9 June 2013:
It's not the first time I'm smitten with Skins.
I haven’t watched Skins for a long, long time. At least a few months, maybe even a year. So I haven’t been thinking of it constantly, until recently. About a week ago G and I were talking about television shows and we drifted into British ones.She was saying about how she watched shows like Sherlock and all when I remembered Skins. I watched only the first two seasons (i.e. its first generation cast) but I guess it left a very deep impression on me ever since.
Putting aside my bias for all things British, I must say that Skins really is a great show. To date, it is the only show that nearly made me cry. I’m a very ‘heartless’ person so even when others cry I normally don’t. This tells a lot about how good Skins is.
Of course, Skins was never meant to be a tear-jerker. In fact it was more like a storytelling, except that it’s done in the form of imagery. And perhaps that’s why I could get so emotional, because I was deeply involved in the show.
Before composing this post, I did a brief search on Tumblr. It’s known for artsy-fartsy GIFs or stills of shows, and sure enough there were plenty. Most of them were, as expected, from the first generation.
That meant six years ago, for the first season of Skins started in 2007. How many shows do you know that left such a lasting legacy? Also, the first generation is most fondly remembered, even when there were two subsequent generations of cast after it.
I think if I were a literature student I would probably critically analyse the show, do characterisation of each character and identify themes. Because I absolutely love the show. Compared to all the American crap (okay not all), this one is golden.
As a side note: USA tried to copy Skins after it burst to success in UK. But they failed. Which was shame on them, because it really goes to show that certain things are best left in its original form. Also, UK is ironically more liberal for such shows. (Boo America.)
I once suggested to Channel 5 to broadcast it but got no reply, which was expected. And anyway, I doubt that they could broadcast it. In the show everyone is dysfunctional. People are smoking, drinking, taking drugs, having sex.
But that’s not why I’m so hooked to the show. It was because the show is real. Compared to those artificially-optimistic and encouraging shows that Channel 8 does right now (小子當家), this is brutally honest. And I think that’s what’s needed.
Yes, not everyone in UK drinks and smokes and all that. But hey, beneath every country (or town, since the show is set in Bristol) there’s always the layer of grime. And it’s often this layer that goes unnoticed till something happens.
In Singapore definitely the problem ain’t that bad. But dare anyone deny that there aren’t teens who are engaging in such acts as well? No, because it happens here in Singapore, no matter how people choose not to think of it.
Therefore, this show is relevant. Six years later the show still strikes a chord in people. And I must say the actors and actresses did a fantastic job of portraying their respective characters. Which was why I was so emotionally attached to all of them.
In some ways you may say that the characters in the show are contrived. There’s one who is gay, one who is a playboy, one who is a Muslim. It’s almost as if the scriptwriters are forcefully adding in characters on the fringe of society or minorities.
But even if it was, that’s what makes it beautiful then. Somehow the characters get together so beautifully and harmoniously to bring about some message in every episode. There are twists to further enhance the journey, again done well by the cast.
Until now there still is a character relationship that intrigues me: that of Tony and Maxxie. I really could write a literature-ish essay on them, but then I would have to re-watch the whole two seasons to get my scenes right.
My point is, for a story to so captivate its audience, it’s successful all right. Few actually manage to do so. The only one I can think of now is Inception, but in my opinion it is nothing compared to Skins.
Also, have I mentioned that the characters of Skins are students who are taking their A Levels? Now, isn’t that fitting? Although yes, most of us probably don’t smoke and drink and are still virgins, but we do face around the same problems as them.
Skins was six years ago. In some ways, it is time to move on. The actors themselves have, that’s for sure. Nicholas Hoult (Tony) recently starred in this zombie-themed movie that showed in Singapore and many people became fan girls. Mitch Hewer (Maxxie) moved to New York to further his career. I’m sure the rest have similar advancements too.
Yes I should move on. However I think what’s important is to keep a little of Tony, Maxxie, Sid, Chris, Michelle, Cassie and Anwar in my heart. And remember that we should stay true to our skins.
TTFN.