Skins (E4 2007-2013, Jack O’Connell, Kaya Scodelario)

Few shows have made such an impact first time as Skins has, seldom has the the life of the teenager been laid bare in this way. Created and written by a team of writers whose average age is just 22. Skins is a hyper real glimpse into the lives of a group of young teenage friends, male and female, with most of the series revolving around ring leader Tony (played in very charismatic fashion by Nicholas Hoult who is surely destined for bigger things).

The plots basically just revolve around incidents in the lives of the kids living in Bristol in the UK, the sex, the drinking, the drugs, the shades of light and dark and the way that everything seems to be the most important thing ever when you are a teen. The key characters might all seem to have a stereotypical outlook (there’s the gay guy, the Muslim boy who is not sure of his religious beliefs and takes drugs, the virgin lad, the well to do girl with family trouble, and the boy having an affair with his admittedly sexy teacher) but the scripts and playing make it so much more.

Each episode tends to focus on one particular character but everybody flits in and out as the storyline progresses. Another good idea is the inclusion of some well known English comedy faces, Harry Enfield, Neal Morrissey in straightish adult roles as parents. Skins also made a thing of changing up it’s young cast every two years. Season seven, known as Skins Redux, features three two part stories catching up with the lives of some of the main characters over the years.

production details
UK | E4 – Channel 4 | 61×44 minutes | Broadcast 25 January 2007 – 5 August 2014

Creators: Bryan Elsley, Jamie Brittain,

cast
Jack O’Connell as James Cook
Kaya Scodelario as Effy Stonem
Hannah Murray as Cassie Ainsworth
Georgina Moffat as Abigail Stock
Daniel Kaluuya as Posh Kenneth
Stephen Walters as Mad Twatter
Robert Wilfort as Tom
Morwenna Banks as Anthea Stonem
Harry Enfield as Jim Stonem
Arabella Weir as Anna Richardson
Danny Dyer as Malcolm
Siwan Morris as Angie
Peter Capaldi as Mark Jenkins
Ben Lloyd-Hughes as Josh Stock
Daniel Jadelyn as Water Bottle Girl
Victoria Wicks as College Director
Giles Thomas as Doug
Nicholas Hoult as Tony Stonem
April Pearson as Michelle Richardson
Mike Bailey as Sid Jenkins
Hannah Murray as Cassie Ainsworth
Joseph Dempsie as Chris Miles
Larissa Wilson as Jal Fazer
Mitch Hewer as Maxxie Oliver
Dev Patel as Anwar Kharral
Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Lucy ‘Sketch’
Lisa Backwell as Pandora Moon
Merveille Lukeba as Thomas Tomone
Luke Pasqualino as Freddie McClair
Ollie Barbieri as JJ Jones
Lily Loveless as Naomi Campbell
Kathryn Prescott as Emily Fitch
Megan Prescott as Katie Fitch
Dakota Blue Richards as Franky Fitzgerald
Alex Arnold as Rich Hardbeck
Freya Mavor as Mini McGuinness
Laya Lewis as Liv Malone
Will Merrick as Alo Creevey
Sean Teale as Nick Levan
Jessica Sula as Grace Blood
Sebastian de Souza as Matty Levan