This Classic 18-Year-Old Teen TV Series Was the Euphoria of the 2000s
It was the first show to tell a realistic and honest story about the lives and problems of teenagers.
In the early 2000s, teenagers watched The O.C. and One Tree Hill, but few could see themselves in their characters.
The teen roles were played by actors in their thirties, and their lives were one continuous glossy fantasy: flashy luxury cars, highfalutin phrases, posh mansions, or breathtaking open spaces.
But then came Skins. These teenagers were trying to finish school, getting drunk at parties and doing drugs. They talked to each other about their problems. Skins offered a chance to see the real world beyond the small TV screen.
Skins Was the Most Realistic and Sincere Series about Teenagers
How did the creators achieve such realism and honesty? First, the tandem of showrunners, Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain, wanted the actors to match the age of not only their characters, but also the audience.
Therefore, when the actors reached 18-19 years of age, they were replaced. Every two seasons, the characters in Skins changed completely, and the viewers had to get used to the new faces and say goodbye to the old ones.
For most of the young actors, Skins was their debut, and most of them had no acting training. And the writers of the show were not much older than their characters – their average age was around twenty.
Skins Talked Frankly About the Real Issues Facing Teens
The series showed not only the drinking, but also the consequences – a grim hangover and remorse. A series of crazy parties were attempts to escape serious and unsolvable problems that the underage characters were trying to deal with.
In the first two seasons, they struggled with loneliness, left their homes and spent the night on the streets, got seriously ill and even died – long before Game of Thrones became accustomed to premature deaths of protagonists.
Jal was trying to deal with an early pregnancy and the aftermath of an abortion. Cassie was open about her mental health issues. And their romantic relationships were anything but idyllic: it could turn into pain and betrayal at any moment.
Even the most carefree characters, like the superficial party animal Chris, had something to run from. There was no help to be expected from parents and teachers: the adults in Skins looked completely helpless.
18 Years Later, Skins Is Still Relevant
Today, Skins certainly seems like a document of a different era – today's teenagers can only dream of 24-hour raves in abandoned mansions.
But even if the outdated phone models in the characters' hands evoke nostalgic affection for their anachronisms, their thoughts, feelings, and problems are still acutely relevant and can resonate with sympathy in the hearts of modern viewers.