Every parent's worst nightmare come to life, Skins follows a group of English teenagers in Bristol doing what many teens do: partying, drinking, drugging, and having sex.

Each episode in the series, save for the first and last follows one of the ensemble main characters and we learn about everyone else from their vantage point. The main character Tony delights in causing misery in those closest to him. Michelle, Tony's girlfriend, desperately wants to believe that Tony loves her. Other characters prove to be even more complex. For example, the almost manic Cassie is ignored by her parents. As she refuses to eat, she gives us a better understanding of her issues with food. The often-pathetic Sid's parents, especially his father, expects him to fail in school... so he does. Sweet and sarcastic Jal wants to play clarinet but it's difficult in her all-male family of hip hop artists. Maxxie's mate Anwar is a Muslim... and has a fundamental problem with his best friend being gay. The second series expands on the first. Each character is reexamined, sometimes with hopeful (but most often depressing) results.

I discovered this show before it started airing on BBC America and before it was released on DVD in the U.S. It's gained notoriety because Dev Patel from Slumdog Millionaire is one of the teens, albeit in more of a supporting role here. It's a show about teenagers played by teenagers, examining serious issues in a serious way. For example, one of the teens deals with the loss of a parent in the second series early on which caries into their storyline throughout. It's thoughtful, thought-provoking, and not afraid to make you laugh or cry while telling a compelling story about each character's life.

I personally recommend both series because the show stops following these particular characters after series 2. The show is ongoing on the BBC proper, but now with an almost entirely new cast following Tony's little sister Effy and her friends. It's an interesting show. I've never seen anything like it before. I believe out of everything I've seen in the past year, it's the show that is the most current and relevant with teens today. Look for an American version to begin airing on MTV later this year.

Skins appears on the Stuff for the Teen Age 2010 List.