MTV has just announced that it will create it’s very own version of Skins, the action will happen in Baltimore, Maryland; and will “preserve the authenticity” of the UK version (that means all the same drug taking, drinking, swearing and sex).
The plan is to employ young writers and teenagers, similarly to what’s happening in the UK. The series will be led and produced by Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain through their independent production company, Stormdog.
“Skins is one of those rare shows that cuts through to its core audience with unusually authentic stories due to the unique writing and casting process that Bryan pioneered,” said Liz Gateley, senior vice president of MTV series development.
“Having personally pursued the UK project for almost two years, I am beyond thrilled to bring it to MTV in the US. We intend to preserve the authenticity of the British version and are excited to collaborate with the original team to develop stories that will speak to American youth.”
Pattinson added: “We are delighted to be making Skins for the US and in particular, for MTV who have embraced the show and its ambitions and unusual production process. We are looking forward to talking to teenagers across the US and making a show that reflects their lives in every aspect.”
The deal was brokered by Greg Lipstone, of management agency ICM, which represents Company Pictures and All3Media.
Via skinsis.com
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Sigh,
Why don’t the yanks create their own ideas? They take good ideas from eveywhere and ‘americanize’ them, homogenize the concepts and spoon feed it to their audiences. I will be VERY suprised if the american version is anywhere near as good as the UK version. Seriously, they did it with the japanese film ‘the ring’ and with the series ‘the office’. Who will the cast be? Lindsay Lohan and Jason Priestley types in a cringful version of the OC with token drugs and t’n'a like Baywatch, with a script of cheesy one liners. Keep skins in Bristol I say. Congrats to the producers, but stay true.
I’ve got to say, as an American, I am horrified and intrigued at the same time. I’ve always wished I had an opportunity to be involved in skins, and if the timing is right and they have open auditions and cast unknowns like they claim they will, I’ve got a shot to audition at least. However, like I’ve seen many other people mention across the Internet, MTV tends to produce… crap. And standard cable television in America has nothing anywhere near the level of sex/drugs/alcohol that Skins does. I think that Showtime would do the show well (basing that off of Weeds and Dexter — both of which are fairly edgy).
The only aspect that gives me hope for the show is that the original creator of the UK version is going to write/direct the US version as well. I hope he gets it right like he did over there, and I have trust that he will. If MTV gives him complete creative control without limits, and MTV stands up to the people who will (without a doubt) want to censor this show, then it has a fighting chance.
its just gonna be like another shitty mtv progam leave it with e4 for fucks sake
Word from MTV is although they are going to try and preserve the authenticity, there will be no nudity or swearing.
Hmmm…sounds like a watered down version to me. I love how american’s can have blood, gore, bullet holes to the head, etc but god forbid an american youth swear! haha
Oh well, with the Skins crew producing it I am sure it will be better then anything else they got (16 and pregnant…really? haha)
..really?
If it is anything like the american remakes of british tv, I am kind of skeptical.
Why does america have to remake everything? It’s never as good. Television over here is quite conservative. Everything is always bleeped out and censored, even skins when it is on bbc america. I just don’t think americans will be able to capture what makes skins..skins. It is obviously going to be watered down to “suite the american audience.”
I don’t mean to already dislike it, I just don’t know what to think…
I am sort of excited to see what it might be like, but not at the thought of trying to recreate skins. We all know that can’t really be done.
I wish mtv would play the real thing instead.
I totally agree with Michelle, America is always remaking tv series & films and it almost never works!!
And I think it will be even harder for it to work if we’re talking about skins…I don’t understand why can’t they just air british skins if they like it so much!
I will watch it but I’m not sure they’ll get the response UK-skins got!!
Ankara
Spain!
American shows are awful for the most part. We have a bunch of reality shows, a few tween/teen shows, then some great shows from the HBO and Showtime networks. If MTV does a remake of Skins, it will get rave reviews because everyone here will think it’s new and original and fresh, when in reality, it’s just a knock off of a much better show. The British version in other words will never get any legit credit over here. (Like when Americans remake foriegn films, the American version is usually 1000x much popular than the orignal).
I do agree that TV here for teens is still far too conservative. Yes, we have drinking and partying on our shows, but it ends there. Skins is an honest look at the everyday lives of real people. Teens aren’t perfect or saints, and censoring something like Skins for an American audience would be tragic. Teens need to see TV shows like Skins because they are the real dael. They aren’t trying to be trendy and cute like Gossip Girl, 90210, etc. Those shows are fake and unrealistic.
That person up there is right. American television is not as liberal as that of the UK.
I like Skins b/c they show the truth of life of young adults.
American television will dilute what makes skins awesome. I am not thrilled to hear about a remake in AMERICA. Let everybody go on youtube and watch skins from there.
Feel the same way Michelle, I’m glad that Jamie and Bryan, two of the founders and creators of Skins are going to be involved in it, they’ll have a say and will make sure MTV doesnt glamorize it, making it like every other crappy American television show these days i.e. The Secret Life of the American Teenager. I would have prefered a more independent channel say Showtime or HBO be in charge of making it but hopefully MTV can pull it off. Also I wonder whether Bryan and Jamie will be able to capture and make different the difference between what an American teen and what a British teen goes thru and hopefully the usage of young writers and young unknown actors (if they do open auditions like they do in the U.K.) will make this not a rip off or copy of the British original, but rather an extension of it, same in heart but different in character, scope and mind. Very glad there not doing it in a major city but still a well known city nonetheless. I’m very open to where this leads and wish the best of luck to the producers and writers and MTV, can wait!!
OHH THIS SUCKS… WHATEVER I THINK THIS COULD BE A GREAT CHALLENGE FOR MTV .. I MEAN, THE BRITISH ARE CRAZY AND THAT ABSURD MADNESS IS THE ONE THAT MAKES FAN OF THIS SERIES … I THINK IF THE SECOND GENERATION THAT ARE A GREAT CASTOF SKINS NO OVERCOME TO FIRST … I COULD BE DIFFILCULT TO AMERICans ☺
fuck mtv. im from america and i know for sure MTV will ruin it. im not a big fan of american television becos it isnt as great as british television.
I’m from Canada and I can already tell you that I’m really skeptical about this remake..
It’s true that TV over here is really conservative and let’s face it, Skins is basically, sex, swearing, drugs and everything teen.
American TV might let a few of those things in, but not to the Skins extent.. Honestly, I wish I lived in Brittan so that I could watch ALL the TV there XD
Oh well, I guess everyone has to live through one or two remakes of their favorites..
I’m really interested to see what they come up with though
By the way.. I REALLY love Skins.. and hope they don’t botch it XD
<3
I just discovered skins and theres no way MTV will b able to remake something like skins. The main reasons why my friends and i watch it is bcuz we dont have n e thing like it over here.
but brits hav sexy accents
keep in the gay stuff it makes it more interesting
I’m canadian, but I totally want to audition for this!!
Fuckin’ hell. Why would they do that? Is it not so hard to launch the original? They have our shows over there. But no… America has to fuck everything up… it’s not like the idea is original. I love skins… I won’t watch that MTV bull. I’m staying loyal to the show that didnt air here for two years. Um I’ve been streaming it for ages now…
As an American, I say that this is an awful idea. Just bring the show over from the UK. I would DIE for more people to talk to about Skins; no one watches it over here in the states. It’s gonna be way contrived over here; no one will get it.
I’m from America, but I’m not sure I will like this, I’m frightened that they will ruin it. Very skeptical.
I live in America and I think this is complete and total bullshit. Skins can not be remade, there is only one!
I just think most of our remade shows are crap so eh. Hopefully it won’t be though…
Why can’t america just air shows from other countries instead of trying to make one of their own. Honestly I think it would be refreshing to see television series from other countries on america television-but for now Im stuck watching it on the internet.
I think it’s awesome that they would make a skins-like show in the U.S. I do agree with the others though, I’m guessing that it wouldn’t be as edgy. American tv is just too watered down and there are too many people out there that can’ handle it. I hope it works out though and look forward to it. I love skins and it sucks having to wait forever to get new episodes on BBC America or having to watch them on the internet.
F*cking Americans stealing our, god damn ideas, grr!
I probably would suck if they did that anyway haha.
it*
I’d like to see that.
Skins is not like “Secret life of an american teenager” in USA, or “Física o Química” in Spain, etc.,
skins is different, so I hope they do it well.
Honestly, I feel the same as Michelle. I hope that this version of Skins preserves the je ne sais qua of Skins.
But i wouldn’t mind being apart of it.
Well here’s the thing. im from america, and i dislike this as well. and its not like americans are the reason they “water” everything down. its the damn FCC
it’s harder for me .. i’m a new zealander .. and i really want to audition .hahaha .
for the english version that is .
skins is amazing, there is no way that america can make a shitty remake of skins
america destroys everything, with skins all it’s going to do it destroy the authenticity and uniqueness of skins
america destroyed kath and kim
now it’s about to destroy skins!
thanks
Wow, that is probably going to fail. I hate how america have to remake everything, why cant they try to make something themselves instead? Anyways I’m probably gonna give it a chance and watch it, but i wont really get my hopes up. SKINS <3!
I’m fairly certain that the US is just going to shit all over this. Skins is amazing, and I don’t want it to be ruined. I love the shows we have here in the states, but I like having my connections to the UK. And I don’t believe that MTV will stick with all of the loose concepts, they censor everything here. And if they do, it’s going to be on real late at night because it will be rated TV MA. And it’s a show for teens, not adults.
NO NO NO!! I want to cry when I see this! I’ve heard this as a rumor but I didn’t think it would be true! Ugh I’m an American and this is the worst news ever. I love Skins, I’m obsessed with it, and I hate that MTV will be producing an aforementioned watered down version of the best show in the world. I know it won’t be anywhere near as good, and I sort of liked being one of the few American teens who knows about Skins. I mean seriously, how many fourteen year olds are flipping through the channels, and think, “A British station? I’ll bet there are tons of great programs on here!” No. And if MTV produces it everyone will know about it and it’ll suck ass. BOO.
SHAWN: I gotta disagree. The FCC reacts to American attitudes. I mean Adam Lambert kissed a guy at 11pm on live TV and over 1500 Americans complained! What’s gonna happen when Tony goes down on Maxxie…there is gonna be a revolt! haha I know it isn’t all Americans..but a large vocal group of them keep your tv watered down…not the FCC.
im from america. i love skins. in my own opinion mtv shows are to white trashy and will totally ruin the skins idea. why can;t they just play the actual series on mtv? then i’d be happy. haha.
Honestly, when America remakes things from other countries, it’s worse than the original. I adore the show Skins because it’s real. When they do the drugs, and smoke and have sex; Cheat, lie, death. Everything teens go through. Everything everyone goes through. They don’t censor anything. They don’t take any “bad” scenes out. America will ruin this show. They’ll probably take out scenes that involve drugs and sex. It’ll just be… horrible. The show is for teenagers to realize the real life they live in. It’s an inspiration. And MTV is going to remove that inspiration.
what the heck???? this is crap. im from the freaking US and I even think this is a bull shit idea… not that im a hater on my country or anything, but seriously… america is going to ruin this show. quite disappointing….