I've recently invested in a monthly subscription to Netflix, which gives me access to almost any DVD ever produced. While browsing through the enormous selection, I came across the British teen drama series, "Skins". I added the entire first season to my queue, curious to see the differences and similarities between American and British prime time soap operas.
A couple of days ago, all three discs arrived in the mail. I sat down to watch one and ended up seeing the entire series in one night. "Skins" is quirkier and more clever then American television made for teens. It is comparable to Degrassi, the Canadian drama that runs in America on The N network, in that it deals with heavy topics relatable to teenagers. However, the series picks and chooses just how seriously they are taken. For example, drinking, drug use, sex and general debauchery are a given amongst the ensemble cast. The wildest parties I have ever witnessed have taken place in "Skins", with most of the characters waking up on Saturday mornings piled on top of each other, covered in food and vomit. When 16 year old Michelle breaks up with her boyfriend, she heads to the local pub to nurse a drink. On an American show, drinking and drug use might be seen as dangerous and would be addressed as so by the TV parents. In "Skins", the parents are alright with their kids drinking, probably because of the younger drinking age in England.
The best part about "Skins" is that it showcases an excellent ensemble cast. Dev Patel, star of the recent hit "Slumdog Millionaire" stars as a hard-partying Muslim boy with strict parents. Nicholas Hoult, the adorable dork from 2002's "About a Boy" stars as the show's manipulative an conniving male lead, Tony Stonem.