Skins (British TV series)

Skins
File:SkinsC4 450x562.jpg Main cast of Skins first series
Genre	Dramedy
Created by	Jamie Brittain Bryan Elsley
Starring	Mike Bailey Nicholas Hoult Joe Dempsie April Pearson Hannah Murray Larissa Wilson Dev Patel Mitch Hewer
Theme music composer	Fat Segal
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	19 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Bryan Elsley George Faber Charles Pattinson
Producer	Chris Clough
Production location	Bristol
Running time	47 minutes approx
Original release
Network	E4 (Digital airings), Channel 4 (Terrestrial airings air 3 days after the digital)
Release	25 January 2007 – present

Skins is a British teen drama from Company Pictures which premièred on E4 on 25 January 2007. Skins is one of E4's flagship programmes in their attempt to start showing more British content on their channels. Channel 4 reran the first series beginning 21 August 2007. A second series of ten episodes began airing on E4 on February 11 2008 and Channel 4 on February 14 2008.

The complete first series was released on DVD on 24 September 2007. Much of the popular music used in the original broadcasts is not found in the DVD episodes, however the original music is available in the series soundtrack. The second season will be released on DVD on 5 May 2008. Skins is also available to watch free of charge on Channel 4's 4oD service to viewers in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Production

The writing team includes the Dawson brothers, Steve, Andrew and Tim (Balls of Steel, Dirty Tricks), Jack Thorne (Shameless) and Josie Long. They also have guest writers for certain episodes, such as Simon Amstell (Popworld, Never Mind The Buzzcocks). Katrina Rafferty was originally cast in the role of Cassie but her performance was judged to be too edgy and so she was dropped before filming began. Skins is filmed in Bristol; the school scenes are all filmed at John Cabot Academy. Moreover, some other places from Bristol are shown during the series opening credits (Bristol Cathedral on series 1 and Pur Down BT Tower on series 2). A few scenes from Series 1 and 2 were shot at College Green. Most of Series 2 Episode 4 scenes were shot at Gower Peninsula and Series 2 Episode 6 was shot at The University of Exeter from 18 September 2007 to 20 September 2007. A few scenes from Series 2 Episode 9 were shot in New York City in December 2007. Many of the other locations used during filming, such as the cafe and diner, are real locations in Bristol. Skins was shot entirely in High Definition and edited using Apple Final Cut Pro, Autodesk Lustre and Autodesk Smoke at BBC Post Production, Bristol.

Plot

Main article: List of Skins episodes

Skins revolves around the lives of a group of 16–19 year-old friends who live in Bristol. The Dawson Brothers claim the series represents the everyday lives of adolescents. The group includes: a popular boy (Tony), a Muslim boy (Anwar), an openly gay boy (Maxxie), an intelligent and privileged girl with family problems (Jal), a party animal in love with his teacher (Chris), a pushover who is in love with his best friend's girlfriend (Sid), a girl who is worried about her boyfriend's feelings for her (Michelle), and a girl with an eating disorder (Cassie). These characters attend the fictional Roundview Sixth Form College in Bristol. Each instalment has a self-contained theme focusing on each different character respectively, but there are several story arcs that span different episodes.

Series 1

In the first series, episodes followed the pattern of being named after central characters, whom the episode primarily focused on. Accompanying the episode title at the beginning of each episode is a short few second montage of that episode's central character. Episode one, "Tony" is more of an ensemble piece, introducing the characters, format, and themes. Subsequent episodes "Cassie", "Jal", "Chris", "Sid" and "Michelle" focus on specific characters, and "Maxxie and Anwar" is a shared episode between characters whose stories are interlinked. Each episode starts with the eyes of the main character. Episode eight "Effy" focuses less on its namesake, and more on the central characters' search for her. The series finale is an ensemble piece like the pilot, however the DVD makes reference to the title for the episode being Abigail despite her not appearing in the episode at all. This episode begins with the eyes of every character and finishes with a cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World", sung by the main characters, in particular Sid.

Series 2

The second series began on 11 February 2008, however it was made available in four installments to users of social networking site MySpace during the four days leading up to the launch. E4 had stated however, that there was a limit of 5000 viewers each night. The first episode was shown in its entirety on e4.com from 10pm to 12am on 10 February 2008, but due to streaming problems this was extended to 6am. The series is set six months after the conclusion of the first. Tony is alive after being hit by a bus, but he is now severely impaired: he can barely write, he struggles to hold a fork and he remembers little about the world around him. This year's guest stars include Bill Bailey, Harry Enfield, Shane Richie, Sean Pertwee, Geoffrey Hughes, Mark Heap,John Thomson, Fiona Allen, Peter Capaldi, Josie Lawrence, Arabella Weir, Josie Long, Mark Monero, Kevin Eldon and Jan Ravens. The first episode focused on Maxxie and Tony and features comedian Bill Bailey as Maxxie's father. In episode 2 Shane Richie starred as a college drama lecturer named Bruce. The gang attend the gig by the up and coming Liverpool punk ska band, We Need Leads. The second episode also introduced a new character known as Sketch, who has been stalking Maxxie. In episode 3 the series featured its first death, with Sid's father being unexpectedly killed off. As confirmed by April Pearson, episode 4 was set on a camping trip to Wales where Sid and Michelle end up sleeping together. Also Cassie returns. Angie returns in episode 5, only to leave again and Jal finds out she is pregnant with Chris' baby. Episode 6 sees Tony visit the University of Exeter for an open day where he meets a strange, seemingly imaginary girl. Episode 7 is the resolvent of all the relationship problems facing the teens, as Sid reconciles with Cassie, Tony with Michelle and Tony's dad returns. Daniel Kaluuya, a.k.a. "Posh" Kenneth, wrote episode 8, in which Jal continued to do battle with her conscience over her pregnancy, while Chris was rushed to hospital with a blood clot in his brain. In Episode 9, Chris has discharged himself from hospital and seems well. Cassie attends her exams, and has a heart-to-heart conversation with the examiner. After taking more spliff, Chris has another brain haemmorage and dies in Cassie's arms. Cassie simply packs her bags and runs, ending up in New York. There she meets Adam, who lets her stay at his flat. He soon leaves however, and Cassie breaks down. In Episode 10, Chris' father turns up Sid's house and explains how he doesn't want any of Chris' friends at his funeral. Upon hearing this Sid and Tony decide to steal Chris' coffin so they can give him their own funeral, but Jal finds out and convinces them to take the coffin back to the hearse. At Chris' funeral the whole gang line up on an embankment next to where he is being buried, and after a speech from Jal they set off fireworks in the background as a dedication to Chris. Later in the evening they sit around a campfire and read out each others results. Everyone gets the grades they need apart from Anwar who spontaneously heads off to London with Maxxie and his boyfriend, James, leaving Sketch behind in tears. Tony buys Sid a ticket to New York without him knowing and he leaves to go and find Cassie. Finally Tony and Michelle talk things through and decide how much of a good couple they were. They intended to leave for Cardiff University and University of York respectively. The last scenes are of Sid looking for Cassie in New York, him passing by the cafe she is working in, followed by a shot of Effy under Tony's bed cover where she smiles and raises her eyebrows.

Series 3

It has been revealed by Daniel Kaluuya, who stars in the show as "Posh" Kenneth and is also one of the writers, that all of the original cast apart from Tony's sister Effy will be replaced by an all new line-up for the third series next year. This announcement has produced mixed reactions, as although some feel that it will give the series a chance at writing new characters and storylines, others, having warmed to the original characters, do not want to see them written out.

Season 3 is expected to begin airing in early 2009 with the new characters. The show's co-creator Bryan Elsley said that as series 2 ends with the cast going off to university, it won't be possible to keep on following them and that in future, the show will operate in two year arcs with new casts. Elsley said, "It’s exciting – we never stand still. We can tell stories in a new way.” There will be open auditions held around the UK. As of now, one open audition has been held in Bristol, where the show is set, which attracted 1,500 16- to 18 year-olds. A second is planned for London in April. Auditions are also taking place at parties occurring across the UK. In addition, the team's producers have said that while series three will focus on a new line-up, some old faces may make occasional appearances.

Jamie Brittain has revealed that the third season of the show will definitely include Tony's sister Effy and a new character played by actor James Allnutt, however his role has not been stated, he has also said that the new cast will be quite different from the original cast, but people may see some similarities. There will be a character who he describes as "A nasty piece of work", a character from eastern Europe and a set of twins. The producers will use these characters to try and create a new generation of Skins fans.

Cast

Main article: List of Skins characters

Main Cast Of Series 1 & 2

Name	Actor	Series featured	Centric episodes
Cassie Ainsworth	Hannah Murray	1 - 2	1.02, 2.09
After suffering from an eating disorder, Cassie is admitted a rehab clinic. She harbors a deep affection for Sid and eventually they get together. They go through a rough period when Sid believes that Cassie was unfaithful during her stay in Scotland. She worries about the different futures they will have after college. When she witnesses Chris's death she flees to New York and gets a job as a waitress.
Jal Fazer	Larissa Wilson	1 - 2	1.03, 2.08
Jal is a mixed-race girl who plays the clarinet. She spends much of her time practicing for the Musician of the Year, but does not win. She lives with her dad and two brothers, Lynton and Ace. She grows a fondness for Chris, and after the two become a couple, she becomes pregnant with his child.
Sid Jenkins	Mike Bailey	1 - 2	1.05, 2.03
Sid is desperate to lose his virginity. Although a smart boy, he struggles with school and almost fails the entire Lower Sixth year. His love for Michelle makes him oblivious Cassie's affection for him. Cassie's feelings are revealed to Sid, and the two begin a long-distance relationship with each other, after Cassie moves to Scotland. They split up briefly when Sid cheats on her with Michelle. When Cassie runs away to New York, Tony and Michelle buy a plane ticket so Sid can follow.
Anwar Kharral	Dev Patel	1 - 2	1.06
Anwar is a Muslim boy with a dominating family, and is criticised because of his selective approach to his faith: he attributes his dislike of gay people to the Koran, but has no qualms about sex, alcohol, drugs or meat. He engages in a sexual relationship with Sketch, even though his best friend Maxxie disapproves of their relationship. Sketch attempts to change Anwar into a clone of Maxxie, but when Anwar finds out, he dumps her.
Chris Miles	Joe Dempsie	1 - 2	1.04, 2.05
Chris is the teenage party animal. His mother leaves unexpectedly, and he is forced to live on campus in student lodging. His crush on psychology teacher Angie leads to a relationship, despite Angie's uneasiness with the situation. Chris is eventually expelled from college, consequently forcing him out of student housing and into a job. He becomes interested in Jal, and the two become close, despite some problems dealing with Angie. Jal becomes pregnant with his baby, which she later aborts. Chris dies towards the end of series 2 due to a blood clot.
Maxxie Oliver	Mitch Hewer	1 - 2	1.06, 2.01
Maxxie is an openly gay character who loves to dance. He has expressed to his parents on several occasions that he does not wish to further his studies in college, but wants to pursue a dancing career. He is stalked by a strange girl named Sketch, who, when unable to achieve Maxxie's attention, dates Anwar and attempts to turn him into a clone of Maxxie.
Michelle Richardson	April Pearson	1 - 2	1.07, 2.04
Michelle is Tony's girlfriend. After an accident that leaves Tony without memory of his feelings for her, Michelle tries many times to get him to remember. She eventually gives up and gets with Sid instead. After Tony remembers his affection for her and lets her know this, Michelle admits that she loves him as well.
Sketch	Aimee-Ffion Edwards	2	2.02
Sketch lives with her mum, who has multiple sclerosis, in the opposite block of flats as Maxxie. She stalks and obsesses over him, and tells her mother that Maxxie is her boyfriend, despite the fact that he is gay. Maxxie reveals to Sketch that he has no interest in her and that he finds her actions appalling, so Sketch sleeps with and dates Anwar. She attemps to turn him into a clone of Maxxie but is dumped when her plan is discovered.
Tony Stonem	Nicholas Hoult	1 - 2	1.01, 2.01, 2.06
Tony's manipulative ways go unnoticed by many for some time. He is loved by many and often gets his own way. He is dating Michelle and, although he cheats on her with Abigail and Maxxie, expresses his love for her. Immediately after admitting this, he is hit by a bus, which left him mentally impaired and unable to recall certain events or people. After working long and ceaselessly, Tony slowly regains his memories and abilities.

Main Cast Of Series 3

Name	Actor	Series featured	Centric episodes
Effy Stonem	Kaya Scodelario	1 +	1.08, 2.07
Effy is the sister of Tony, and she is cared for greatly by him. In series 1, she was known as a party girl and a relatively underdeveloped character, in that she didn't talk much. In series 2, Effy has begun to start to talk more, and has shown a caring side when aiding Tony in his recovery from his accident. It has been confirmed Effy will be a major character in the shows third and fourth series.
Female Twin 1	Uncast	3 +
An (as yet) uncast character, set to appear in the third series.
Female Twin 2	Uncast	3 +
An (as yet) uncast character, set to appear in the third series.
Eastern European Male	Uncast	3 +
An (as yet) uncast character, set to appear in the third series.
Male Villain	Uncast	3 +
An (as yet) uncast character, set to appear in the third series.
Emo Girl	Uncast	3 +
An (as yet) uncast character, set to appear in the third series.

Other Cast

As well as the regular cast, there are several important recurring characters. Daniel Kaluuya plays "Posh" Kenneth, who goes to the same college as the main cast. Aimee-Ffion Edwards acts as Sketch, the stalker of Maxxie. Georgina Moffat portrays Tony Stonem's mistress, Abigail Stock, a posh school girl with psychotic tendencies. Siwan Morris plays Angie, a psychology teacher who begins a relationship with Chris.

The central cast's parents are recurring characters in the series, and are often played by well-known British actors credited in a guest starring role. These include Harry Enfield and Nina Wadia, both known as actors and comedians, whilst Danny Dyer is a well-known British film actor. Harry Enfield portrays Tony and Effy's father, Jim Stonem, with Morwenna Banks playing his wife Anthea Stonem. Peter Capaldi and Josie Lawrence acts as Sid's parents, Mark and Liz Jenkins. Kevin Eldon portrays Manfred, who Liz has an affair with. Neil Morrissey and Naomi Allisstone play Marcus and Margeritte, Cassie's parents. Arabella Weir acts as Michelle's mother, Anna Richardson. Danny Dyer portrays Michelle's step father Malcolm, until his relationship ends with Anna. Mark Monero as acts as musician, Ronnie Fazer, who is Jal's father. Josette Simon plays Jal's estranged mother, Elaine in the second series. Mark Heap portrays Graham Miles, Chris' father, and Sarah Lancashire portrays Chris' stepmother, Mary. Inder Manocha plays Istiak Kharral, Anwar's father, with Nina Wadia playing Anwar's mother. Heidi Monsen acts as Dr. Victoria Stock, Abigail and Josh's mother. In the second series, Maxxie‘s parents are introduced and played by Bill Bailey and Fiona Allen as Walter and Jackie Oliver respectively.

Online presence

Unseen Skins

Main article: List of Unseen Skins episodes

Accompanying each episode of the program was an online mini-episode, released after first broadcast. The storyline of this mini-episode interweaves with the main episode and shows parts of the story that may not have been elaborated upon before. The mini-episodes for the final two episodes have not been released online and are only available on the series' DVD.

A second series of Unseen Skins has now started to become available on the official Skins website.

Secret Party

E4 launched a "Secret Party" and invited fans to get involved. This was the second time the show has offered UGC competitions to encourage the involvement of creative and talented fans. The competitions involved the chance to design a projection for the party, to interview the cast or to take official photographs at the event. A competition was also launched on MySpace to win tickets for the event, that would give fans a chance to be spotted by members of the casting team who would be on the lookout for extras at the event. The Oxford band Foals are featured on the episode performing the song "Hummer" at the party.

The Lost Weeks

During January 2008, E4 began publishing webisodes (web episodes) to bridge the gap between Series 1 and 2. The few minute episodes are designed to show various developments of the characters in order to enhance the understanding of the events that have taken place between the first and second series. As of 4 February 2008, all episodes have been released on the website.

Skins Christmas Special

Not much is mentioned in this feature (7.22) about Tony so it is thought he is still in hospital. It opens with the gang in a pub having a talk about the turkey they're going to have. Chris and Anwar don't want to celebrate Christmas so decide to go off on their own. It mainly follows them throughout, until they join the others. Kenneth and Maxxie do the infamous "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" dance. Anwar also proceeds to 'tongue', 'chew' and 'fondle' the turkey.

Skinscast

E4 allows fans to download a podcast after each E4 show, it is available from the E4 website and can be subscribed on itunes. It features inside gossip and interviews with the cast on their specific episodes. It is hosted by Daniel Kaluuya (aka Posh Kenneth) and often includes a lot of humour and banter. Fans are also given the chance to ask questions and win prizes.

Ratings and critical reception

The pilot episode of Skins averaged 1.5 million viewers. The first series received mixed, although generally positive reviews, with some critics complaining that the series depicts teenagers unrealistically and stereotypically. Others criticised the excessive promoting of the show (specifically, in the U.K.) and having relatively mediocre writing in comparison to other similarly themed shows. Actor Nicholas Hoult defended criticism of the extreme storylines, saying they wouldn't reflect "everyone's teenage life", adding "It is maybe heightened for entertainment but all of it is believable."

Comedian and writer 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." Such programmes, "made you feel less alone, and that's a really great thing that art can do." He said that watching Skins as a teenager today would make him feel lonelier. Brooker himself gave the programme a positive review in his Guardian column "Screen Burn".

Gordon Farrer writing in the 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."

With over 2000 votes, the series on IMDB currently stands at a 9.0 rating out of a possible 10.

The ratings for the second series which launched on E4 on 11 February 2008 peaked at 884,000 viewers (a further 160,000 watched it an hour later on E4+1) 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.. 809,300 tuned in to the second episode, which aired one week later in the 10pm slot. The series finale attracted an audience of 740,000 on E4, equating to a 4.65% share of the audience.

Cultural influence

During the 2007 Easter holiday a girl in County Durham threw a house party; it was advertised on her MySpace as an Unofficial Skins party, referring to the party in the first episode, with the subtitle "Let's trash the average family-sized house disco party". 200 people turned up, causing over £20,000 of seemingly deliberate damage and breaking into the house. She alleges that her account was hacked and someone else placed the ad."

Club nights marketed as 'Skins Secret Parties' to 16-years and over have also taken shape in Leicester. Following this, a series of parties were run by Company Pictures in Spring 2008.

DVD releases

The Complete First Series
Set details				Special features
9 episodes English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) Subtitles: English				9 Unseen Skins episodes - Ancillary storylines for every episode Video diaries Gossip Video - "Standing in the Way of Control" Director's Cut Skins trailer Skins broadcast trailers
Release dates
United Kingdom Ireland	Australia	New Zealand	France
24 September 2007	20 February 2008	27 February 2008	25 March 2008

The Complete Second Series
Set details		Special features
10 episodes English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) Subtitles: English		Behind the scenes including interviews with cast & crew (exclusive to DVD) Skins Secret Party and behind the scenes of the secret party 5 bonus Skins stories (Cassandra, Christmas with Skins, Audition Day, Tony & Sid, Maxxie’s Love Life) Broadcast trailer Back stage tour Daniel’s Story – writer, Daniel Kaluuya’s story of working on Skins (exclusive to DVD) Skins in NYC (exclusive to DVD) Maxxie’s Dance – behind the scenes (exclusive to DVD)
Release dates
United Kingdom Ireland	May 5, 2008

International

Country	Name	Station	Status	Timeslot	Premiere
United Kingdom & Ireland	Skins	E4 Channel 4 Channel 4 HD 4oD	Aired series 2	Mondays, 10:00 pm GMT Thursdays, 10:35 pm GMT	25 January, 2007 (series 1) 11 February, 2008 (series 2)
Australia	Skins	SBS	Airing series 2	Mondays, 10:00 pm AEST	07 January, 2008
Belgium	Skins	Jim TV	Aired series 1	Wednesdays, 9:00 pm CET	4 July, 2007
New Zealand	Skins	C4TV	Aired series 1 To air series 2	Mondays, 9:30 pm NZST Unknown	10 September, 2007 2008
Brazil	Juventude À Flor Da Pele	HBO Plus	Aired series 1	Tuesdays, 9:00 pm BRT	2 October, 2007
Russia	Молокососы	MTV Россия	Aired series 1	Monday-Thursday, 9:00 pm MSK	11 October, 2007
Canada	Skins	Super Channel	Airing series 1	Everyday, check these listings	02 November, 2007
France	Skins	Canal+	Aired series 1	Thursdays, 10:15 pm CET	06 December, 2007
	Skins	Virgin 17	To air series 1	TBA	TBA
Italy	Skins	MTV Italia	Aired series 1	Sundays, 11:00 pm CET	20 January, 2008
Slovenia	Mularija	Kanal A	Aired series 1	Fridays, 9:30 pm CET	9 November, 2007
Sweden	Skins	Kanal 5	Aired series 1	Thursdays, 10:00 pm CET	6 September, 2007
Finland	Skins - liekeissä	Subtv	To air series 1	Tuesdays	3 June, 2008
Hungary	Spanok	Cool TV	To air series 1	TBA	TBA, 2008

External links

• E4's official Skins website
• Skins community run by Company Pictures
• Template:MySpace
• Skins at Bebo
• Skins at IMDb
• Skins at Baltic Film Services