TV Review: Skins

I love BBC America. The Graham Norton Show, Coupling, Robin Hood, Hex, Hotel Babylon, Cash in the Attic and even You Are What You Eat with the lady who likes the examine poo. (Although I'm not into Dr. Who/Torchwood/Primeval like many others are.) I'd like to believe that BBC America brings the best shows of UK and put them all into one channel, even the news program on that channel seems a lot of unbiased, but lately my favorite show on that channel is probably Skins.

Skins promotes itself as a dramedy. The whole series was pretty much filmed in Bristol, UK and they recruited high schoolers and college students between the age of 16 to 19 in that town to star in the show. The theme of the show is around life of teenagers which coincidentally have a lot to do about sex. Yes, there are a lot of teenage nudity involved and I'm glad to say that none of the kids turns me on. I have forgotten that the bodies of a teenage boy lack of muscle definitions, so I'll know to stay off chicken nights at the local bars.

There is a certain organic elements to the show. One of the teenagers has even wrote an episode. Given the plot is a little exaggerated and crazier than I've ever remembered to be, the show is still very interesting. Between these 9 teenagers, each of them is the center of their own episodes with storylines interweaving them together. Pushover Sid is in love with his manipulative best friend Tony's rich girlfriend Michelle, but later chase after Cassie who has an eating disorder. Crazy stalker girl Sketch is completely infatuated with gay boy Maxxie, got rejected publicly and turned her infatuation to his best friend Muslim Anwar. Party boy Chris had sex with his teacher who caused him to be expelled from college, and later got little miss perfect Jal pregnant.

The show deals with sex, family, death and cute puppy love, actually wild teenage party where people have sex and use drugs are called Skins party now. The show is a bit like the standard soap operas but with much younger stars and it operates in a two-season cycle, after the first two years the entire cast is changed to a whole new group of people. The third year starts in 2009.

Skins is on BBC America at 10pm on Sundays. It's funny, heart-warming and cute, catch it if you can.