Skins Season 1 Review

 Let's just be friends, okay?

Creators: Jamie Brittain, Bryan Elsley
Release Date: January 13, 2009 (DVD)
Rated: Not Rated
Run Time: 425 minutes

I have never really put much thought into teenage drama shows until i found the British show "Skins" on netflix. It has to be one of the most in depth character driven shows i have ever laid my eyes on.

First thing to note is that yeah it is a British made series, which means it is way more adult then say Degrassi or some other American Teen drama that you may watch on TV. I want to say they have been in talks to bring it to the United States in a whole new remade version, which I have to say if they do it must be on ShowTime or one of the other channels. Letting it be on The CW or ABC would ruin it all together.

The show is about a group of teenage friends growing up in England, Going to school and hanging out just like any other group of friends would do. Which means they like to party, Drink and Smoke...Have sex. Things that teenagers do, With the censorship being much different for british television we are given more swearing and nudity and just more adult themes or teenage themes then most shows let us witness. It adds a whole new depth to the show from my point of view.

I have seen reviews that have said people come for the nudity in the series but have come to realize that the story drags them in and they no longer care about just seeing some British boobs, Which is a good thing because some people might be scared to view a show that may lack the censor ship Americans are use to. I say dont be afraid to live in the teens world.

Every episode revolves around one of the friends in the group, We still see bits and pieces of other characters but the focal point is always about exploring one character at a time, giving us that back story and making us care for or against these teens.

The first episode is about Tony, the main character in my eyes, He is the perfect kid. He is the ladies man and the best friend. But as the story goes on you may grow to dislike him. We have the best friend Side who happens to love Tonys girl friend Michelle but then this girl Cassie shows up and changes everything. We have other characters as well like Anwar who is a Muslim, with strict rules he fights a battle of his own faith and beliefs as his best friend Maxi is gay. So much happens in this series yet everything comes together perfectly. The show grabs you in with each passing minute, giving us an insight into their lives.


The show does however go a bit extreme at times but still keeps a pretty realistic take on other parts. But it is a Television show after all and not just a reality show. I think it was a very good mix of the two without going too far in either direction.

The cast is very young but as the show goes on you would think they have been doing this for a very long time, Every actor fits their role, They make that character for themselves. Its very hard to put into words how much i enjoyed every character and how the cast came together, they really seem like friends.
Some people might say they dont want to see the show because they dont know any of the faces, well The guy who plays Anwar is Dev Patel, From Slumdog Millionaire and The Last Airbender, Tony is played by Nicholas Hoult from About a Boy.

The show has a very crazy ending as well that you May not get a chance to see if you rent the dvd's as they had some issues with copyright laws. So i do recommend checking it out on Netflix watch it now as the scene was left in. It was a crazy ending that some may find very unfitting but to me it went with the crazy events that happened in the whole season.  They also have one final scene that gives you happiness and another scene that brings you worry. Perfect way to end a season.

The whole series has very good music from what i heard on the Netflix version(which as far as i know is what actually aired in the UK) but apparently like i said the DVDs have some copyright issues that might take away from the series as the music fits so well.

I really dont know how much more i could recommend this show to anyone, It has something for everyone honestly, it might be targeted at a more younger audience but i still think someone of an older age should take a view of the series. The writing is done so well and the acting compliments it perfectly, The camera work is very down to life in your face but with a steady shot, its not a crazy reality looking Real Word kind of show. It is still a production. Anyone who just likes a solid adventure in life should tag along with these teenagers as they grow in life.


Dont be a wanker, Jump into Skins now.