The first episode of Skins UK aired in 2007 on E4 alongside other equally memorable programmes such as Peep Show and The Inbetweeners. With the possibility of Skins being removed from Netflix, many will have mixed opinions about being the last generation of teens to consume the show on mass. Whether right or wrong given the themes of hedonism in the show, there was something inherently “cool” about this TV show — unlike other shows targeted at teens at the time. Regardless of your opinions on the difference between the generations (with Generation Three being comparatively weaker than the first two), the show asked a number of questions about sex, manipulation, substance use, class, sexuality, and religion, which no other has since managed to tackle in an as captivating and inherently British way.
The characters in the show spoke to how teenagers wished they could act — a heightened reality of what it meant to be in college in the UK in the early 2000s. On the Normal Not Normal podcast, April Pearson reflected that in reality no teenagers were as cool as those in the show, and questioned whether the show set a standard for the college experience, which led to it being blamed in the media for reports of drug use and underage drinking. A personal favourite of many was the character of Tony, who acted as the anti-hero of his generation, a trait which was then carried on into the second generation by his sister Effy. However problematic their actions, Tony’s Aristotelian fall after being hit by a bus and Effy’s mental breakdown spoke to a feeling of many of those trying their hardest to be nonchalant yet crumbling under the pressure of it all. Alongside this, what made Skins different from other TV shows like Degrassi is that the parents were visible and the effects that their own actions had on their children was explored in each character study. For example, in Generation 1 the effects of Michelle’s mother’s failed relationships and constant need for male approval, is mirrored onto Michelle’s character throughout the series.
As mentioned, the show was not without its controversy. Firstly, actors such as Kaya Scodelario and April Pearson have since commented on the lack of safeguarding surrounding the actors on set. In a caption on her social media, Scodelario commented that she “will always be grateful. But yeah safeguarding really wasn’t a thing back then.” On her podcast, Pearson commented about how she was not protected during in sex scenes saying “I was too young, I feel like I was not protected.”
Following on from this, the sexualisation of the 14 year old Scodelario in the show is somewhat jarring to watch now. Similarly, although the show was bold in its coverage of themes of anorexia, it is hard not to argue that it was somewhat glamourised. Generation One’s Cassie is presented as a “manic pixie dream girl” who, although obviously mentally ill, becomes romanticised, and in one episode gives a demonstration on how to stop people from noticing that you’re not eating. The controversy surrounding the failed U.S. version of Skins says a lot about the question of how the show treated its underage actors and themes of drug use.
To conclude, for me and many others, Skins will always have a place in our hearts as the first really “adult” TV show we ever watched, one that paved the way for other shows like Euphoria and The End of the F***ing World. The show broke through so many amazing British actors such as Dev Patel, Daniel Kaluuya, Jack O’Connell, and Luke Pasqualino to only mention a few. However, looking back, it is also a show that could be laid to rest.
Illustration by Lydia Kempton, @lydiak_arts
