Teenagers on TV: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

You would think that MTV would be ecstatic with all this attention.  On January 20, the Parents Television Council has called for a congressional investigation of the new show Skins, the weak remake of the original BBC production.  The PTC is upset about "the sexual content on the show involving cast members as young as 15," and noted it "counted 42 depictions and references to drugs and alcohol in the premiere episode."  By January 25, the PTC was crowing "We extend our thanks to Foot Locker, L'Oreal , Schick, and Subway for heeding our call to cease underwriting the dangerous content on MTV's "Skins." Of the eight advertisers we called out publicly after the premiere, none of them appeared in the second episode."  Even with a few adjustments in the advertising budget, you cannot pay for publicity like this. Sadly, I believe most teenagers hearing all this bluster will be disappointed once they see the actual show.  And the statistics may already be bearing this out - by the second episode only 1.6 million viewers were tuning in, a 51 percent drop from the first episode.

The slate of shows about teenagers here in the U.S. is all over the place (and also brimming with sexual undertones).  Yes, we have suburban teenagers that sing and dance (Glee); city-based greedy and mean teenagers (Gossip Girl); and remakes of U.S. teenage shows (90210).  Fortunately, we also have the college teenage experiences, which I find to be better written and a little more believable, in the form of the ending show Greek and the new show Glory Daze.  

However, if you are looking for something a little grittier and more interesting, I would recommend Showtime's Shameless.  I am amazed that the PTC is all exited about a little bit of partying on MTV, while Showtime brings you a family with a drunk and disabled dad, a missing mom, one teenage brother tutoring with benefits while the other is having gay relations with a married storekeeper, the teenage sister humping on the kitchen floor, and alcohol and drugs throughout the house.  And this is just the first episode!  Set in present-day Chicago, the Gallagher family breaks every taboo of the conservative PTC and yet I see five press releases on Skins and nothing about Shameless.  Whatever the reason, I recommend you ignore the paltry teenage shows on the other networks and spend a Sunday night with the Gallagher family.  The sex and drugs may be present, but you fine you really care about this family. You will not be disappointed.

Update: On January 31, Rolling Stone had a good review of the new Skins program, with the author stating "..the average Skins episode is one-fifth as obscene as any random 20-minute stretch of American Pie." I agree.  Such tame stuff, combined with lousy acting, is not a threat to anyone.  It just makes you wonder why it is worth broadcasting at all.

Second Update:  On June 9, Entertainment Weekly reported that Skins has been cancelled after only one season.   Now the PTC will need to find a new target.  How about 90210, if only for its bad writing?