Cover Up, Skins! (US Version)

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     After Shameless and Being Human, I am getting a little tired of typing 'based on the British show of the same name', but here we go again. Except, this one is MTV's Skins. Please keep in mind, I haven't seen the British version. Everything I say this review applies ONLY to the American version of Skins. And what I'd like to say is, the show is terrible.

     Where to begin? First of all, the only audience I see for this series is the legions of horned up boys that flock to whatever the current equivalent of American Pie is. Look at the poster above, and you'll see what I mean. I will be the first to admit, I was in this demographic ten years ago. Ok, seven years ago. But now it takes a little more than the promise of a bit of girly skin to get me to spend me valuable time. And being that this series airs on basic cable, all you're going to get is a glimpse of that skin, not any of the really naughty bits.

     The characters are incredibly poorly executed. The lead, at least in the first episode, titled "Tony", is Tony (James Newman). He is supposed to be the ultra-cool kid that everyone loves, who can score all the girls, and gets whatever he wants because of his charm and good looks. I got a kick out of his friends making fun of him behind his back in one scene, because I don't see how anyone could possibly like Tony. He isn't that good looking. He's arrogant. He's a horrible friend. He takes advantage of people in obvious ways. There is nothing likable about him at all. Yet, there are plenty of 'Tony's out there that somehow pull this off, at least while still in high school.

     Similarly, I found most of the characters one note. Stanley (Daniel Flaherty) is the ugly dork who can't get laid, though he did show a slight hint of personality and kindness late in the episode. Cadie (Britne Oldford) is the pill-popping crazy one. Abbud (Ron Mustafaa) is little more than a racist stereotype. Tony's friends at the all-girl schools were two-dimensional preppie types. And yes, some teen guys are obsessed with girls and drugs. But most of them don't flaunt it as badly as the 'characters', using the term loosely, as caricatures would be more accurate, in Skins.

     The only small saving grace was Michelle, also known to Tony as Nips (Rachel Thevenard). Yes, her nickname is sexist and vulgar. No wonder she doesn't like it. She is the sole character that showed slight depth, and felt marginally real. She had a good sense of humor, was kind, enjoyed her life, liked who she was, and knew where she stood. So why is she sleeping with a creep like Tony? 

 

     I have considered that perhaps I'm just not the target audience for this series. I did manage to sit through the whole hour, so it wasn't the worst thing I've ever watched. But even teenagers deserve better dramas than this stuff. If anything, this just gives them an unrealistic worldview of limited, if any, consequences for dumb actions.

 
     If you'd like to make your own judgments, Skins airs Monday nights at 10 p.m.

Article first published as TV Review: Cover Up, Skins! on Blogcritics.

Shameless - "Pilot"

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     There was a LOT going on in the first episode of Showtime's new drama, Shameless. With a staggeringly large cast, including the huge Gallagher family at the center, my biggest worry going forward is how everyone will get a fair shake. And yet, so much was packed into the first hour, and so many characters got to shine, that the worry is minor, at best. It was a delightful romp, full of all the delicious sin you want in a pay cable show, plus some real, gripping story. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and know already that this will quickly become one of my favorite shows. It is based on a long-running British series, and after last night, I know I'd like to see that, too.

     At the center of the Gallagher family is patriarch Frank (the incredible William H. Macy), although I use the term 'patriarch' pretty loosely, because it's not like Frank does anything to care for his boisterous brood. Frank got some funny bits, but no real plot of his own in the pilot, though next week's episode is called "Frank the Plank", so I assume that will change soon. The series would not dare waste a great like Macy, and it has already been said that Sheila (Joan Cusack) is in the cast as a love interest for him, not just some girl's mom. Which makes sense, because I was curious on why someone with the gravitas of Cusack took such a small part in the pilot. However, for now I am content to watch Frank fall over, and the scene where he found the new washing machine probably defines the character best.

     The real center of the Gallaghers is eldest daughter Fiona (Emmy Rossum, The Phantom of the Opera), who raises Frank's other kids as if they were her own. While it is unclear how old exactly Fiona is, she is certainly far too young to be taking on the responsibilities she does. Following her example, all of the kids make money however they can, and kick together a pot when bills are due. Frank does not contribute. To get him to even pay for a field trip, Fiona shook his pants leg while he was passed out and picked up the coins that rolled out. Luckily, Fiona seems to have a life outside of her hell beckoning to her in the form of Steve (Justin Chatwin), a car thief who likes her and wants to shower her with gifts, so far in the form of the aforementioned washing machine and a big breakfast for the family. These two are a real joy, with authentic chemistry.

     My favorite story in the first episode, though, was between brothers Lip (Jeremy Allen White) and Ian (Cameron Monaghan). Lip found gay porn stashed away by Ian, and set about trying to get confirmation on Ian's sexuality. Lip took him to Karen (Laura Slade Wiggins), a girl Lip tutors that doesn't mind handing out blowjobs, and his suspicious were put to rest. What was sweet, though, was that after Lip got over his initial shock and disgust, he found a way to accept his brother for who he was. The tough world Lip and Ian inhabit can't be kind to homosexuals, but Lip put family first. He loves his brother, and will stand by him, no matter what.

     That's what holds the Gallaghers together: love. Despite their crazy, messed up world, love was a theme that shone through in the pilot. They are a family, much more realistic than many on TV. They're lower class, struggling to get by, but by sticking together, they manage to. Everyone helps out where they are needed, with the typical sibling squabbling, of course, but won't abandon the others. Fiona could have, should have, left when she reached adulthood sometime recently, but she didn't. She cares too much about her brothers and sister.

     Of course, there are plenty of other elements. Like in most Showtime shows, there is lots of drinking and other drugs, though Frank is the only one who takes them too far. Sex is a part of their life, and I find that enjoyable and realistic, too. Already in the pilot, we saw neighbor Kev (Steve Howey) passed out naked, two boys got oral sex, and Fiona and Steve got it on on the dirty kitchen floor. Rossum, who has avoided nudity up til now in her career, said the writing makes it worth it; the scenes that are shown are important to the story. She's right. If the Gallaghers were sanitized, they wouldn't be who they unapologetically are, and the series would suffer.

     Although adapted from a British series, the world the Gallaghers live in is also very specific. It's a Chicago neighborhood, and there's a tone that is very clear. The setting feels like a character, more than just a place they live. The neighbors build a rich tapestry around the Gallaghers, and the cops are integrated, not willing to toss their people in the clink for minor crimes. There is a bigger community there, inspiring in its bonds.

     The series also stars Shanola Hampton, Jane Levy, Tyler Jacob Moore, Ethan Cutkosky, Emma Kenney, and Brennan Kane Johnson and Blake Alexander Johnson as baby Liam. See? I told you it was a big cast.

     I look forward to the next Gallagher story. Shameless airs on Sunday nights at 10 p.m. on Showtime.

Article first published as TV Review: Shameless - "Pilot" on Blogcritics.

Episodes - "Episode 1"

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     I love the concept of Showtime and BBC2's Episodes. As someone who likes both British and American television, and will gladly watch both versions when one of the 'across the pond' shows is remade here, a tongue in cheek look at a remake is clever. I'm not sure about the execution, though. After only viewing the first episode (of seven), I felt like the whole story barely got started.

     The episode began when Beverly (Tamsin Greig) left her husband, Sean (Stephen Mangan) after catching him wanking to another woman. Beverly then almost crashes her car into Matt LeBlanc (Matt LeBlanc, as a pseudo version of himself). The sequence is extended, taking up a good portion of the episode, but fairly unconnected to the rest, which takes place seven weeks earlier. I'm sure that the scene is going to be the end of the season, but it should have been much shorter, or left out entirely. It was too long to be a simple hook, and didn't explain anything at all.

     Most of the episode concerned Bev and Sean coming to America to remake their popular British show, Lyman's Boys. They are wooed into a deal by Merc Lapidus (John Pankow, Mad About You), a shady Hollywood exec who just tells them what they want to hear. He hasn't actually watched their show, though he raves about it, which does provide one funny line after they find out that tidbit. He also presents the show to them as a done deal that they will control, and when they arrive, they discover otherwise. In fact, they don't learn the truth from Merc, who has little time for them, but from Carol (Kathleen Rose Perkins), who is really going to be working with them on a regular basis instead.

     The first big obstacle, and apparently the main story of the first episode, though it got only a small portion of the screen time, is that Merc won't sign Julian Bullard (the legendary Richard Griffiths) to reprise his role as the star of Lyman's Boys. According to Bev and Sean, Julian is the show, but Merc, again, only pretending he'd watched, insists Julian fly all the way out to L.A. to audition for the part, and then proclaims him 'too English'. When Julian tries re-reading with an American accent, even he knows it's a disaster. Instead, Carol suggests Matt LeBlanc for the role, which the couple are less than thrilled about. I couldn't even tell if they knew who he was.

     And that's really all we got. There was barely any Matt in the episode, even though this has been billed largely as his vehicle. A confused couple shows up in America and doesn't get what they expect. That's how I felt as a viewer, confused and my expectations not met. I'm not saying this is a bad show, but I don't know that it's a good one. I'm more left with, 'That's it?' than a solid opinion. I feel like more of the series must be viewed before I can render judgment. I like Bev, Sean, Carol, and even Merc as characters, but I don't feel I've even met Matt yet.

     There is another cast member as well, Head of Comedy, Morning Randolph (Mircea Monroe). Perhaps because she was not yet fleshed out either, I felt like she was a one-joke comic relief player. Not that there's anything wrong with that, if it's done well, and I saw no reason to complain as of yet.

     I guess my biggest criticism is that I expect a pilot to set up the series for me, introduce me to the characters, let me know what to expect. As a pilot, "Episode 1" failed in most of that regard. It sort of felt like it assumed the viewer had prior knowledge, and just took off, not at a fast pace, but at an unexplained one. I'm interested enough to check out next week's offering, and hopefully I will have a better understanding then.

     Episodes airs Sunday nights at 9:30 p.m. on Showtime.

Article first published as TV Review: Episodes - "Episode 1" on Blogcritics.