Skins Season 1 (2007)

"Fuck-all ever happens in this shitty little town. You have to improvise."

A UK show about teenagers dealing with their problems that range from the usual parties, schoolwork and getting laid to the more grave drugs, absentee parents and eating disorders. Each of the 9 episodes focuses on one character which helps to get to know each of them as they seem to be one-note characters on first impression. There is the bored asshole, his shallow and pretty girlfriend, the idiot best friend, the crazy girl, the fuck-up, etc., but as each of their respective episodes passes we learn more about them and why they act the way they do. As they go through the events of the show, both comical and serious, they grow and change (or not as the case sometimes is).

Not all the characters are particularly likeable and maybe I am just old and therefore biased against teens being dumbasses, so their stupid decisions often irked me rather than garnered sympathy. Particularly why the asshole has friends at all is mystifying, but it did become a plot point albeit much later. But the issues the show deals with are quite engaging as they are told in a frank and honest way. The crisp HD and understated sexual content are also good selling points. Very watchable despite shortcomings.

Episodes to See:
Cassie - Hannah Murray as the crazy girl is entertaining and even endearing.
Chris - One of the more tragically comic episodes.

Episodes to Avoid:
Jal - Nothing particularly wrong with the episode. It's just everything to do with Jal happens almost independently of the rest of the show making her a non-entity that only appears when they need a "straight-man" character.

Buyer's Guide:
Available as a 3-disc DVD box set or streaming on Amazon for $1.99 per episode.

3 kids who need hobbies out of 5