Product Details

• Actors: Nicholas Hoult, Mike Bailey, Hannah Murray, April Pearson
• Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: BBC Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: January 13, 2009
• Run Time: 425 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001G1FL42
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,186 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Sex, drugs, yearning, frustration--all the ingredients of adolescence are made freshly vivid in the first series of this topnotch BBC series. Skins follows a gang of British schoolmates, including Tony (Nicholas Hoult, About a Boy), whose alpha-male cockiness starts to curdle into nasty self-absorption, gradually alienating his insecure girlfriend Michelle (April Pearson) and best friend Sid (Mike Bailey); Anwar (Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire), who struggles to balance his Muslim faith and his friendship with Maxxie (Mitch Hewer, Brittania High), who's gay; musical prodigy Jal (Larissa Wilson), who resents that her father favors her brothers over her, while Cassie (Hannah Murray) and Chris (Joseph Dempsie) try to escape reality with anorexia and pharmaceuticals. Skins could have been just a catalogue of hot-button issues, but sharp writing, fluid direction, and a charismatic and deeply engaging crew of young actors make this one of the best shows about teenagers ever made. Each episode centers on a different kid--a character who was never more than peripheral or a stereotype in previous episodes suddenly bursts into three dimensions, expanding your grasp of their flailing, hungry world. Divorce and the loose mores of contemporary life have left these kids with few restrictions; watching them slam into problems they're ill-equipped to handle makes for riveting television. Forget the airbrushed, designer-dressed kids of Dawson's Creek or Gossip Girl. Skins is both more real and more exciting. The extra features on Skins - Vol. 1 includes a series of video diaries by the characters that feel a bit forced, but the "ancillary storylines"--mostly deleted scenes--are more enjoyable, particularly a series of interviews with a hapless career counselor. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

Skins. A brand new British drama follows a group of raucous teenagers who get high, get drunk, get laid and get up for their A levels. They really grab life by the balls and give it a twirl. Tony (Nicholas Hoult, About a Boy) is the best looking boy in town. His sidekick Sid is less successful with the ladies, much less until bonkers anorexic case Cassie turns up. But Sid's in love with Michelle, the school fittie, who goes out with Tony, of course. Then there's sassy musician Jal, party animal Chris, Maxie and best mate Anwar, who manages to combine the pills, the thrills and the spills with his faith, well sort of.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 62 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Come for the nudity, stay for the stories! October 10, 2008

By Chris Swanson TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been watching TV for as long as I can remember, and I've never seen a show quite like "Skins".

The program centers around a group of teenage friends living in England. They smoke, they drink, they do drugs, they party, they have sex. They do what teenagers around the world do (or more often, especially with the sex part, merely wish they were doing). Pretty standard fare for most teenage dramas, actually, except that since this is British TV, they don't censor everything; you actually get to see bits of the sex, hear lots of the swearing and see quite a bit of naked flesh.

Nothing like a bit of titilation.

But had the show been nothing but titilation, it wouldn't have kept my interest. From the very first episode, I found myself really drawn into the storylines, and coming to like most of the characters. I started to care about them and their lives.

Consider for example the character of Tony. He seems initially to be just a total wanker, but as the show goes you see that he actually has some layers to him, ones he doesn't know are there.

Or consider Anwar, a reasonably devout Muslim who finds himself torn between faith and friendship due to the fact that his best friend, Maxxie, is gay.

Or consider Cassie, an anorexic girl who is falling rapidly in love with Sid, who happens to be in love with Michelle, who happens to be Tony's girlfriend. Who Tony might be in love with the viewer is welcome to guess, though I'm inclined to suspect it's both Michelle and Sid...

Or consider Jal, the sweet young clarinet player. Or Chris, a wonderful young man with more teeth than brain cells. Or Michelle. Or Maxxie. Or Sid. Any of the characters, all the of characters, are fascinating.

The show isn't without its imperfections, of course. It's a bit exaggerated and unrealistic, but who cares? Most TV is. On the other hand, "Skins" is daring, entertaining, effed-up and wonderfully brilliant! What other show would've given such a "WTF?!" ending to the first series as this one did?

"Skins" isn't for everyone, but I loved it, and can't wait to own it on DVD!

*** UPDATE ***

So amazingly I got the DVDs today, the day before the street date. I won't tell if you won't tell. :) Because of this, I can answer all the questions we've been wondering. Well, most of them, anyhow. I don't know if the music was left intact from the broadcasts cause I never really paid attention.

Anyhow, the DVDs are not the episodes as they were broadcast here in the USA. They are not censored for language or nudity, which is a plus for those of me who like to see these sorts of things as they were intended!

There is one thing that was completely cut out from the DVDs however. At the end of the last episode of series one, there was this very odd, very surreal moment where the cast, more or less in character, were singing Cat Stevens' song "Wild World". Due to copyright issues that entire scene is cut. You get the moments right before and right after, but the scene itself is gone. Happily that's what the YouTube is for and if you go there, you can see the last scene as it was meant to be.

Sadly there's no commentary on the DVDs, but you do get the video diaries and ancillary storylines the Brits got, so that's all good. Overall, a package well worth getting your hands on!

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing show, but what about the DVD? September 19, 2008

By Roland

Format:DVD

"Skins" is one of the best "teen dramas" in existence, and one of the few for which this label isn't actually an insult. Intelligent, gritty, unpredictable and sporting one of the most likable casts in existence, it's a must-watch, no matter what type of shows you normally like.

BUT the Region 2 DVD editions of First AND Second Seasons are missing about 80% of the original music. It's replaced by cheap "background" songs. And the music is a vital part of what makes "Skins" so special. Without them the DVDs are only worth so much as the extras on them. I really hope the Region 1 edition will have the normal OST. If that's the case, I'm buying it, even though I already have the UK DVDs.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars What! Missing Final Scene. January 13, 2009

By Brian W. Hale

Format:DVD

I watched this show all first season and fell in love with it during the trippy final scene of the season (episode 9). I have recomended it to many friends. Just got the DVD set today and guess what? That scene, THE scene that pushed the show way above the usual. has been edited out for the dvd release! how could they? To see it you'll have to catch a rerun on BBC america. I would have given this 5 stars but with all the editing 3 is all it gets. How dissapointing!