"SKINS: VOLUME 1"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) STARRING Nicholas Hoult as TONY STONEM Mike Bailey as SID JENKINS April Pearson as MICHELLE RICHARDSON Larissa Wilson as JAL FAZER Dev Patel as ANWAR KHARRAL Hannah Murray as CASSIE AINSWORTH Joseph Dempsie as CHRIS MILES Mitch Hewer as MAXXIE OLIVER Not Rated Studio: BBC America Own it on January 13 Created by: Jamie Brittain and Bryan Elsley Check out the BBC America official site Buy the DVD here. Back to DVD Review Home |  |
Ever since I moved out of my teenage years, I haven’t been much for teen dramas. It’s not that I have a problem with them, per se. I just haven’t really focused on it after becoming an adult. So, no “Gossip Girl” or “The OC” for me.
However, I was mildly curious about “Skins,” which I have seen advertised heavily on BBC America during the sci-fi block featuring “Doctor Who,” “Primeval” and “The Sarah Jane Adventures.” Although in its third season across the pond, “Skins: Volume 1” is now available on DVD in the States.
The series follows a group of London teenagers who dabble in sex and drugs, getting in all sorts of trouble. It’s a tawdry look at the youth of London, presenting things in a very raw, very taboo fashion. There’s plenty of foul language, plenty of drug references and plenty of sex, including a good dose of nudity in all forms. While the DVD comes unrated, it is definitely solidly in R-rated territory.
Each episode of the series focuses on a different character. There’s Tony, the popular boy who always gets the girl. There’s Sid, the virgin nerd, and Tony’s best friend. There’s Michelle, Tony’s steady girlfriend who is ragingly superficial but unable to rise above herself. There’s Cassie, the space cadet with an eating disorder. There’s Jal, the musician who tries to retain the most normalcy. There’s Anwar, the Muslim boy who betrays his puritanical beliefs to have a good time. And there’s Chris, the consummate screw-up who is in love with his teacher.
The first episode is an attention-grabber, with Tony trying to help Sid lose his virginity. The gang is planning to attend a big party, and a key ingredient is plenty of drugs. It is the most sordid episode of the bunch and features the least amount of character development. But this is to be expected when launching a series that is meant to shock the older generation and titillate the younger one.
I was not a fan of the show upon first viewing. However, through the subsequent episodes, it did grow on me quite a bit. Tony is probably my least favorite because he’s such a wanker, to borrow a term from our British brothers. He does get a more thorough and interesting examination in later episodes, which is nice.
Likewise, Sid is too much of a tool, lovestruck for Michelle but being sought by Cassie, for me to give him sympathy. The other characters – like Jal, Cassie and Anwar (played by Dav Patel, whom many will recognize from “Slumdog Millionaire”) and Chris – are far more interesting and serve the story better.
As an American who has been on the business end of cultural complaints, it’s nice to see the degradation of the youth culture coming from another country. To most people in the States, we think of the British as being very proper, but we forget that they face many of the same struggles that we do. “Skins,” even in its over-the-top, stereotyped glory, reminds us of this.
If you’re ever confronted with someone complaining about how the American youth is losing its morals, show them this television series to prove to them that it’s a global problem.
The DVD comes with all nine episodes from season one. There are also in-character video diaries for all the characters, including some ancillary ones. However, the most interesting bonus features are the deleted scenes (aka “Ancillary storylines” on the DVD). These feature extraneous outtakes that tend to be even more entertaining than the show itself. In particular, I enjoyed the incompetent career advisor and Jal’s brothers who use fast-talking slang to get a shot at rapping on the radio.
Ultimately, “Skins” is fascinating if not a bit unrealistic. The characters take some time to grow on you, so if you give this series a shot, give it some time.
