TV DVD Review: Skins

Skins Volume One and Volume Two
Starring: Joseph Dempsie, Mike Bailey, April Pearson, Mitch Hewer, Nicholas Hoult, Larissa Wilson, Hannah Murray, and Dev Patel

Volume One Special Features: Video Diaries and Ancillary Story lines
Volume Two Special Features: 5 Bonus Skins Stories, Christmas Specials, Auditions

Skins is the BBC Channel 4 (thanks to reader "C" who pointed this out to me)drama about the lives and exploits of a group of British teenagers. Maybe it's best if I quote the rear of the DVD:

Skins is an edgy Brit-teen drama which follows the lives and loves of shameless teenagers who get high, get drunk, get laid, and get up for school while pushing boundaries and managing parents with the finesse only teenagers can.

Tony is the best looking boy in town. His sidekick Sid is less successful with the ladies, much less until bonkers anorexic case Cassie turns up. But Sid's in love with Michelle, the school hottie, who goes out with Tony of course. Then there's sassy musician Jal, party animal Chris, Maxxie and best mate Anwar, who manages to combine the pills, the thrills and the spills with his faith-well, sort of.

Snark aside, that is actually a pretty right on description of the show. It's pretty much unlike anything that I have seen on television. That's probably because the majority of my television viewing has been of the watered down American variety, even some of the shows on Showtime or HBO can't come close to Skins. In terms of content and quality, Skins is superior on every level.

Click the Rawr! for the full review.

The cast is superb, the writing is exceptional, and every episode seems to be better than the last. There hasn't been a teen drama show as good as Skins in years, if ever.

The characters in the show are fantastic. All of them are unique and believable and each of them is the focus of each individual episode. It really gives each actor a chance to shine and keeps characters from getting lost in the shuffle. Not that that is really a problem here. This cast is genius and they shine no matter how much screen time they get. Those of you still high off Slumdog Millionaire may want to check this out to see Dev Patel as the goofy and charming Anwar. The shot of him praying while all his friends are passed out drunk from a massive party is quite clever.

The show, for all the antics the kids get into, is extremely believable. I never thought they got out of the realm of possibility. Granted, I don't know the first thing about being a teenager in England so I could be completely wrong on this.

The writing in this show is off the charts good. I'm constantly in awe of it. I hope to one day have the kind of skill to be able to write a show like this. It just blows my mind how great these stories are. Top to bottom, beginning to end bloody brilliant.

I'm purposely avoiding discussing the stories because I don't want to take any of the impact away from the show. You need to experience it first hand. It's better to watch these characters go through what they go through without having me spoil it for you. I will say that the show holds nothing back. Not in terms of language, or nudity, or anything. It's all in your face and even better for it. Skins holds nothing back and does not apologize for it in the least.

I can go on all day about how much I love this show. I should talk about the DVDs themselves though. The releases are pretty standard for TV shows. We get all the episodes and a criminally small amount of features. A show as good as Skins deserves to be loaded with features.

I can't say enough how great this show is and tell all of you out there to click this link right here and buy this show. You'll see that teen dramas are much more than the Dawson's Creeks and the 90210s that we are used to.

I'm a little sad to know that these characters aren't in the new series (which I haven't seen a single episode of) but it's nice to know I can revisit them any time I want with the DVDs and I most probably will visit often.

Skins Volume One and Volume 2 are available now.