[Originally published in the Forge Press 20.02.09]
Just Skin Deep?
Feature: Skins Series 3
Returning for its third series is E4’s flagship teenage drama series, Skins. However, in a bold move, all but two of the previous cast have been completely jettisoned, paving the way for a new bunch to fill their shoes.
Will the new characters compare to the likes of Tony, Michelle and Maxxie from the previous two series? Or will the decision to do away with an established cast who proved popular with audiences prove to be a fatal error?
Series Three directors Charles Martin and Simon Massey certainly hope not.
After watching the first few episodes, it seems the new gang are a mixed bag, with some interesting additions and some who may take considerably longer to warm to.
Firstly, and incidentally most irritatingly, is Cook (Jack O’Connell), a loud-mouthed idiot who takes ‘being a dick’ to a ridiculous extreme.
The fact that the first two episodes of the new series focus largely on this reprobate means the creators have taken the undesirable risk of completely alienating the original fan base, as the character displays none of the appeal of previous characters, such as Sid and Chris.
Filling the roles of Cook’s best mates are Freddie (Luke Pasqualino) and JJ (Ollie Barbieri), Freddie being the sensible, sensitive one and JJ being the loveable loser (theoretically at least).
Freddie is constantly there to pick up the pieces when Cook’s latest scheme inevitably goes awry, and JJ relies on his awkward magic tricks as a substitute for chat-up lines, often to disastrous effect.
The new female cast members are led by Effy (Kaya Scodelario), the key returning character who has evolved from a silent background character in Series One to established group leader in Series Three.
Effy is easily the most interesting out of the bunch, despite the fact that she doesn’t say much. Her sultry, bored-by-everything persona and seemingly jaded outlook on pretty much everything typifies the teenage stereotype.
If the fourth episode is anything to go by, the cracks are already beginning to show, hinting at an interesting series should the focus swing back her way.
Also returning is Pandora (Lisa Blackwell), the nice but dim best friend whose inadvertent potty mouth provides much of the humour, and her comparative innocence suggests an exciting opportunity for character development.
Finishing off the main cast are polar opposite twins Katie and Emily (Megan and Kathryn Prescott), one of whom provides this year’s gay storyline, token outsider Naomi (Lily Loveless), and Freddie’s elder sister Karen (Klariza Clayton), who dreams of pop stardom.
From a general perspective, the most compelling thing about watching Skins has always been attempting to work out where exactly the show is coming from, and this is perhaps even more significant considering the extremes of the new series.
Is it supposed to be a satire related to adult views of the youth of today, or is it actually how a bunch of middle-aged writers think kids behave?
In some ways, it’s arguable that they may have hit the nail on the head, provided all kids have ADHD.
The show often tries to deal with ‘teenage issues’, namely sex, drugs, school and a screwed up home life.
In this respect, Series Three has so far been no different to the previous series, as pretty much every one of the above has so far been touched upon.
As a result, it seems the writers have gone for the shock factor to win over the former fans, with Cook’s first day at college being a prime example.
However, the show’s frequent forays into the realm of the completely and utterly ridiculous suggest a more tongue-in-cheek approach.
The portrayal of adults is perhaps a point of higher contention, consisting of several ‘who-the-hell-would-ever-do-that?’ moments.
Again, this is arguably satirical in nature, due to the often perceived teenage attitude that adults are stupid, insensitive and completely out of touch with the modern world. Despite such criticisms, the show remains oddly compelling, if only to see what they’ll do next.
Skins is undeniably entertaining; however whether or not it is actually a clever satire of teenage life or merely an excuse to include gratuitous use of the word “fuck” on television remains to be seen.
Will the new characters compare to the likes of Tony, Michelle and Maxxie from the previous two series? Or will the decision to do away with an established cast who proved popular with audiences prove to be a fatal error?
Series Three directors Charles Martin and Simon Massey certainly hope not.
After watching the first few episodes, it seems the new gang are a mixed bag, with some interesting additions and some who may take considerably longer to warm to.
Firstly, and incidentally most irritatingly, is Cook (Jack O’Connell), a loud-mouthed idiot who takes ‘being a dick’ to a ridiculous extreme.
The fact that the first two episodes of the new series focus largely on this reprobate means the creators have taken the undesirable risk of completely alienating the original fan base, as the character displays none of the appeal of previous characters, such as Sid and Chris.
Filling the roles of Cook’s best mates are Freddie (Luke Pasqualino) and JJ (Ollie Barbieri), Freddie being the sensible, sensitive one and JJ being the loveable loser (theoretically at least).
Freddie is constantly there to pick up the pieces when Cook’s latest scheme inevitably goes awry, and JJ relies on his awkward magic tricks as a substitute for chat-up lines, often to disastrous effect.
The new female cast members are led by Effy (Kaya Scodelario), the key returning character who has evolved from a silent background character in Series One to established group leader in Series Three.
Effy is easily the most interesting out of the bunch, despite the fact that she doesn’t say much. Her sultry, bored-by-everything persona and seemingly jaded outlook on pretty much everything typifies the teenage stereotype.
If the fourth episode is anything to go by, the cracks are already beginning to show, hinting at an interesting series should the focus swing back her way.
Also returning is Pandora (Lisa Blackwell), the nice but dim best friend whose inadvertent potty mouth provides much of the humour, and her comparative innocence suggests an exciting opportunity for character development.
Finishing off the main cast are polar opposite twins Katie and Emily (Megan and Kathryn Prescott), one of whom provides this year’s gay storyline, token outsider Naomi (Lily Loveless), and Freddie’s elder sister Karen (Klariza Clayton), who dreams of pop stardom.
From a general perspective, the most compelling thing about watching Skins has always been attempting to work out where exactly the show is coming from, and this is perhaps even more significant considering the extremes of the new series.
Is it supposed to be a satire related to adult views of the youth of today, or is it actually how a bunch of middle-aged writers think kids behave?
In some ways, it’s arguable that they may have hit the nail on the head, provided all kids have ADHD.
The show often tries to deal with ‘teenage issues’, namely sex, drugs, school and a screwed up home life.
In this respect, Series Three has so far been no different to the previous series, as pretty much every one of the above has so far been touched upon.
As a result, it seems the writers have gone for the shock factor to win over the former fans, with Cook’s first day at college being a prime example.
However, the show’s frequent forays into the realm of the completely and utterly ridiculous suggest a more tongue-in-cheek approach.
The portrayal of adults is perhaps a point of higher contention, consisting of several ‘who-the-hell-would-ever-do-that?’ moments.
Again, this is arguably satirical in nature, due to the often perceived teenage attitude that adults are stupid, insensitive and completely out of touch with the modern world. Despite such criticisms, the show remains oddly compelling, if only to see what they’ll do next.
Skins is undeniably entertaining; however whether or not it is actually a clever satire of teenage life or merely an excuse to include gratuitous use of the word “fuck” on television remains to be seen.
Jamie Cusworth
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