Skins (North American TV series)
Encyclopedia
Skins is an American teen drama
. It is an adaptation of the original British teen drama of the same name
. The show premiered on January 17, 2011 on MTV
in the U.S. and on Movie Central
and The Movie Network
in Canada. The original show was created by father-and-son television writers Bryan Elsley
and Jamie Brittain
for Company Pictures
, and premiered on UK digital channel E4 on January 25, 2007. As with the UK series, the 2011 version features a cast of amateur actors and young writers.
On June 9, 2011, MTV announced that they would not renew Skins for a second season, with a statement that "Skins is a global television phenomenon that, unfortunately, didn't connect with a US audience as much as we had hoped".
Tony begins the season as the leader of the group, but as his relationship with Michelle starts to crumble due to cheating on her with Tea, his popularity and power within the group crumble as well. He ends the season with the realization that his friends, particularly Stanley, and his sister Eura mean more to him than he actually thought.
In the beginning of the season Michelle, or "nips" as Tony calls her, is in a relationship with Tony, which causes her to act like she enjoys the role of the goodlooking girlfriend and ignore her real feelings. Upon discovery of Tony's affair, she struggles to find herself and confides in Stanley, who has been in love with her for as long as he can remember. She concludes the season choosing Stanley over Tony, finally realizing what is best for her.
Stanley is lazy and insecure, and often is overshadowed by Tony, his best friend and role model. Stanley finally begins to find his voice in "Stanley," when he brings up the courage to stand up to his father, who is so demanding and self-centered that he drives away Stanley's mother. Stanley spends much of the season in love with Michelle, but soon finds himself torn between his feelings for her and Cadie. In the end Stanley chooses Michelle.
Tea is confident, smart, and at times confused about who she is. Tea is a lesbian, but soon finds herself questioning her sexuality by sleeping with Tony on two separate occasions. When Michelle finds out, her friendship with Michelle and relationship with Tony are broken off. At the end she chooses Betty, a girl who had been trying to start a relationship with her for most of the season.
Abbud is a funny and caring person. He is in love with Tea for half of the season, and then spends the remaining few episodes with feelings for Daisy, with whom he has started a "friends with benefits" type of relationship. Abbud is best friends with Chris, who he takes in after his parents desert him and Tina is forced to leave town.
Chris is the party animal of the group. He is loud, energetic, and at a lot of times, either drunk or high on either weed or some type of pill. After his mom leaves him alone for good with nothing more than 1000 dollars, Chris finds hospitality with Tina, who he starts up a relationship with, and then Abbud.
Cadie is bipolar, depressed, suicidal, and anorexic. She begins the season with strong feelings for Stanley, but then loses interest. She finds a boyfriend midway through the season, and ends it with feelings for Stanley, but ultimately chooses to let him go for Michelle, knowing it is what is best for him.
Daisy is the one who often has to fix everyone else's problems. She eventually gets fed up with everybody, and tells everybody to stop asking her for help. Her mother left her, and she lives with her father and younger sister, Deedee. She is a talented trumpet
er and has dreams of becoming a professional. She becomes friends with benefits
with Abbud.
Eura is Tony's younger sister, and does not speak
. She enjoys partying and drinking, and Tony often helps her sneak in and out of the house. The audience does not hear her voice until the season finale.
's Liz Gateley
and Tony DiSanto
. Elsley said that at the time he didn't feel that a North American version would work. Several network and cable channels also approached Elsley about a North American adaptation. Elsley said "at that end of that time it seemed clear that MTV had the clearest vision." He added "[the other networks] were missing a commitment to the core values of the show. Which is to say that MTV is clearly taking a risk with this show and they were prepared to take that risk."
In early 2009, Elsley began finding writers for the North American version. Elsley said "We started at the top of the Hollywood tree and worked our way down, and it wasn't until we got to the bottom that we actually found writers we liked. We started saying to agents, 'Who have you just taken on? Who's got a great play on somewhere?' And that turned up just incredible writers that have never done anything." After reading 400 scripts around the clock, a team of six was formed.
. Six of the nine main cast members have never acted before. Elsley said "It's very important to us that the kids are not seasoned professionals" in keeping with British version where most had no prior acting experience.
James Newman, who plays Tony Schneider, was urged to audition for the show by his older brother. Newman missed the audition but attended a later audition where he won the role.
Ron Mustafaa, who plays Abbud Siddiky, went to the open call for the show because his mother was a big fan of Dev Patel
(who plays Abbud's UK Skins equivalent), Anwar, and wanted Mustafaa to "be the next Slumdog
."
, changed from initially planned location of Baltimore
.
Advertising for the show that aired from Christmas through New Years 2010, featured the song "Little Drummer Boy" by Canadian Harsh EBM band DYM
.
Fat Segal
, the main composer of the UK version, announced that he would be contributing tracks to the MTV version.
The US advertising featured the track "Kids" from the Noise pop
band Sleigh Bells
.
Matt FX is the music supervisor for Skins US. Music from Skins US has received unprecedented praise from critics. Music by artists such as Phantogram, Baths, and Animal Collective
have been featured. Dubstep artists such as Rusko
and Aquadrop have also contributed to the soundtrack.
china
gives the series a weighted average score of 57% based on reviews from 17 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
James Poniewozik of Time
magazine concluded that the show is tamer than the British original, but believes if the controversial subject matter leaves parents reaching for antacid
, then the show is doing its job. Although the show is raunchy, Poniewozik judges Skins to have "more sweetness than snarky teen soaps like Gossip Girl
". He questions if this Canadian remake of a British show will be able to find its American voice, but commends the strong source material. He calls the show "unsettling, flawed but ambitious" and credits it with the secret that "it wears its heart on its skin".
Troy Patterson of Slate
describes the show as a "sporadically excellent adaption" that is "superior teensploitation, enabling youth to rejoice in the fantasy of their corruption". He admonishes those who call the show child pornography
, scolding them for "trivializing terrible crimes with flabby language" and judges it to be more an indication of the show's success that it angers some parents and sets itself on the far side of a generation gap.
In the wake of a mounting scandal over a possible child pornography
investigation of MTV
as a result of the show's raciness, Yum! Brands
(Taco Bell
), Mars, Incorporated
(Wrigley), General Motors
, Doctor's Associates (Subway
), Foot Locker
, H&R Block
, Schick
, Guthy-Renker
(Proactiv), L'Oréal
, Reckitt Benckiser
(Clearasil
) and Kraft
have all opted to pull their advertising from the program.
Additionally, the television activist group the Parents Television Council
filed a letter to the Department of Justice, asking them to bring a child pornography charge against the series, alleging a violation of 18 USC 1466A. Due to the controversy in the U.S. and because the show is made in Canada, Bob Tarantino, an entertainment and intellectual property lawyer, reviewed section 163.1 of the Criminal Code of Canada
and found that "it would be exceedingly unlikely that Skins would be found to constitute "child pornography" for purposes of Canadian criminal law."
In 2011, MTV branded the show "TV-MA" rated, meaning that it is unsuitable for viewers under 17. Nielsen
reported that 1.2 million of the premiere episode's 3 million viewers were under 18. MTV told advertisers, "Now is the time to influence their choices." They also defended the show, stating that it addresses "real-world issues" teenagers are confronted with on a daily basis, and in a "frank" way. "We are confident that the episodes of Skins will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements, but also with our responsibilities to our viewers," they said.
, which drew 7.7 million viewers. The second episode dropped to 1.6 million viewers, with a 1.0 share and 1.4 million viewers in the key demo. The third episode did not fare much better, dipping to 1.5 million viewers. Episodes 4 through 10 averaged about 1 million viewers, peaking at 1.2 million for episode 4 and hitting its lowest point at 0.962 million for episode 5. The last four episodes (7 through 10) got 1.170, 1.088, 1.107 and 1.2 million viewers respectively.
Teen drama
A teen drama is a dramatic television series with a major focus on teenage characters. The genre was relatively non-existent for the first 45 years of television; it came into prominence in the early 1990s...
. It is an adaptation of the original British teen drama of the same name
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
. The show premiered on January 17, 2011 on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in the U.S. and on Movie Central
Movie Central
Movie Central is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service. Movie Central is designated to operate west of the Ontario-Manitoba border, including the territories...
and The Movie Network
The Movie Network
The Movie Network is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service, owned by Astral Media. The service is licensed to operate east of the Ontario-Manitoba border, excluding the territories...
in Canada. The original show was created by father-and-son television writers Bryan Elsley
Bryan Elsley
Bryan Elsley is a Scottish television writer, known most notably for the co-creation of E4 teen drama Skins with his son, Jamie Brittain...
and Jamie Brittain
Jamie Brittain
Jamie Brittain is a Scottish TV writer and the son of Bryan Elsley, known most notably for the co-creation of the E4 teen drama Skins. On April 1st, 2011, he announced he would be leaving the show.-External links:...
for Company Pictures
Company Pictures
Company Pictures is an independent British television production company which has produced drama programming for many broadcasters. Their productions have included:*drama series Wild at Heart for ITV1, written by Ashley Pharoah....
, and premiered on UK digital channel E4 on January 25, 2007. As with the UK series, the 2011 version features a cast of amateur actors and young writers.
On June 9, 2011, MTV announced that they would not renew Skins for a second season, with a statement that "Skins is a global television phenomenon that, unfortunately, didn't connect with a US audience as much as we had hoped".
Synopsis
The pilot of the new series is an almost shot-for-shot remake of its British counterpart, but the show deviates from the original UK show's plot in subsequent episodes.Cast and characters
The characters in the American version are also the same as those in the UK version, although some names have been changed and all last names have been changed except for Michelle Richardson. For example, Sid has been renamed Stanley, Effy renamed Eura, Anwar renamed Abbud, Jal renamed Daisy, and Cassie renamed Cadie. The biggest change comes in the form of Tea, a lesbian cheerleader who replaces the UK character of Maxxie.- James Newman as Tony Snyder (Tony StonemTony StonemAnthony "Tony" Stonem is a fictional character from the British television series Skins. Portrayed by Nicholas Hoult, the character was created by Bryan Elsley; Tony was the series' central character in its first and second series, from 2007-2008...
)
Tony begins the season as the leader of the group, but as his relationship with Michelle starts to crumble due to cheating on her with Tea, his popularity and power within the group crumble as well. He ends the season with the realization that his friends, particularly Stanley, and his sister Eura mean more to him than he actually thought.
- Rachel ThevenardRachel ThevenardRachel Thevenard is a Canadian actress born in Waterloo, Ontario who first appeared in MTV's Skins in January 2011 as Michelle. Rachel was raised in Vancouver, BC...
as Michelle RichardsonMichelle RichardsonMichelle 'Chelle' Richardson is a fictional character in the television series Skins played by April Pearson.-Characterisation:Michelle is portrayed initially as primarily interested in serving her boyfriend Tony Stonem's needs and in "looking shaggable" which she places as her primary function,...
In the beginning of the season Michelle, or "nips" as Tony calls her, is in a relationship with Tony, which causes her to act like she enjoys the role of the goodlooking girlfriend and ignore her real feelings. Upon discovery of Tony's affair, she struggles to find herself and confides in Stanley, who has been in love with her for as long as he can remember. She concludes the season choosing Stanley over Tony, finally realizing what is best for her.
- Daniel FlahertyDaniel FlahertyDaniel Flaherty , known professionally as Dan Flaherty, Flaherty is a young American actor, He plays Stanley Lucerne on the MTV television teen drama Skins .-Life and career:...
as Stanley Lucerne (Sid JenkinsSid JenkinsSidney "Sid" Jenkins is a fictional character in the television series Skins portrayed by Mike Bailey. In the first series, Sid is portrayed as a nice guy stereotype, an unlucky virgin who is nervous around girls, and has low self-esteem. Tony Stonem is his role model, whom he frequently looks up to...
)
Stanley is lazy and insecure, and often is overshadowed by Tony, his best friend and role model. Stanley finally begins to find his voice in "Stanley," when he brings up the courage to stand up to his father, who is so demanding and self-centered that he drives away Stanley's mother. Stanley spends much of the season in love with Michelle, but soon finds himself torn between his feelings for her and Cadie. In the end Stanley chooses Michelle.
- Sofia Black D'EliaSofia Black D'EliaSofia Black D'Elia is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Bailey Wells in All My Children and as Tea Marvelli in Skins. She is of Jewish and Italian descent.- Life and career :...
as Tea Marvelli (Maxxie OliverMaxxie OliverMaxxie Oliver is a fictional character in the British television series Skins. He is portrayed by actor Mitch Hewer.-Characterisation:Maxxie is portrayed as proficient at several styles of dance, including tap dance. He is also shown as being a brilliant artist, seductive, well-liked and...
)
Tea is confident, smart, and at times confused about who she is. Tea is a lesbian, but soon finds herself questioning her sexuality by sleeping with Tony on two separate occasions. When Michelle finds out, her friendship with Michelle and relationship with Tony are broken off. At the end she chooses Betty, a girl who had been trying to start a relationship with her for most of the season.
- Ron MustafaaRon MustafaaRonald "Ron" Mustafaa is a young Canadian actor. He plays Abbud Siddiqui on the MTV television teen drama Skins .- Life and career :Ron Mustafaa is of Indian origins...
as Abbud Siddiqui (Anwar KharralAnwar KharralAnwar Kharral is a fictional character in the television series Skins portrayed by Dev Patel.-Characterization:Anwar is portrayed as a young pick and choose Muslim, Pakistani boy, meaning he chooses which parts of his religion he will practice when convenient and which parts he will not when it is...
)
Abbud is a funny and caring person. He is in love with Tea for half of the season, and then spends the remaining few episodes with feelings for Daisy, with whom he has started a "friends with benefits" type of relationship. Abbud is best friends with Chris, who he takes in after his parents desert him and Tina is forced to leave town.
- Jesse Carere as Chris Collins (Chris MilesChris MilesChristopher "Chris" Miles is a fictional character in the television series Skins portrayed by Joe Dempsie.-Characterization:Chris's character was initially portrayed as being very into pills and as being something of a hedonist, but at the same time had other layers to his personality. According...
)
Chris is the party animal of the group. He is loud, energetic, and at a lot of times, either drunk or high on either weed or some type of pill. After his mom leaves him alone for good with nothing more than 1000 dollars, Chris finds hospitality with Tina, who he starts up a relationship with, and then Abbud.
- Britne Oldford as Cadie Campbell (Cassie AinsworthCassie AinsworthCassandra "Cassie" Ainsworth is a fictional character in the television series Skins who is portrayed by Hannah Murray.-Characterization and creation:...
)
Cadie is bipolar, depressed, suicidal, and anorexic. She begins the season with strong feelings for Stanley, but then loses interest. She finds a boyfriend midway through the season, and ends it with feelings for Stanley, but ultimately chooses to let him go for Michelle, knowing it is what is best for him.
- Camille Cresencia-Mills as Daisy Valero (Jal FazerJal FazerJalander "Jal" Fazer is a fictional character in the television series Skins portrayed by Larissa Wilson.-Characterization:Jal is described by the official Skins website as "super bright and the most talented young clarinet player in the country"...
)
Daisy is the one who often has to fix everyone else's problems. She eventually gets fed up with everybody, and tells everybody to stop asking her for help. Her mother left her, and she lives with her father and younger sister, Deedee. She is a talented trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
er and has dreams of becoming a professional. She becomes friends with benefits
Friends with benefits
Friends with benefits may refer to:* A casual relationship is a term used to describe the physical and emotional relationship between two unmarried people who engage in uncommitted sex acts....
with Abbud.
- Eleanor Zichy as Eura Snyder (Effy StonemEffy StonemElizabeth "Effy" Stonem is a fictional character in the television series Skins, played by Kaya Scodelario. She is the only main character to appear in more than two series. She appears in all of the first four series...
)
Eura is Tony's younger sister, and does not speak
Selective mutism
Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder in which a person, most often a child, who is normally capable of speech is unable to speak in given situations, or to specific people...
. She enjoys partying and drinking, and Tony often helps her sneak in and out of the house. The audience does not hear her voice until the season finale.
Minor characters
- Anastasia PhillipsAnastasia PhillipsAnastasia Phillips is a Canadian actress. She currently appears in the hockeydrama MVP. Her other credits include the stageplay The Diary of Anne Frank as the titular character. She currently voices Lo Ridgemount on the Fresh TV animated series, Stoked. She also plays Tina on the MTV show Skins.-...
as Tina, A school teacher (Angie) - David RealeDavid RealeDavid Reale is a Canadian actor best known for his roles as Glenn Coco in Mean Girls and Dave in Skins.Reale is also the voice actor of Kai Hiwatari on the English version of Beyblade, also becoming the voice actor of Tsubasa Otori from the spin-off series Beyblade: Metal Fusion. He was also in...
as Dave, a schoolteacher. - Randall Blaine Morris as Betty, a love interest for Tea.
- Natalie BrownNatalie Brown (actress)Natalie Brown is a Canadian actress who grew up in Timmins, Ontario. Brown landed her first print campaign for Bonne Bell when she was sixteen and went on to become the Heinz Ketchup girl. She modeled for Noxema and Max Factor. She studied fine arts at York University in Toronto...
as Cadie's mother, a former model. - Paulino Nunes as Marco Marvelli, Tea's father.
Development
Elsley said he was first approached on making a North American adaptation by MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Liz Gateley
Liz Gateley
Liz Gateley currently serves as Senior Vice President, Series Development, for . Liz is also a founding partner and co-owner, along with Tony DiSanto, of DiGa, a studio and production company hybrid...
and Tony DiSanto
Tony DiSanto
Tony DiSanto is a founding partner and co-owner, along with Liz Gateley, of DiGa,a studio and production company hybrid staked by IAC mogul Barry Diller and Electus founder Ben Silverman....
. Elsley said that at the time he didn't feel that a North American version would work. Several network and cable channels also approached Elsley about a North American adaptation. Elsley said "at that end of that time it seemed clear that MTV had the clearest vision." He added "[the other networks] were missing a commitment to the core values of the show. Which is to say that MTV is clearly taking a risk with this show and they were prepared to take that risk."
In early 2009, Elsley began finding writers for the North American version. Elsley said "We started at the top of the Hollywood tree and worked our way down, and it wasn't until we got to the bottom that we actually found writers we liked. We started saying to agents, 'Who have you just taken on? Who's got a great play on somewhere?' And that turned up just incredible writers that have never done anything." After reading 400 scripts around the clock, a team of six was formed.
Casting
Open casting calls were held in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Six of the nine main cast members have never acted before. Elsley said "It's very important to us that the kids are not seasoned professionals" in keeping with British version where most had no prior acting experience.
James Newman, who plays Tony Schneider, was urged to audition for the show by his older brother. Newman missed the audition but attended a later audition where he won the role.
Ron Mustafaa, who plays Abbud Siddiky, went to the open call for the show because his mother was a big fan of Dev Patel
Dev Patel
Dev Patel is a British actor. He is best known for playing Jamal Malik in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire , for which Patel won a number of awards, including a Critics' Choice Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award...
(who plays Abbud's UK Skins equivalent), Anwar, and wanted Mustafaa to "be the next Slumdog
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
."
Filming
The show production began in mid 2010 in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, changed from initially planned location of Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
.
Music
Besides several user-submitted contributions and a playlist of current U.S. songs, it was announced in late December 2010 that out of many submitted, user-created songs, "Lina Magic" by 3D Friends was chosen to be the official theme song for the MTV version of Skins and has been reworked and remixed for the 30 second intro.Advertising for the show that aired from Christmas through New Years 2010, featured the song "Little Drummer Boy" by Canadian Harsh EBM band DYM
Dym (band)
DYM is the Industrial music band created by Canadian E-N in 2001 and turned into a duo when Arc joined the band in 2003. In 2008 DYM signed to Noitekk Records and released their debut full length release The Invilid which entered the Deutsche Alternative Charts in January 2009 at #10 and peaked at...
.
Fat Segal
Fat Segal
Segal is an electronic musician best known for his work on the British television series Skins....
, the main composer of the UK version, announced that he would be contributing tracks to the MTV version.
The US advertising featured the track "Kids" from the Noise pop
Noise pop
Noise pop is a subgenre of alternative rock developed in the mid 1980s in the UK and US, that mixes atonal noise or feedback, or both, with the melodic instrumentation and production elements more often found in pop music, making it more melodic and angst-free than noise rock.-History:Noise pop has...
band Sleigh Bells
Sleigh Bells
Sleigh Bells is an American noise pop music duo. The group released their debut album, Treats, on May 11, 2010.-History:Based in Brooklyn, New York, Sleigh Bells is composed of Derek E. Miller and Alexis Krauss...
.
Matt FX is the music supervisor for Skins US. Music from Skins US has received unprecedented praise from critics. Music by artists such as Phantogram, Baths, and Animal Collective
Animal Collective
Animal Collective is an experimental psychedelic band originally from Baltimore, Maryland, currently based in New York City. Animal Collective consists of Avey Tare , Panda Bear , Deakin , and Geologist...
have been featured. Dubstep artists such as Rusko
Rusko (musician)
Christopher Mercer, more commonly known as Rusko, is an English dubstep record producer and DJ who was born on 26 January 1985 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:Rusko graduated from Leeds College of Music with a degree in Music Performance...
and Aquadrop have also contributed to the soundtrack.
International broadcasting
| Country | TV network(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 Argentina ArgentinaArgentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
MTV Latin America MTV Latin America MTV Latin America is a cable television specialty service aimed at residents in Hispanic American countries. It was launched on October 1, 1993 as MTV en Español. The channel is a Hispanic American version from MTV... |
2011 |
 Australia AustraliaAustralia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
Fox8 FOX8 Fox8 is an Australian cable and satellite channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television's subscription platforms... , MTV Australia MTV Australia MTV Australia is 24 hour general entertainment channel specialising in music and youth culture programming which serves Australia and New Zealand. It is operated by Viacom International Media Networks Australia owned by Viacom and primarily features imported shows as well as locally produced... (Rerun) |
Premiered on May 7, 2011 |
 Brazil BrazilBrazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
MTV Brazil | Premiered on May 25, 2011; The show airs every Wednsdays at 10pm. |
 Canada CanadaCanada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
Movie Central Movie Central Movie Central is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service. Movie Central is designated to operate west of the Ontario-Manitoba border, including the territories... & The Movie Network The Movie Network The Movie Network is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service, owned by Astral Media. The service is licensed to operate east of the Ontario-Manitoba border, excluding the territories... |
The show airs on Movie Central Movie Central Movie Central is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service. Movie Central is designated to operate west of the Ontario-Manitoba border, including the territories... in Western Canada Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :... and The Movie Network The Movie Network The Movie Network is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service, owned by Astral Media. The service is licensed to operate east of the Ontario-Manitoba border, excluding the territories... in Eastern Canada Eastern Canada Eastern Canada is generally considered to be the region of Canada east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces:* New Brunswick* Newfoundland and Labrador* Nova Scotia* Ontario* Prince Edward Island* Quebec... . |
 Finland FinlandFinland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
MTV Finland MTV Finland MTV Finland is a general entertainment channel broadcasting to the Finnish speaking market. The channel replaced MTV Nordic on September 18, 2005.-History:* MTV Finland launched in September 2005 along with MTV Sweden and MTV Norge... |
2011 |
 Early Modern France FranceFrance The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
MTV France MTV France MTV France, is a 24-hour French speaking entertainment channel operated by MTV Networks Europe. The channel was launched as MTV Networks Europe began to further localize its brand throughout Europe. MTV France was launched in June 20, 2000in France... |
Premiered on May 22, 2011; the show airs every Sunday nights at 10pm |
 Germany GermanyGermany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
MTV Germany | Premiered on June 3 , 2011 |
 Hungary HungaryHungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... |
MTV Hungary MTV Hungary MTV Hungary is a television channel broadcasting to Hungary. It started on October 1, 2007. The channel is available on cable/digital television and hosts a number of localised programming and presenters.-Local Shows:* Swung* Alternative Nation... |
Premiered on May 15, 2011 |
 Italy ItalyItaly Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
MTV Italia | Premiered on May 20, 2011 |
| Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... |
MTV Israel MTV Israel MTV Israel, is the Hebrew-speaking branch of MTV. A 24 hour music and general entertainment channel launched on January 17, 2011.-History:* Prior to the launch of a 24 hour MTV Israel, the territory was previously served by a localized version of MTV Europe... |
Wednesdays at 11 PM, premiered on May 17, 2011 |
 Mexico MexicoMexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
MTV Latin America MTV Latin America MTV Latin America is a cable television specialty service aimed at residents in Hispanic American countries. It was launched on October 1, 1993 as MTV en Español. The channel is a Hispanic American version from MTV... |
Premiered on May 15, 2011; the show airs every Sunday nights at 10pm |
 New Zealand New ZealandNew Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
MTV New Zealand MTV New Zealand MTV New Zealand, was a 24-hour general television entertainment channel operated by MTV Networks International. The channel launched on 18 August 2006... |
2011 |
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The show airs Monday nights at 10 PM |
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- The first season will consist of ten episodes.
- There are also webisodes available on skins.mtv.com that correspond with the episodes.
Critical response
MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
gives the series a weighted average score of 57% based on reviews from 17 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
James Poniewozik of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine concluded that the show is tamer than the British original, but believes if the controversial subject matter leaves parents reaching for antacid
Antacid
An antacid is a substance which neutralizes stomach acidity.-Mechanism of action:Antacids perform a neutralization reaction, increasing the pH to reduce acidity in the stomach. When gastric hydrochloric acid reaches the nerves in the gastrointestinal mucosa, they signal pain to the central nervous...
, then the show is doing its job. Although the show is raunchy, Poniewozik judges Skins to have "more sweetness than snarky teen soaps like Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
". He questions if this Canadian remake of a British show will be able to find its American voice, but commends the strong source material. He calls the show "unsettling, flawed but ambitious" and credits it with the secret that "it wears its heart on its skin".
Troy Patterson of Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
describes the show as a "sporadically excellent adaption" that is "superior teensploitation, enabling youth to rejoice in the fantasy of their corruption". He admonishes those who call the show child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
, scolding them for "trivializing terrible crimes with flabby language" and judges it to be more an indication of the show's success that it angers some parents and sets itself on the far side of a generation gap.
Controversy
The show has been criticized for its "racy" teenage depictions of casual sex and drug use, especially in regard to underage actors.In the wake of a mounting scandal over a possible child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
investigation of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
as a result of the show's raciness, Yum! Brands
Yum! Brands
Yum! Brands, Inc. or Yum! is a United States-based Fortune 500 corporation. Yum! operates or licenses Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, and WingStreet restaurants worldwide....
(Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
), Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products with US$30 billion in annual sales in 2010, and is ranked as the 5th largest privately held company in the United States by Forbes. Headquartered in McLean, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia,...
(Wrigley), General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, Doctor's Associates (Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
), Foot Locker
Foot Locker
Foot Locker, Inc. is an American sportswear and footwear retailer, with its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and operating in approximately 20 countries worldwide. Formerly known as Venator Group, Inc., it is the successor corporation to the F.W. Woolworth Company , and many of...
, H&R Block
H&R Block
H&R Block is a tax preparation company in the United States, claiming more than 22 million customers worldwide, with offices in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. The Kansas City-based company also offers banking, personal finance and business consulting services.Founded in 1955 by brothers...
, Schick
Schick (razors)
Schick is a brand of safety razors by Wilkinson Sword, a subsidiary of Energizer Holdings. It was founded in 1926 by Jacob Schick as the Magazine Repeating Razor Company. In 1934, Schick introduced its highly successful single blade safety razor system, that stored ten blades in a steel injector...
, Guthy-Renker
Guthy-Renker
Guthy-Renker LLC is a direct-response marketer known primarily for selling products in the United States via infomercials. The company also sells products direct to consumer through a variety of media channels via offices in numerous countries...
(Proactiv), L'Oréal
L'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
, Reckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser
Reckitt Benckiser plc is a global consumer goods company headquartered in Slough, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of household products and a major producer of consumer healthcare and personal products...
(Clearasil
Clearasil
Clearasil is the top-selling brand of skin care and acne medication, whose products contain chiefly benzoyl peroxide, sulfur & resorcinol, triclosan, or salicylic acid as active ingredients...
) and Kraft
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
have all opted to pull their advertising from the program.
Additionally, the television activist group the Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
filed a letter to the Department of Justice, asking them to bring a child pornography charge against the series, alleging a violation of 18 USC 1466A. Due to the controversy in the U.S. and because the show is made in Canada, Bob Tarantino, an entertainment and intellectual property lawyer, reviewed section 163.1 of the Criminal Code of Canada
Criminal Code of Canada
The Criminal Code or Code criminel is a law that codifies most criminal offences and procedures in Canada. Its official long title is "An Act respecting the criminal law"...
and found that "it would be exceedingly unlikely that Skins would be found to constitute "child pornography" for purposes of Canadian criminal law."
In 2011, MTV branded the show "TV-MA" rated, meaning that it is unsuitable for viewers under 17. Nielsen
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
reported that 1.2 million of the premiere episode's 3 million viewers were under 18. MTV told advertisers, "Now is the time to influence their choices." They also defended the show, stating that it addresses "real-world issues" teenagers are confronted with on a daily basis, and in a "frank" way. "We are confident that the episodes of Skins will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements, but also with our responsibilities to our viewers," they said.
Ratings
The series debut had 3.26 million viewers, with a 3.4 rating and 2.7 million viewers in the 12-34 demo, the most viewers in that demo for a show launch in MTV history. However, its demo rating was down 55% from its lead-in, Jersey ShoreJersey Shore (TV series)
Jersey Shore is an American reality television series that premiered on MTV on December 3, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast...
, which drew 7.7 million viewers. The second episode dropped to 1.6 million viewers, with a 1.0 share and 1.4 million viewers in the key demo. The third episode did not fare much better, dipping to 1.5 million viewers. Episodes 4 through 10 averaged about 1 million viewers, peaking at 1.2 million for episode 4 and hitting its lowest point at 0.962 million for episode 5. The last four episodes (7 through 10) got 1.170, 1.088, 1.107 and 1.2 million viewers respectively.