I got
into Skins a few years ago and have
really enjoyed it for what it is. I
think that, on the whole, the quality is less consistent with each generation,
and every season has its share of over-the-top Drama! and ludicrous plots, but
when it’s on, it’s on. So many messily endearing characters have
come out of this series, and they’ve had some masterful lightning-in-a-bottle
moments where they’ve truly captured that sense of adolescence. It’s a crazed, compelling show, and now that
it’s over, I miss it a little.
The
pilot of Skins launches itself with a
whirlwind introduction to its First Generation cast, the likeable, disparate
group of Bristol mates who get up to all sorts of mischief while avoiding their
sixth-form coursework. Though the Eddie
Haskell-esque Tony takes the ostensible center stage here, it’s evident that
Sid, his unimpressive mess of a best friend, has the story to keep an eye
on. This episode shows us the imbalanced
power dynamic between Sid and Tony, Sid’s sadly-unconquerable crush on Tony’s
girlfriend Michelle, and Sid’s first steps toward romance with the flighty, fragile
Cassie.
PC
plays Mark Jenkins, Sid’s father. We
don’t even get a glimpse of him yet; his role in the pilot is just a vocal
cameo, first over the phone and then berating Sid from off-camera. Since I’ve seen this series multiple times, I
know plenty about Mark, but all we really learn here is that Mark shares
Malcolm Tucker’s vocabulary if not his twistedly inventive way with words.
Along
with a handful of other well-regarded British actors, PC cropped up
periodically in Generation One’s two seasons.
Four episodes in all, which is more than most of the other parents
(although to be fair, that includes this one.)
I’ll
mention, Tony’s parents are played by Harry Enfield and Morwenna Banks. And among the younger cast, we have Nicholas
Hoult (from About a Boy, all growed
up,) Hannah Murray (Gilly on Game of
Thrones,) Joseph Dempsie (Gendry on Game
of Thrones, and he appeared on Who in
“The Doctor’s Daughter,”) and Dev Patel (who went on to star in Slumdog Millionaire.)
Accent Watch
Unmistakably
Scottish, unlike his definitely West-Country-sounding son.
Recommend?
In
General
– I know it’s not for everyone, but Skins
can be great at times. If you’re looking
for a different sort of teen show, I’d give this one a try.
PC-wise – Well, not yet, but just hang on…
Warnings
Like The Thick of It, don’t watch Skins unless you’re okay with the
content. There’s a lot of swearing, drug
use, and sexual content, all involving teenagers.
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