So. It’s been almost exactly a year since series one of Skins launched on E4. The first episode of the series attracted one of the biggest audiences ever seen on a digital channel and inspired reviews both damning (one) and glowing (the rest). Since then we’ve seen Skins grow into something entirely unexpected. We’ve watched the internet community expand into fan sites, forums, and Facebook groups. We’ve put on crazy parties, invited the fans along and filmed the results. We’ve been shown on Channel 4. We’ve released a soundtrack album, a calendar. We’ve seen the once-unknown stars of the show mobbed by fans. And we’ve been shown on television in France, Australia, Italy and Slovenia.
Not bad going for a low-budget show cooked up in my Dad’s kitchen. Now all we had to do was make the second series of Skins even bigger, even better. Pretty much as soon as series two was commissioned, co-creator Bryan Elsley and I were back in the office with the creative team, scribbling away on a white board. With a year’s worth of experience, we knew we could match if not better the first series. Changes needed to be made though. The creative team needed to be expanded. We had more shows to do this year (ten episodes), and we wanted to fully exploit our investment in new and emerging British talent.
This paid off in the shape Daniel Kaluuya, now 18, from Camden. He was quickly commissioned to write a script after spending a year in our writers group and has turned out episode eight, one of my favourites of the year. I’m pretty sure he’s one of the youngest people, if not the youngest, ever to have written an hour of television drama. Other additions included Sally Tatchell, a ferociously talented writer fresh from working on The Bill, and Lucy Kirkwood, a witty and sharp young playwright whose work is soon to be put on at the Bush Theatre. Both have written superb scripts for us this year. They join myself, Ben Schiffer, Jack Thorne and Bryan Elsley to make up the core writing team behind Skins. We also have our brilliant young contributors, not to mention the comedians Josie Long and Robin Ince. In other words, one of the most diverse teams working in television drama.
Other changes this year are new cast member Aimee-Ffion Edwards, playing the mysterious and conflicted Sketch. There are also a ton of new guest actors and comedians; Bill Bailey, Harry Enfield, Shane Richie, Sean Pertwee, Geoff Hughes, Mark Heap, John Thomson, Fiona Allen, Peter Capaldi, Josie Lawrence, Arabella Weir, Josie Long, Mark Monero and Kevin Eldon. We didn’t ever dream we’d persuade such a talented bunch join our show. And this series sees new directors including BAFTA award-winning Charles Martin, and Harry Enfield who is making his television directing debut.
So. What is series two about? Well, there’s arguments, make ups, make outs, violence, deaths, songs, rapping, music, dancing, drugs, sex, tears, smiles, laughter, posh kids, white kids, black kids, exam results, parents, relatives, holidays and Bill Bailey dancing with a dog. Sometimes light, sometimes dark, always funny, series two is ten hours of ambitious, emotionally-charged television drama that portrays the complex and vivid lives of a group of characters on the edge of adulthood, as they grow and develop.
It’s been an immense amount of fun to make, and it will be even more fun to see how it is received by our much-loved fans who drive a very active and responsive online community, and those beyond.
