In January 2007 we were introduced to Tony Stonem and his crew. It seems like before then TV trailers were something as basic and run of the mill as a set of clips showing you what was coming up, how very old fashioned. Then Skins came along, and we took one look at that house party trailer and realised:
- We needed to get out more
- We wanted to get to know these misfits (and ask them where they got their clothes from)
- That song by that band Gossip was really rather good
Then came the character trailers, and we're introduced to party boy Chris with his immortal mantra "choose life, choose sex, I don't know, choose what you want, don't choose falling out with your dealer though" and Cassie, whose combination of food issues (bulimia/anorexia) and tendency to jump into the sack with anyone, gave her the description by Michelle of being "great in the sack," as long as she isn’t hungry.
Yep we had pretty much been won over before the show had even started. Surely it could never live up to the hype? It did, because what stood Skins alone was the humour, the honesty (yes some young people do drink and take drugs and don't die) and the way the characters weren't defined by their character traits. Just because Anwar was a Muslim doesn’t mean we're going to be reminded every five minutes; Cassie's eating issues weren't fixed with a happy ending, and just because Maxxie was gay didn't mean he was the 'gay' one. He was just Maxxie, and everyone loved him.
And we could identify with the crew; after having social issues and unrealistic 'teen' dramas rammed down our throats, here was something that resonated. It was never a teen drama but a drama, and the main protagonists happened to be teenagers; but whether you're 14 or 40 you can watch without feeling preached to or alienated, the writing was too good for that.
We have our favourite episodes (Chris, series I and II, Cassie series I and II, Sid series II, Effy series I and II, Jal series II, and the final ep), that we'll re-watch over and over like we do with our favourite films. And then there's the music; rarely has a range of music been used so well, as opposed to the standard fare we're usually subjected to (whenever a show gets emotional out come Coldplay and Keane). Skins chose tracks that were unheard of or unexpected. Our favourites were the Crystal Castles track when Sid told Tony his dad had died (Sid episode, series II) and so many in the Cassie episode (series II): Iggy Pop playing as we catch up with her in New York, and LCD Soundsystem and Adele. Then the Britney Spears track for the final episode, you really can't get much better than that.
Now with the Skins cast as we know it having left the building, we're left wondering whether the Cassie shaped void could ever be filled (physically quite slight but mentally it's huge), and what are we going to do without the Sid/Tony dynamic? The new class will have a lot to live up to, but we have a sneaking suspicion the writers might just pull it off, and we'll still have series I and II to watch again. Over and over.
Skins
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