Let’s face it: we live in a world dominated by overly-made up, twenty-something models attempting to play “normal” teenagers on television programs. So common is this practice that it’s a rare and unexpected delight to discover a show that not only dresses its actors in affordable clothing, but repeats outfits and actually recasts the entire show every two years to ensure the actors are the same age as their characters and to focus the attention on a new set of kids.
This is what you get with “Skins,” a British teenage dramedy series that rebroadcasts on BBC America on Sundays at 10 p.m.
The first and second seasons center around nine teenagers from Bristol, in the southwest of England. The main character, Tony Stonem (Nicholas Hoult), is a popular and promiscuous student at Roundview Sixth Form College. His best friend, the hapless Sid (Mike Bailey) is in love with Tony’s girlfriend Michelle (April Pearson), whose tumultuous relationship with Tony is tested by his cheating and manipulative behavior. Sid’s main admirer is Cassie (Hannah Murray), a spacey girl with an eating disorder, who eventually becomes his girlfriend. Rounding out the cast are Chris (Joseph Dempsie), a raging partier whose mother leaves and forces him to live alone on the school campus, Jal (Larissa Wilson), a sensible clarinet player who eventually becomes Chris’ girlfriend, Maxxie (Mitch Hewer), an openly gay aspiring dancer, Sketch (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), a girl who stalks Maxxie and Maxxie’s best friend Anwar (Dev Patel), who has strong Muslim beliefs and a fondness for drugs and alcohol.
Strangely enough, “Skins” has not taken off in the States as much as its Canadian counterpart “Degrassi,” even though it is better-acted and written, more realistic and racier. The characters are infinitely more likeable, the plot points more believable and the language and content certainly stronger. After all, “Degrassi” never shows its characters naked (don’t worry, parents, BBC America censors a good deal of the show), using drugs (it happens, promise!) or swearing, past the occasional “hell” or “damn.” Most will find this refreshing, as I can’t remember the last time I walked down the hallway of school and heard an angry classmate refer to his friend as a “stupid jerk.”
Unlike most network shows, “Skins” is always gritty and uncut. The show does not use airbrushing or excessive makeup; as a result, the teenage actors actually look, well, like teenagers, flaws and all, making them monumentally more appealing than the “90210” crowd.
No sugarcoating or patronizing allowed-“Skins” is one hundred percent better than any teen show I’ve ever seen. The intriguing storylines and the vigor of the writing breathe new life into mundane television and will hook you and your TiVo from the first episode.
