Skins follows a group of teenagers living on the bright side, who get high, get drunk, get laid and get up for their A levels. These kids really grab life by the balls and then give it a twirl.

Series One

Tony (Nicholas Hoult) is the best-looking boy in town. His sidekick Sid (Mike Bailey) is less successful with the ladies, much less; until bonkers anorexic case Cassie (Hannah Murray) turns up. But Sid’s in love with Michelle (April Pearson), the school fittie, who goes out with Tony, of course. Then there’s sassy musician Jal (Larissa Wilson), party animal Chris (Joe Dempsie), Maxxie (Mitch Hewer) and best mate Anwar (Dev Patel), who manages to combine the pills, the thrills and the spills with his faith, well sort of.

Guest stars on Skins include Harry Enfield, Neil Morrissey, Sarah Lancashire, Danny Dyer, Peter Capaldi, Josie Lawrence and, Arabella Weir.

Skins is the new series from the makers of award-winning Shameless. Series 1 was written by a team of writers with an average age of 22, including: Simon Amstell (Never Mind the Buzzcocks), the Dawson brothers (Balls of Steel, Dirty Tricks), Jack Thorne (Shameless), Josie Long (Edinburgh Comedy festival Best Newcomer 2006), Ben Schiffer, Jamie Brittain, Camilla Blackett and creator and executive producer Bryan Elsley (The Young Person’s Guide To Becoming a Rock Star, 40, The Crow Road).

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Series Two

Six months on from the accident Tony (Nicholas Hoult) isn’t dead, but he sure isn’t t he same person. Getting back on top of things is even harder when your friends are all acting weird. Sid (Mike Bailey) can’t get his head around the fact that his best mate is a shadow of the man he’s always looked up to. And to top it all he finally got the girl only to have her whisked off to Scotland by her crazy parents. But to Cassie (Hannah Murray) it’s okay because one day she’ll come back and they’ll live happily ever after… yeah right.

Michelle (April Pearson) is lost. Her mum has gone and married yet another man, and this time there’s a step-sister involved who’s trying to make a move on her mates. Maxxie’s (Mitch Hewer) getting hell at home too because his Dad doesn’t want him to follow his dream of being a dancer. Even Anwar (Dev Patel) has changed since he bagged himself a mystery girlfriend. Her mates are mixed up, but Jal (Larissa Wilson) is throwing off the good-girl image and letting her hair down. And as for Chris (Joe Dempsie), getting expelled wasn’t his finest hour, but now the party animal is stepping out on his own, so at least his future looks bright. What could possibly go wrong?

Bill Bailey and Josie Long are among a host of new guest stars joining Harry Enfield, Arabella Weir and Peter Capaldi for series two. Skins is written by a team of writers and young contributors, with co-creators Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain.

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Series Three

The Class of 2009 is headed up by the beautiful and elusive EFFY (Kaya Scodelario), returning as the new queen bee. She’s joined by sweet and kooky best-friend, PANDORA (Lisa Backwell) who keeps the gang together.

The guys are led by the irrepressible and irresponsible COOK (Jack O’Connell – This is England, Eden Lake) a daring and charismatic leader of the gang. His best mates are FREDDIE (Luke Pasqualino) who’s the skateboarding, weed-smoking ‘cool’ one, and JJ aka Jonah Jeremiah Jones (Ollie Barbieri), the master illusionist.

The twins KATIE (Megan Prescott) and EMILY (Kathryn Prescott) are pulling in different directions. One wanting to shed her twin and gain status, the other hanging on, crippled by shyness. Completing the girls is passionate, political and principled NAOMI (Lily Loveless). Finally, THOMAS (Merveille Lukeba), good and honest, he travels from the Congo to set up home for his family, and has to find his feet in a new and strange country.

Together the gang bond as they fall in and out of love and lust, fight one another, compete against each another, and also unite as one.

Series 3 will see guest stars Harry Enfield and Morwenna Banks return as the Stonem parents, alongside new guest appearances from Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, and actors Mackenzie Crook, Sally Phillips and Geoffrey Hughes.

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