skins

I’ve been meaning to post about Skins for ages now, but just never got around to it. Pic from here.

The first two seasons of Skins aired on SBS, and Drew and I stumbled on to it quite by accident. Episode 1 of Season 1 is absolute rubbish, so I’ve no idea why we watched it the next week. (Oh, and I absolutely don’t recommend watching Skins if you’re a young’un!). The gang is a group of eight British teenagers who swear profusely, consume ridiculous quantities of drugs and alcohol, and yes, there’s also a fair bit of sex.

So if you know me, you know it’s not at all my kind of show. But for some reason Drew and I were transfixed by it. 

Skins is described “an offbeat comedy/drama series about a group of teenagers who push boundaries, both at home and abroad. The action is enhanced by an irreverent comedic approach, which in no way reduces its emotional impact.”

We’ve spent a lot of time talking about Skins, and I think we are agreed that the thing that drew us to the show was the raw, confronting and challenging realism of it all. Some incredibly complex issues are raised throughout the show; teen pregnancy, death, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, eating disorders, drug use, dealing with a disability; to name just a few.

But these issues don’t get the usual glossy, sugar-coated, happily-ever-after Hollywood treatment. Skins is gritty and it’s rough, and things don’t always end well. Life is dealt with irreverently, but there’s an honesty, and a depth of insight that I think is quite rare in television aimed at young people.