Skins Series 1 on DVD

From the makers of the multi award-winning show Shameless comes Skins, the critically-acclaimed hit comedydrama series about the lives and loves of a diverse group of Bristol teenagers who get high, get drunk, getlaid and get up for their A-levels. These kids really grab life by the balls and then give it a twirl.

A ratings smash that has been recomissioned for a second season, Series 1 of Skins is released for the firsttime ever on DVD on Monday 24th September courtesy of 4DVD. The brainchild of a young team of writers withan average age of just 22, including Josie Long (newcomer 2006, Edinburgh Comedy Festival), Jack Thorne(Shameless), Simon Amstell (Never Mind the Buzzcocks), The Dawson Brothers (Balls of Steel, Dirty Tricks),and 20-something newcomers, Ben Schiffer and Jamie Brittain, with creator and executive producer Bryan Elsley(The Young Person’s Guide To Becoming a Rock Star, 40, The Crow Road).

The Skins DVD is packed with extras, including an ancillary story line for each episode, video diaries from themain characters, the director’s cut trailer, and a music video for Gossip’s ‘Standing in the Way of Control.’

At the centre of the Bristol teenage scene is Tony (About a Boy’s Nicholas Hoult), the most popular boy inschool with a manipulative streak a mile wide. Everything he touches turns to gold, but this philosophy-readinghedonist uses his charm more often for evil than good. Caught in Tony’s web is his best friend Sid (MikeBailey), an unconfident virgin who is often verbally abused by Tony, but sticks around because he is in lovewith Tony’s gorgeous girlfriend Michelle (April Pearson).

Joining the love triangle is kooky Cassie (Hannah Murray), who struggles with severe eating problems; Chris(Joe Dempsie), the resident party animal with a thing for his psychology teacher; Michelle’s best friend Jal(Larissa Wilson), a no-nonsense person with serious ambitions about her clarinet playing; Anwar (Dev Patel),a Muslim boy who finds that the Koran and his pleasure-seeking lifestyle do not mix well; Maxxie (Mitch Hewer),the only gay boy in the group; and Tony’s mysterious younger sister Effy (Kaya Scodelario), the only personTony truly cares about.

Except for the premier and final episodes, which are ensemble cast pieces, each of the nine 60-minute episodesare named after a different central character, which the episode then focuses on. However, overarching plotlines run throughout the entire series, such as Tony’s tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend Michelle,and Sid’s quest to lose his virginity to escape Tony’s taunting.

Made by Company Pictures for E4, Skins is created by Bryan Elsley (The Young Person’s Guide to Becoming aRock Star) and Jamie Brittain, executive produced by Charles Pattinson, George Faber (Shameless), and BryanElsley, and produced by Chris Clough (Trial and Retribution).

After a hugely successful premier run on E4, Skins series 1 comes to Channel 4 on 21st August, and Series 2began filming this summer on location in Bristol.

Skins Series 1 is released on September 24th for £24.99.

For more info, click on the above Amazon link.

News page content input by Dominic Robinson, 2007.