Skins

Oh my God! Did anyone see the final episode of Skins, the last five minutes were amazing, combining final destination with a musical number, you really have to see it. I know I sound like a teenager but screw it it was amazingly awesome, easily the best comedy drama i've ever seen and maybe the best TV show i've ever seen.

The whole series has been solidly good with the best episode, excluding the final one, being the episode about Cassie. This is what you get when you put together a group of British writers, quality, in America you get friends. The acting was perfect, soundtrack great, direction and editing bang on. The only bad thing about it is they've set the benchmark so high how are they going to follow it with series two?

I'm thinking of d/ling the last episode because everyone is going on about it. I saw the start of the first episode with Harry Enfield screaming and didn't think much of it. I guess i really should give it a chance.

Man you seriously like this, it is a living, breathing cliche, awful, half-arsed Shameless, Hollyoaks with swearing (and I like Hollyoaks dont get me wrong, but come on), plus it gets plugged down your throat 24/7 by Channel 4 and E4, best TV show ever? Be serious.

And what do you mean "This is what you get when you put together a group of British writers, quality, in America you get Friends"...Friends was 10x better than that crap, they shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence as each other. There we go got that off my chest, someone back me up, tell me this is not now the heirachy of British comedy/drama?

Well, I don't see why people insult Friends so much, you know? The writing was quality in the first 5 seasons.

Skins doesn't appeal to me, I don't care about teenagers or their opinions. I like what Stuart Lee said about it on Screenwipe, that's pretty much how I feel.

I agree about Friends being a quality show. But if I'd never bothered to watch an episode, I'd be put off watching it now, with all the American style "whooping" from the audience.

What did Stewart Lee say about it?

But yeah Skins is like what an adults interpretation of what teenage life must be like, "Oh I bet they all smoke spliffs, pop pills and have promiscious sex..that'll be entertaining to watch".

It was something like, he didn't like the way the kids in the show were all cool and confident about themselves, drugs and casual sex. When he was a kid it was completely different and he talked about a show when he was yong, where the teenager had to deal with completely different issues to those in Skins.

the danger with Skins though, although it looked excellent, is that they will make the same mistake they made with Teachers.

Teachers was good when it started, but then it just lost it entirely. I think some cheaper writers were employed and frankly you could tell the writers were cheap.

Friends did become rather staid though, obvious set ups, counterpoints and over sentimental.

One fo teh big issues in comedy is stopping when you are ahead. It's a risk but without risk there is no adventure. Friends would have had a longer shelf life post show if they had stopped around season six.

In the Russia episode they lampooned friends it was very funny, 'could you be any harder?' My allusion to friends was made because when they get writers together in America they produce mainstream programs, it may be nice to watch, if you like that sort of thing, but it doesn't do anything apart from be commercial, would they have ever tackled annerexia in Friends, i don't think so. its good to see that in this case the group of writers focused on real issues rather than coffee.

If you don't Skins fine, i'm not going to argue its merits because it is what it is. I liked the series and the finale was amazing, i was thinking how would they end it then suddenly Sid starts signing in the toilets genius.I think Ed is right, how are they going to follow it.

I like Stewart Lee (his reunion with Herring at Tedstock on YouTube is brilliant especially when they have a go a Mitchell and Webb) but the point of Skins is that it portrays adults as teenagers and teenagers as adults, thats why Harry Enfield was brought in (its meant to be ironic). Its not meant to be realistic its meant to be fiction which is why everything is a caricature. Lee was as reactionary as those idiots who protested against Jerry Springer the Opera because he had an idea of what shows about teenagers should be before he saw it, in other words he didn't look at it with an open mind.

As for comedy/drama hierachy i can't think of any better ones, This Life, Teachers (first series) are up there but i don't think they beat it.

I hated it at first, and thought exactly the same as Stewart Lee said about it, but then I actually watched it, and now I bloody love it.

It really is quite funny, and some of the actors are great. Of course some are rubbish too. And some of the writing a bit clumsy. But there are enough fantastic bits to make it all worthwhile.

Honest! Like I said, the original adverts made me despise it on sight.

God, i loved Teachers. I only caught it from the start of the 3rd series and wondered why the quality was so bad in series 4. I really need to watch series 1 & 2.

Yeah but you cant have the argument that "Its tackling real issues" and then "Its suppose to be caricatured and fictional", it doesn't work well, it likes to think its tackling tough issues, but it really isn't, its prentitous and unfunny.

Yeah Friends was very commercialised but again that argument doesnt work against Skins, because that itself is made to be commercial, it was shoved down our throats for about 2 months before it began and when your watching other programmes on E4 and C4 little banners come up saying "Dont forget to watch Skins"..its reeks of desperation.

This show is rubbish. I also agree with Stewart Lees demolition of it on SCREEN WIPE. Utter bilge.

Erm theres a difference between running commercials for a show and it being commercial. E4 took the time and money to make Skins rather than buy more American drivel so they are entitled to run adverts for it.

You're right you can't tackle real issues through caricature and fiction , oh wait a minute thats the basis of comedy, so i guess you can.

Anyway I concede that not everyone is going to like it but i think they won't like it because of the subject matter not the quality of execution. You have to admit that it is a quality production even if you hate the content. I think more programs should aim as high as the producers of Skins did.

I missed it. I sky plus'ed it to record, linked, to get every episode and then deleted it all as had'nt got round to watching it and needed the space. I mean i have so many things to record i cant cope. Well i hope they re-show although as i have my own teenage and 21 yr old skids, i dont know i could cope with a bunch of other peeps. Also it is very difficult to watch something and not fancy someone in it. I need my nice man to goggle at. It would be too pervy of me if they are all young un's. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm well would it. I am convincing myself out of the pervy part. They are all over 16 right.