl who suffers from an eating disorder. Cassie attempts to hide her own struggles with mental health while her flamboyant parents ignore her in favour of their new baby.

Chris Miles (Joe Dempsie) is the party animal of the group. He has a difficult home life; he lost his brother to illness at a young age, and is an emancipated minor due to his ambivalent father and absent mother. He has a crush on his psychology teacher Angie (Siwan Morris). Jal Fazer (Larissa Wilson) is a sensible girl with a talent for playing the clarinet. Her runaway mother has left her to live with her famous musician father and aspiring rapper brothers. Maxxie Oliver (Mitch Hewer) is an openly gay character who loves to dance and, unlike most gay teenagers on British television, is still considered "one of the lads". His best friend Anwar Kharral (Dev Patel) takes a pick-and-choose approach to Islam, and has no qualms indulging in pre-marital sex, alcohol, and drugs. He has a slightly off-the-wall personality, known for his silly antics and sense of humour. Lucy, better known as "Sketch" (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), is a quiet Welsh girl, who is polite yet unnerving. She is a young carer for her mother Sheila, who suffers from multiple sclerosis.

As well as the regular cast, there are several important recurring characters. Effy Stonem (Kaya Scodelario) is Tony's younger sister, and shares many of the same qualities as him. She is mysterious and manipulative, but almost mute, she regularly breaks the fourth wall. Abigail Stock (Georgina Moffat) is Tony Stonem's mistress, a posh school girl with sociopathic tendencies. "Posh" Kenneth (Daniel Kaluuya) goes to the same college as the main cast and often found spending time with the boys. Madison Twatter (Stephen Walters) features as Sid's emergency drug dealer, Doug (Giles Thomas) is a senior teacher at Roundview College, and British comedian and co-writer Josie Long appears as the college's careers counselor.

The central cast's parents are often played by well-known British actors credited in a guest starring role. Harry Enfield portrays Tony and Effy's father, Jim Stonem, with Morwenna Banks playing his wife Anthea Stonem. Peter Capaldi and Josie Lawrence act as Sid's parents, Mark and Liz Jenkins. Neil Morrissey and Naomi Allisstone play Cassie's parents Marcus and Margeritte. Arabella Weir acts as Michelle's mother, Anna Richardson, and Danny Dyer as her step father Malcolm. Ronnie Fazer (Mark Monero) is Jal's musician father, and Elaine (Josette Simon) her estranged mother. Mark Heap portrays Graham Miles, Chris' father, and Sarah Lancashire his stepmother Mary. Inder Manocha plays Istiak Kharral, Anwar's father, with Nina Wadia as Anwar's mother. Heidi Monsen acts as Dr. Victoria Stock, Abigail and Josh's mother. Maxxie's parents Walter and Jackie Oliver are played by Bill Bailey and Fiona Allen.

Second generation

The second generation of Skins characters. From left to right, JJ Jones, Naomi Campbell, Emily Fitch, Katie Fitch, James Cook, Effy Stonem, Freddie Mclair, Pandora Moon and Thomas Tomone.

Elizabeth "Effy" Stonem (Kaya Scodelario), Tony's younger sister, becomes the lead character for the second generation. Effy is beautiful, popular, and a natural leader like her brother, but also quiet and distant, attempting to keep her own troubles hidden. She is fully aware of her desirability and capacity for manipulative behaviour, but feels expressing her own emotions will show weakness. Pandora Moon (Lisa Backwell) is her best friend, having appeared for the first time in a second series episode. She is innocent to the sexual and narcotic world in which Effy indulges, but is ready and willing to explore it. Thomas Tomone (Merveille Lukeba) is an immigrant from the Congo, with a morally upright outlook and good-hearted nature.

James Cook (Jack O'Connell), Freddie Mclair (Luke Pasqualino) and JJ Jones (Ollie Barbieri) have been best friends since childhood, known as "the Three Musketeers". Cook is charismatic and sociable, but boisterous and not afraid of authority. His womanising drives many of the events in the series. By contrast, Freddie is an easy-going skater who likes to smoke weed, and as the more sensible and responsible friend, he is often put out by Cook's behaviour. JJ's Asperger syndrome makes it difficult to fit in socially, but he has learnt to use magic tricks to make friends. His friends view him kindly but with a degree of amusement, and sometimes irritation, but he knows Cook and Freddie will always take care of him. He is the kindest of the three, and by far the least worldly.

Katie (Megan Prescott) and Emily Fitch (Kathryn Prescott) are very different identical twin sisters. Quietly insecure Katie thinks of herself as something of a WAG and wants to usurp Effy's place as queen bee of the group. Her homophobia causes problems with her sister Emily, who is coming to terms with her identity as a lesbian. The quieter of the two, Emily is used to being the shadow of her sister, and is sulky but perceptive. She is in love with Naomi Campbell (Lily Loveless), a fiery, politically-charged and passionate young woman with idealistic views and an abundance of ambition. She also has a good friendship with JJ, due to their problems, they feel that they would be good confidantes to each other.

Other characters include Karen McClair (Klariza Clayton), Freddie's sister who is desperate to become famous.^[4] Mackenzie Crook guest stars as Johnny White, a psychotic Bristol gangster with comedians Jordan Long and Justin Edwards as his inept henchmen.^[5] Ardal O'Hanlon is the gang's careless Northern Irish college tutor, Kieran MacFoeinaiugh (pronounced Mac-Phew). As with the first generation, the central cast's parents are played by established British comedic actors. Harry Enfield and Morwenna Banks return as Effy's parents, with Banks' real life partner David Baddiel appearing as her fictional husband's work colleague. Sally Phillips is introduced as Pandora's mother Angela, and Maureen Lipman as her Aunt Elizabeth. Other parents include Cook's father (Matt King) and mother (Tanya Franks), JJ's mother (Juliet Cowan) and father (Douglas Hodge), Freddie's dad (Simon Day) and grandfather Norman (Dudley Sutton), Naomi's mother (Olivia Colman), and Katie and Emily's parents played by impressionist Ronni Ancona and stand-up comedian John Bishop. Guest stars for the series include Georgia Henshaw, who appears as Lara, JJ's new girlfriend, and singer ^[6] Will Young who plays a school counsellor.^[7] Chris Addison appears as Roundview College's new "Cameronian" headmaster, David Blood.^[8] Pauline Quirke recurs as the detective who investigates Sophia's suicide.^[9]

Third generation

The third generation of Skins characters.

On 5th August 2010, E4 revealed the actors cast for the third generation. The third generation will be played by Alexander Arnold, Dakota Blue Richards, Sean Teale, Sebastian De Souza, Will Merrick, Laya Lewis, Freya Mavor and Jessica Sula. ^[1] Most of the cast are first-time actors, but Richards starred in the 2007 film The Golden Compass.

Plot synopsis

Series 1

Episode one, "Tony", is an ensemble piece, which introduces the characters and the format. The gang are all friends to begin with, and Tony is seen to be effortlessly attractive, popular and intelligent; he tries to arrange for all his friends to crash a party by posh girl Abigail Stock (Georgina Moffat). The second episode, "Cassie", focuses on Cassie's time in an eating disorder hospital under the supervision of Dr Stock. Throughout her day-to-day life, she experiences hallucinations of messages instructing her to eat, and her burgeoning feelings for Sid. Jal's episode showcases on her ambitions to win BBC Young Musician of the Year, and her strained relationship with her famous musician father. Jal's father is instrumental in getting Madison Twatter to leave the gang alone. In "Chris", Chris left alone with £1,000 left to him by his mother, and his eventual move into temporary student accommodation. He develops a sexual relationship with his psychology teacher, Angie (Siwan Morris). Episode five, "Sid", shows Sid's struggle with his dysfunctional family and his victimisation at the hands of Tony's manipulations; Tony organises a scheme to set Sid up with Michelle so that he can demonstrate his superiority and effortlessly win Michelle back, despite Tony's affair with posh girl being in the open. A consequence of Sid's attempts at earning Michelle's affections come when Cassie, heartbroken, attempts suicide by drug overdose.

"Maxxie and Anwar" focuses on the two named characters and the conflict between Maxxie's homosexuality and Anwar's Muslim faith. In the episode, Tony tries to solicit Maxxie's affection and passionately kisses him semi-naked , and Michelle oversees the act. In her episode, Michelle reaches an understanding of Tony's manipulative and cheating ways, and gradually accepts that a relationship with him is not good for her. Michelle begins to date Josh Stock (Ben Lloyd-Hughes), who is as mentally unstable as his sister. Tony breaks them up by engineering four naked photos of Abigail to be sent to Michelle from Josh's phone. In "Effy", Tony's younger sister Effy is lured into a trap by Josh, who drugs her and insists Tony has sex with her as a revenge ploy. After stripping Tony down to his boxers, Josh tells Tony to beg. After Tony does so, he allows them to leave. Between his breakup with Michelle and the incident with Effy, he concludes he does not want to be the superficial guy with no friends anymore. In the finale episode, it is Anwar's birthday. Several storylines are resolved: the dispute between Anwar and Maxxie is abated when Anwar's father has no personal qualms with Maxxie's sexuality; Chris's relationship with Angie is ended following interruptions from her fiancé. As Tony is confessing to Michelle that he loves her and wants to change his manipulative ways, he is struck down by a passing bus, to Effy's horror. The episode then turns musical for the closing scene; Sid sings "Wild World" by Cat Stevens, occasionally backed by other characters, such as Tony's unconscious body, until he is able to find Cassie, who is shortly due to move to Scotland.

Series 2

The second series premièred on E4 on 11 February 2008, however the first episode was available in four parts to MySpace users prior to airing. "Maxxie and Tony" starts the series, showcasing Tony's impairments following his accident. The episode also reveals more about Maxxie's life; we learn of his ambitions to be a dancer, his surname, his difficulties with homophobic bullies, and encounter his parents (played by Bill Bailey and Fiona Allen). The second episode introduces a new character in Maxxie's stalker, young carer Lucy, also known as "Sketch". Sketch disrupts the school play organized by drama lecturer Bruce (Shane Richie) in order to steal a kiss from Maxxie. To spite Maxxie, Sketch begins a sexual relationship with Anwar. Episode three focuses on Sid's life, coping with Cassie's departure to Scotland, and he suspects her of cheating. When his Scottish relatives visit, his father is driven to despair, drinking and smoking himself to death unintentionally. Sid reconnects with brain-damaged Tony when he is able to open up to him about the incident. For "Michelle", the group go on a camping trip to Michelle's father's home in Wales. Maxxie discovers Sketch having sex with Anwar, and Sid sleeps with Michelle, starting a relationship; he comes home to find Cassie waiting for him, who is horrified. In "Chris", Chris agrees to start a job and Jal learns to start being more open to new things, and the two end up in a relationship. Although Chris cheats on her with Angie, they move back in together, and Jal discovers she is pregnant.

"Tony", directed by recurring actor Harry Enfield, sees Tony Stonem attend a university open day not long after taking an ecstasy tablet that awakens elements of his old personality. In a visual metaphor for Jungian psychology, a mysterious girl who is a projection of Tony's subconscious helps him conquer his mental impairments. His old self again, he confronts Michelle and Sid and tells them their relationship is "wrong". With the Stonem parents unable to run the house, Effy takes over in episode seven. She starts a new private school and befriends weird girl Pandora Moon (Lisa Backwell), and resolves to solve her brother's and his friends' relationship problems. Cassie is hurting and turning to promiscuity, but through Effy's machinations, she and Sid get back together, as do Tony and Michelle. Actor Daniel Kaluuya wrote "Jal", which sees her struggle with her pregnancy, while Chris is rushed to hospital with a blood clot in his brain. Meanwhile, Maxxie introduces his new boyfriend, James (Sean Verey). In "Cassie", Jal tells Chris she is having an abortion. Cassie feels without her eating disorder and other problems, she is disempowered; she is traumatised when Chris dies of two subarachnoid haemorrhages in her arms and flees to New York City. In the series finale, the gang get their A Level results, attend Chris's funeral and part ways, with Sid following Cassie to New York, Anwar moving with Maxxie and James to London, and Sketch left behind. The series ends with Effy in Tony's bed, reveling in the art work of emotions she has created as she claims her top place in their social world, and also as series' lead in the upcoming series.

Series 3

We are introduced to the new cast on their first day at Roundview College in the series premiere, "Everyone". JJ Jones, James Cook and Freddie McClair are best friends to begin with; twins Katie and Emily Fitch know Naomi Campbell from school but are distant with her because Katie is homophobic and suspects her of being a lesbian. The gang meet Effy, and sidekick Pandora; Katie wants to become Effy's best friend, and both Cook and Freddie are instantly smitten. Cook passes the test set by Effy and begins a casual sex relationship with her. Episode two focuses on Cook who invites the whole group over, but their friendships are not very strong yet; chaos ensues, and Cook angers local gangster Johnny White (Mackenzie Crook). Thomas Tomone is only introduced in the third episode. He is a immigrant from the Congo, and develops a crush on Pandora. He engenders himself to the group when he is able to get Johnny White off their backs by besting him in a pepper-eating competition. However, despairing at his decadent life in Bristol, Mrs Tomone brings Thomas back to the Congo. In "Pandora", Pandora's innocent slumber party becomes an MDMA-fuelled rave after Katie spikes the brownies. Emily and Naomi kiss; Naomi denies being gay, but urges Emily to admit that she is, who also denies it. Pandora allows Cook to take her virginity, but regrets it when later Thomas returns from Congo.

Freddie's episode shows his difficult relationship with his widower father (Simon Day) and his sister Karen (Klariza Clayton), who has ambitions to be a celebrity. His father converts Freddie's shed - his personal sanctuary - into a dance studio for Karen. He witnesses Effy's parents' breakup, discovers that Cook slept with his sister, gets punched in the face by his father, and when he goes to tell Effy how he feels about her discovers she is with Cook. In "Naomi", Naomi runs against Cook for student president on the basis that if he wins she will have to sleep with him; when he wins however, he doesn't force her to take it further than kissing. She and Emily begin a sexual relationship, but Naomi is unwilling to accept the reality of its romantic nature. In "JJ", JJ loses his virginity when lesbian friend Emily decides to have pity sex with him. Thomas discovers that Pandora has been cheating on him, and while high on JJ's medication, Cook reveals to Freddie that Effy loves Freddie and not him. In Effy's episode, she has nothing: her Queen Bee status has been usurped by Katie, sex with Cook means nothing, and her home life is a wreck. She finally feels something when she has sex with Freddie, but after being tormented by Katie, an intoxicated Effy hits her with a rock. Katie is recovering in "Katie and Emily" but her relationship with her sister is falling apart. However, at the college ball, Emily is able to assert herself and Naomi confesses she loves Emily back. Thomas and Pandora also reunite. The finale, also an "Everyone" episode, sees Cook and Effy hiding out with Cook's father (Matt King). JJ tracks them down however, and forces Effy to confess it is Freddie that she loves, but Cook is adamant he loves her too. Freddie closes the series, asking "What do we do now?".

Series 4

Series four begins with the suicide of a girl named Sophia (Amberley Gridley) while she is high on MDMA at Thomas' club night. A police inspector (Pauline Quirke) questions the entire gang, and Thomas is expelled by the new headmaster (Chris Addison) for his unseemly connection to the incident. Thomas gives into temptation and sleeps with another girl, causing him and Pandora to break up. In "Emily", Emily's mother (Ronni Ancona) warns her to take her relationship more slowly and cautiously. She discovers Naomi had slept with Sophia and is the one who sold her the MDMA that killed her, leaving their relationship fraught. In "Cook", Cook is in trouble for an assault and to be a better influence on his younger brother, accepts a prison sentence for dealing the drugs that led to Sophia's death, covering for Naomi. When Katie loses her job and discovers she has premature menopause, she cannot confide in her mother at first because of the stress of their bankruptcy and homelessness; the Fitches are forced to move into Naomi Campbell's house.

Freddie worries over Effy's psychological state in his episode: she is developing a psychotic depression that resembles what his mother had before she committed suicide. He is able to save Effy after an attempt on her life; she is hospitalised and he is left desolate. JJ's episode sees him fall in love with a single mother called Lara (Georgia Henshaw), through whom he finds a newfound confidence and begins to doubt whether he really needed to be so highly medicated his whole life. In the penultimate episode, Effy's psychiatric counsellor Dr. John Foster (Hugo Speer) is using unorthodox hypnotic methods to cure Effy's depression, making her forget and want to abandon her old friends. After an incident at the spot of Tony's accident where she nearly commits suicide again, her psychosis comes back and Freddie insists Dr Foster cease treating Effy. Later, Foster lures Freddie to discuss Effy and murders him so he can have her to himself. The finale episode "Everyone" deals with Freddie's absence. Naomi and Emily finally repair their damaged relationship, scorched by cheating on both sides, and Naomi confesses she loved Emily since they first met; Thomas and Pandora are thrown back together by chance when they both get into Harvard University; a mostly-recovered Effy holds Freddie's birthday party in his shed, knowing that he loved her and pining for his return. Cook, who is on the run from the police after breaking out of prison, uncovers Dr Foster's killing and furiously lunges at him; the series ends here, in freeze-frame.

Future

E4 has commissioned a fifth and sixth series of Skins to air during 2011 and 2012. As in previous series, an entirely new cast will be introduced. Bryan Elsley had previously revealed that the new series would feature an entirely new cast, dubbed the "third generation". Asked if any characters might remain in the next generation, writer Georgia Lester replied: "I can't imagine anyone at the moment. I just love James Fitch, but he is not at the right age to join the main cast!" Open auditions were held in April 2010 for the new cast. So far, Joann Condon has been confirmed as a guest in Series 5, playing a character called Ginny.^[10]

Bryan Elsley also revealed through his E4 blog that Series 4 would be the last series he would write for, stating that "the time has come to hand over to the fantastically talented group of young writers" who co-wrote series 1-4.^[11]

Although the show airs in the United States on BBC America, MTV announced that they will be adapting the British teen drama into an American version set in Baltimore, Maryland.^[12] Executive Produced by Brian Elsley^[12], the series began filming in February 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

A movie was confirmed on the E4 website for summer 2011 release,^[13] filming will begin in Bristol and the Isle of Man in late 2010. Scripted by Jack Thorne and directed by Charles Martin,^[14] the film will be based around the Second Generation^[13] but will have appearances from the First Generation and also the Third.^[14] It has been confirmed that Dev Patel^[15] and Nicholas Hoult^[15] will be part of the cast.

The third generation cast of Skins was announced Thursday Aug 5th, on the Skins website. The new cast can be seen here.

Production

Writing

The show's realistic plot lines are often credited to the writing team, who have an average age of 21. The series co-producer Bryan Elsley said, "It's all about the writing. [...] We're about letting our audience feel they are not alone. [...] We're always having people miss [writing] meetings because they've got A-levels or even GCSEs".^[16]

Filming

The show is filmed almost entirely in Bristol; scenes at Roundview College were shot at Henbury School for series four, having formerly been set at the John Cabot Academy and Filton College's WISE Campus.^[17] and multiple scenes are located around College Green.^[18] Special locations for individual episodes have included the Gower Peninsula, Sharpness Docks, the University of Exeter and New York City. The series was shot entirely in High Definition, using Sony HDW-750P cameras for the first two series, and Sony HDW-F900R thereafter, both supplied by Panavision.^[19] It was edited at BBC Studios and Post Production in Bristol, using Autodesk Lustre and Autodesk Smoke.^[20]

It was announced in April 2008 that all of the original cast (except Kaya Scodelario and Lisa Backwell) will be replaced for series 3.^[21] Creator Bryan Elsley said: "There are risks associated with dumping a cast, but we just did it. There was some disquiet at the channel, but then they told us just to go with it." Speaking at Broadcast's television drama conference, he also confirmed the show would stick to its pattern of introducing college-age characters, moving them on in the next series, then letting them go. "The first year is about getting to know the kids, and the second gives us the advantage of being able to explore their psyches a little more," said Elsley. Creator Jamie Brittain said that the new cast would be quite different from the original characters, although people may still spot some similarities. Open auditions for the second generation of cast members were held in Bristol, which attracted 1,500 16- to 18-year-olds, followed by a further two days of auditions in London.^[22]

Online content

A variety of videos have been released on the Skins website, including character profiles, and "Unseen Skins" mini-episodes that interweave with every aired episode.^[23] In addition to character profiles on the official E4 website, accounts for the lead Skins characters are maintained on popular social networking website MySpace. Each series is launched on MySpace, with previews of the first episodes a few days before they are aired on television.^[24] There is also an official Skins Internet bot for Windows Live Messenger, which allows users to receive automated messages throughout the airing of each episode with music credits, trivia, and behind-the-scenes gossip.^[25]

Reception

Critical reception

The first series received positive reviews, although some critics complained that the series depicts teenagers unrealistically and stereotypically.^[26] Others criticised the excessive promotion of the show (specifically in the UK) and having relatively mediocre writing in comparison to other similarly themed shows. Actor Nicholas Hoult defended criticism of the extreme storylines, saying they would not reflect "everyone's teenage life", adding "it is maybe heightened for entertainment but all of it is believable."^[27]

Marieke Hardy was extremely admiring of the show, and particularly enjoyed the fact that the show was "beautiful and sad and poignant and perfectly hurtful", while also managing to give impression of being drama that is "edgy, funny and rude".^[28] However, she did state that she was unsure whether the show was meant for teenagers or not.^[29] Stewart Lee has remarked during an interview on the BBC4 programme Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe that he feels lucky for having been a teenager watching TV for teenagers in the 1970s and not the 2000s as "there was something really comforting for nerds and weirdos about programmes like Children of the Stones and The Changes." He said that watching Skins as a teenager today would make him feel lonelier than he already would have been.^[30] However, Brooker himself gave the programme a positive review in his Guardian column "Screen Burn", and specifically stated that "the series had wrong-footed me", comparing his initial expectation of Skins as a shallow show to after he had finished watching the series.^[31]

In his book Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale, Russell T Davies and his co-author, Benjamin Cook, discuss Skins at length, with Davies praising the show's innovation in a genre that was fast becoming tired and out of date. They are critical of some elements of the first series, such as the believability of Tony's character, or episode 6 which is described as "Carry On Russia", but give high praise to the second series as a whole, highlighting the death of Sid's dad as a superb moment, and calling the finale "perfect". Davies, creator of the award-winning Queer as Folk, also praised the handling of the show's homosexuality-related storylines, saying that he knew a boy very like Maxxie in the 80s.^[32] The Age called it a "refreshing, entertaining and worthy series" and wrote it was "compulsory viewing for parents of teenagers as much as for teens."^[33] Similarly, the "Naomily" storyline of Series 3 and 4 proved popular with lesbian viewers; a poll conducted by American gay womens' media website AfterEllen.com ranked Naomi and Emily as the top two fictional lesbian and bisexual characters.^[34]

Awards

The show won the Best Drama prize at the 2008 Rose d'Or ceremony,^[35] and also won the Best Production Design (Drama) for Amelia Shankland's work on "Cassie", at the Royal Television Society Awards 2007, in addition to being nominated for Best Photography (Drama). Tal Rosner's graphics for Skins won a BAFTA for Best Title Sequence at the British Academy Television Craft Awards in May 2008.^[36] In March 2008 the show was nominated for Best Drama Series in the British Academy Television Awards 2008.^[37] The show's innovative marketing was awarded Best Advertising Campaign at the MediaGuardian Awards for Innovation in 2008.^[38] The viral marketing preluding the second series won the Entertainment category at the Interactive Marketing and Advertising Awards 2008.^[39] Skins won the Philips Audience Award at the BAFTAs 2009. The series Director of Photography, Nick Dance has been nominated for a BAFTA and an RTS Award for Photography and Lighting for his work on the series.^[19] In 2010, Skins was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding Drama Series" during the 21st GLAAD Media Awards.^[40]

Television ratings

The pilot episode of Skins averaged 1.5 million viewers.^[41] The ratings for the second series which launched peaked at 884,000 viewers, which gave it 5.9% audience share and taking 60% of the 16-24 demographic, however this was still more than 500,000 viewers down on its series one premiere.^[42] The series finale attracted an audience of 740,000 on E4, equating to a 4.65% share of the audience.^[43] The start of the third series drew in 877,000 viewers,^[44] proving popular with its key audience demographic of younger people — 56.2% of viewers were aged between 16 and 34.^[45] Series 4 premiered with 1.5 million viewers across E4 and E4+1, the highest rated episode since series 1.^[46][47]

Cultural influence

The programme has given rise to the term 'skins party', referring to a debauched night of heavy drinking and recreational drug use.^[48] During the 2007 Easter holiday a girl in County Durham threw a house party; it was advertised on her MySpace profile as a "Skins Unofficial Party," referring to the party in the first series' trailer, with the subtitle "Let's trash the average family-sized house disco party". 200 people turned up, breaking into the house and causing over £20,000 of seemingly deliberate damage. She alleges that her account was hacked and someone else placed the ad.^[49][50] Similar incidents have taken place in the Republic of Ireland, with major household damage and theft of personal property being reported in Firhouse and Foxrock. Although these attacks have not been conclusively linked to the show, news outlets have reported that they are called Skins parties.^[51] Club nights marketed as 'Skins Secret Parties' have also taken shape in Leicester and Brighton.^[52] Following this, a series of parties were run by Company Pictures in spring 2008.^[53]

DVD releases

Other media

In May 2009, E4 confirmed that Film4 and Company Pictures were in "preliminary talks" about a movie spin-off.^[58] In March 2010, Jack Thorne revealed to The Guardian that the Skins motion picture was in pre-production. It will be centred on the second generation of characters, but feature appearances from the first and third too.^[59]

In September 2009, Company Pictures announced that the Skins brand has been licensed to Crystal Entertainment.^[60] The firm is to help creator Bryan Elsley expand the brand into areas such as film, fashion and music. They described Skins as "the most authentic teen brand on TV".^[60]

In January 2010, Hodder & Stoughton published Skins: The Novel (ISBN 1-4449-0004-8), a short novel by Ali Cronin that describes events taking place between series 3 and 4.^[61]

References

External links

• Official Skins website
• Skins at the Internet Movie Database
• Skins (TV series) at TV.com