TV Topic: Will MTV's "Skins" Remake Ever Live Up to the Original British Series?

In theory, it's a great idea to bring "Skins" to MTV. Over the years, the network has become less associated with music and more associated with sex—specifically teen sex, which "Skins" is chocked full of. Just this summer, the network debuted "The Hard Times of RJ Berger," an entire series about a teenage boy and his oversized penis. The concept is completely stolen from HBO's amateur prostitute series "Hung." It seems like original ideas are few and far between at the network, considering that someone then decided it would be a great idea to bring the British teen series "Skins" to the states. Not by purchasing the series and exposing American teenagers to European mayhem, clever dialogue, and genuinely impressive writing for a teen dramedy, but by remaking the series with a brand new cast.

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From the teaser below, you can see that the first episode will be a carbon copy of the British series's first episode. Considering how awesome the episode was that shouldn't sound like a problem. However, it is. First of all, why would I watch a recreation of an episode I 1) have already seen and 2) have already seen done better. Secondly, British humor doesn't translate quite properly in an American market. Thinking that making some of the cast members American is a solution is wrong. Lastly, removing some of the raunchier elements, like Tony's nude bedspread, just butchers the original series' effort to show teenagers in their truest form: hormonally charged and emotionally erratic. What MTV should've done was maintain the spirit of the series, the character types (popular couple, unmotivated loser, gay dancer, musician, Muslim extrovert, suicidal anorexic, and carefree drug addict), and the character arcs. The original series shows how the story would've all played out in England. What they need to do is show how it would've happened in America. In other words, they should follow the business model adopted by "The Office" producers. Here's hoping that Syfy's remake of "Being Human" and Showtime's remake of "Shameless" won't fail to impress, too.



Here's a breakdown of what you can expect in Seasons 1 & 2, if MTV stays true to the series.