The Sixth Series of Skins originally aired on E4 from January 23, 2012 to March 26, 2012.
Series 6 continues to follow the "third generation" of characters, which are featured in both Series 5 and Series 6.
As Series 7 will be a wrap-up series for the whole show, there will be no "fourth generation".
In terms of the show's continuity, Series 6 begins about 3 to 4 months after the end of "Everyone" (episode 5.08), two weeks before the beginning of a new academic school year.[1]
Further, the characters are now in their second (and final) year of sixth form (equivalent to senior year of high school in North America).
Cast[]
The sixth series retained the eight major characters from the fifth series but added a ninth to the main cast.[2]
Dakota Blue Richards returns as Franky Fitzgerald, who seems to have begun a relationship with Matty, and is now "altogether pretty different, eh?"[3][4][5][6]
Freya Mavor returns as Mini McGuinness, who after dealing with her issues in the previous series, is "less of a bitch, more of the group - she's had to do some growing up of her own."[7][8][9]
Sean Tale returns as Nick Levan, now Mini's ex-boyfriend who's "had a heavy summer. Rugby's out - partying's in; how long can it last?"[10][11][12][13]
Jessica Sula returns as Grace Violet, who although is not married is "still with Rich, still lovely."[14][15][16]
Laya Lewis returns as Liv Malone, who is "Still Liv, still partying, still into Matty? We'll see...".[17][18][19][20]
Will Merrick returns as Alo Creevey, who is still living life off the cuff, which begs the question if "it's time for Mr. Creevey to grow up?"[21][22][23]
Alex Arnold returns as Rich Hardbeck, who is "still looking rather smart sans metal mullet: is this a sign of his new found maturity?"[24][25][26]
Sebastian De Souza returns as Matty Levan, who seems to have begun a relationship with Franky, as "it's time for Matty to stop lurking in the corners and join the gang."[27][28][29][30]
Newcomer Sam Jackson was added to the cast as Alex Henley, who is simply described as a "mysterious flirty new guy."[31][32]
Daniel Black also returns as major supporting character Rider, who is still going through life "like a boss."[33][34]
Crew[]
With Series co-creator Jamie Brittain deciding to step down from working on the show,[35][36] Toby Welch and Neil Duncan were initially expected to be the the show runners for the sixth series.[37] However, with the US adaptation's cancellation, Series co-creator Bryan Elsley returned as showrunner, with Welch and Duncan instead becoming producers.[38]
John Griffin was originally expected to serve as the only executive producer for the sixth series.[39] However, due to the US adaptation being canceled, George Faber, Charlie Pattinson, and Bryan Elsley returned as executive producers alongside Griffin.[40]
The sixth series is produced by Company Pictures.
The main staff writers for the sixth series include Jack Lothian, Laura Hunter, Daniel Lovett, Sean Buckley, Geoff Bussetil, Georgia Lester, and Jess Brittain. Bryan Elsley, having previously said at the conclusion of Series 4 that he would no longer write for the show, wrote (or co-wrote) multiple episodes in the sixth series.[41]
Toby Welch, Neil Duncan, and Letitia Knight serve as producers for the sixth series.[42]
The regular directors for the sixth series include Jack Clough, Ian Barnes, Ben Caron, and Samuel Donovan.[43]
The sixth series' incidental music is composed by Fat Segal, who also composed the show's opening theme.[44]
The sixth series' theme song is a remix of the official theme tune used for Series 1; however, it is also a different remix from the ones used for Series 2, Series 3, Series 4, and for Series 5.[45]
Episode List[]
# | Title | Featured Character(s) | UK Viewers | Original airdate | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Everyone" | Everyone | 1.2 million[46][A] | January 23 2012 | 46 |
The gang are on holiday in Morocco. The villa may be half finished, in the middle of nowhere and without running water, but they've found a load of weed under the floorboards so they don't care. That night Alo's party-tracking skills are put to use and they join the party at a flash nearby villa owned by Luke. It's an amazing party with the best music, drink and drugs flowing. Franky, unhappy in her relationship with Matty, finds herself drawn to Luke. The following day, Luke and his mate Jake pay the gang a visit. They're in Morocco on business, and have been stashing their weed in the gang's villa. Luke forgives the gang for smoking it, but tells them he needs the rest back and invites them to a beach party. While everyone parties away on the beach, Luke and Jake make their move. Matty and Franky are drawn into a situation beyond their control which will have repercussions for all of them...[47] | |||||
2 | "Rich" | Rich Hardbeck | 845,000[B] | January 30 2012 | 47 |
Professor David Blood has banned Rich from visiting Grace in hospital and it's killing him. Alo tries to keep Rich out of trouble with band practice, but Rich is committed to his love. He stands outside the hospital, waiting. Then one day his phone rings - it's Grace. She's woken up and needs to see him. Rich finds a way past security and breaks into Grace's room. The lovers are reunited, but they have a problem - Blood is moving Grace to another hospital in Zurich. Grace doesn't want to be separated from Rich ever again. Rich promises he won't let that happen. Then Blood discovers Rich and has him thrown out. The next day, Rich goes to Grace's house to appeal to Professor Blood. When he gets there, he discovers that the Bloods have already gone. Rich moves into the house, sleeping in Grace's bed and sifting through old home movies of her growing up. Days later, Alo tracks Rich down and pledges to help his best mate. But Alo has other things on his mind. Soon, cracks begin to develop in the boys' friendship and it falls to Liv to bring the fractured group together and bring Grace back where she belongs.[48] | |||||
3 | "Alex" | Alex Henley | 956,000[B] | February 6 2012 | 48 |
It's Alex's first day at college, but he's not worried about fitting in or making new friends. He catches the eye of a fellow student and they hit it off immediately. Alex sees something special in Liv and draws her into his strange and wonderful world. But it can't last. Alex isn't used to having friends, and Liv invests a little bit too heavily in the distraction he provides.[49]
Note: This is Alex's first episode. | |||||
4 | "Franky" | Franky Fitzgerald | 456,000[50][C] | February 13 2012 | 49 |
Franky is in a bad place - it's the week of her mock exams and she's unable to concentrate on her studies. Her friends are avoiding her, parental support makes her feel smothered and in her isolation she feels propelled towards Luke. He's bad news, but she feels as if he's the only person who understands her and she's intoxicated by him. Drawn into Luke's dangerous world, she finds an outlet for her anger and frustration. Burning bridges with family and friends, Franky is in more trouble than ever before. But help comes in unlikely forms, and out of the darkness a new friendship is born.[51] | |||||
5 | "Mini" | Mini McGuinness | 689,000[B] | February 20 2012 | 50 |
Mini’s mum has a pervy new live-in boyfriend who Mini hates with a passion. To make matters worse, Alo has broken the rules of their ‘no strings attached’ secret relationship and declared his love for her. Mini is trapped; she’s lost control of her life and needs to get away. Ignoring advice from her mum and best friend Liv, Mini seeks refuge in the arms of her dad. Gregory’s never been around that much, but promises it’ll be different this time. He sweeps Mini into his glamorous and grown-up world where she feels a million miles away from her problems, withdrawing even further from her friends. But Mini has a bigger problem that she can’t run away from and will ultimately have to face on her own.[52] | |||||
6 | "Nick" | Nick Levan | 826,000[B] | February 27 2012 | 51 |
Nick is desperately in love with Franky, but it's a one-way street. He has no choice but to accept Franky as his friend and nothing more, while his love for her grows with each passing day. Then Matty gets in touch. He's still in love with Franky and needs Nick's help to get him out of Morocco and back to Bristol. Ever loyal, Nick tries to put his feelings for Franky aside and agrees to help his brother. Torn between his love for Franky, his loyalty to Matty and his fear of confrontation, Nick's life begins to spin wildly out of control until he has no choice but to step up and discover what he's truly capable of.[53] | |||||
7 | "Alo" | Alo Creevey | 725,000[B] | March 5 2012 | 52 |
Alo still has no idea that Mini is carrying his baby. Fed up of trying to get back to the fun times they used to have, he attempts to get over Mini by hooking up with a new girl, Poppy Champion. She's perfect for Alo and Mini is soon a distant memory. Franky's attempts to make him see sense fall on deaf ears. But Alo's childish choices come back to haunt him and he's soon out of his depth. In a lot of trouble and with nobody to turn to, the boy who stubbornly refused to grow up may have finally run out of time...[54] | |||||
8 | "Liv" | Liv Malone | 702,000[B] | March 12 2012 | 53 |
Liv has been partying with her new best friend Alex ever since he arrived in Bristol. But then he disappears for a dirty weekend just when Liv needs him most. She reaches out to her friends, but finds she is excluded from their lives. With nobody to turn to in her hour of need, Liv is forced to face up to the choices she's made and isn't quite as strong as she believed.[55] | |||||
9 | "Mini and Franky" | Mini McGuinness & Franky Fitzgerald | 749,000[B] | March 19 2012 | 54 |
Mini and Franky are still holed up in Mini's bedroom, but with Matty back in Bristol and Mini's ever-growing baby bump, time is quickly running out for the girls. Things come to a head when Mini's heath takes a turn for the worse leaving them isolated and under pressure from family and friends.[56] | |||||
10 | "Finale" | Everyone | 580,000[B] | March 26 2012 | 55 |
It's the end of an era. The exam results are in and Alex is throwing the mother of all leaving parties. Everyone's future hangs in the balance as Franky struggles to confront her past. The group is still in pieces following Grace's death... and time is running out for them to make things right.[57]
Note: This is Franky, Mini, Liv, Grace, Rich, Alo, Nick, Matty, Alex and Rider's final episode. | |||||
* A^ All ratings are official ratings taken from BARB's database, unless otherwise stated. Total viewers include include official BARB ratings for E4 and unofficial overnight ratings E4+1, on-demand/catch-up TV viewing, and all personal video recorder requests on services such as Sky+ and Freeview+.
* B^ All ratings are official ratings taken from BARB's database, unless otherwise stated. Total viewers include unofficial overnight ratings for E4+1, as they were not in the top 10 rated E4 +1 programmes for that week.
* C^ All ratings are official ratings taken from BARB's database, unless otherwise stated. Total viewers include unofficial overnight ratings for E4 and E4+1, as they were not in the top 10 rated E4 and E4+1 programmes for that week.
Online Content[]
- Main article: Unseen Skins
- Main article: Skins: Lock-In
Unseen Skins and Skins: Lock-In are a series of canonical online-exclusive mini-episodes that fills in a narrative gap somewhere in the timeline from the episode it correlates to.
Prior to the premiere of the Sixth Series, three Unseen Skins "mini-sodes" were released on E4.com.
Skins: Lock-In debuted after the premiere of the Sixth Series. Functioning similarly to Unseen Skins, most of the mini-sodes were not in video format, instead being photos, blog posts, twitter feeds, music, etc.
Commercial[]
To advertise the sixth series of Skins, E4 created a trailer of the cast looking downtrodden and forelorn in various dark locations intercut with various clips from the sixth series. However, it is much darker compared to the fifth series' trailer, as it reflects the darker tone of the sixth series. The song used in the trailer is "Seekir" by Zola Jesus.
Two other trailers were released, the first featuring "Rivers" by Kankouran[58] and the second featuring "Repatriated" by Handsome Furs.[59]
Reception[]
The Sixth Series received mixed reviews in the UK, with many saying it was a definite loss in quality when compared to the previous Series.
DigitalSpy.com gave the Series a positive review, stating "Now that felt like Skins, right? After an agonizing wait for the brand new series, we finally got to spend some time with the characters again - and in a rather good episode, too. This first episode of Skins has set some things up very nicely indeed... bring on the rest of the series!"[60]
Metro.co.uk gave the Series a mixed review, stating "In its day, Skins has taken us high, raising the bar for youth oriented drama with stories and characters that stretched wider than an age-defined target market. It feels mean writing these words about a show that, in its way, blazed a trail for the likes of Misfits and The Fades. But on this evidence the appeal of Skins is failing fast."[61]
The Yorker gave the Series a mixed review, stating "But what always used to make Skins great was that it didn’t need adrenaline-filled chases or melodramatic action sequences - just a coherent, relatable storyline. Not every episode can rely on a massive car crash to keep the audience’s attention. To be honest, this episode was just one big car crash… Almost literally. Skins has become shallow, borderline offensive, and… just a bit dull. If it wasn’t for an exciting ten minutes near the end of the opening episode, it would have been almost completely without redemption."[62]
Scotsman.com gave the Series a negative review, stating that "The only thing that truly changes about the E4 show is its main cast; an entire two-season overhaul means we should be nearing the end of Skins 3.0 but it barely matters as the writers (all 148 of them) are locked into a loop of repeating structures, echoing relationship dilemmas and eerily similar character arcs with ever-decreasing rewards."[63]
However, reception was generally more positive in the United States.
Grandland.com gave the Series a highly positive review, stating "Lack of subtlety is not, of course, solely the domain of Skins. Lack of subtlety, from The O.C. to Gossip Girl to whatever the person who runs the CW is green-lighting as you read this, is a teen show must-have. The difference is that Skins’ lack of subtlety is used to a different end. The underlying concept is that this is a teen show as seen from the point of view of those excitable teens (and, again, as written and acted by them). That’s why every adult is so horrendous, why each party feels so epic, why every heartbreak is so crushing. The level of mania was established from the get-go; it’s an idealized form of teen life, one that constantly whiplashes between triumph and destruction. And underneath all that, the writers get to stitch together their convincing human relationships. Besides whatever unique qualifications Skins has to claim the teen-TV title belt — the juiced-up rashness, the total lack of sentimentality in dumping characters, the killer soundtrack — there’s also this: Sometimes, the show hits upon some things I’ve never seen on TV before. That means it’s an increasingly heightened battlefield. But I believe in Skins."[64]
DenofGeek.com gave the Series a generally positive review, stating that "All of that considered, this sixth series premiere, the second for the current generation of Roundview students, does a fairly decent job of reintroducing the characters while throwing in a game-changing ending that's sure to alter the dynamic and structure of the rest of the series. I've always felt that individual episodes show Skins at its very best, but I also understand that ensemble episodes are sometimes a necessary evil."[65]
International Airdates[]
BBC America chose not to air the Sixth Series in North America. However, it is available on Netflix's Instant Watch.[66]
References[]
- ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/s89/skins/news/a354084/skins-new-series-to-open-in-morocco.html
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series6/pictures/photoshoot.html?decorator-index=10
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series5/profiles/index.html
- ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/s89/skins/news/a293594/e4-unveils-new-skins-characters.html
- ↑ http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/870003-skins-series-six-filming-underway-as-bosses-promise-it-will-not-disappoint
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series6/pictures/photoshoot.html?decorator-index=2
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series5/profiles/index.html
- ↑ http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/870003-skins-series-six-filming-underway-as-bosses-promise-it-will-not-disappoint
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series6/pictures/photoshoot.html?decorator-index=3
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series5/profiles/index.html
- ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/s89/skins/news/a293594/e4-unveils-new-skins-characters.html
- ↑ http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/870003-skins-series-six-filming-underway-as-bosses-promise-it-will-not-disappoint
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series6/pictures/photoshoot.html?decorator-index=7
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series5/profiles/index.html
- ↑ http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/870003-skins-series-six-filming-underway-as-bosses-promise-it-will-not-disappoint
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series6/pictures/photoshoot.html?decorator-index=5
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series5/profiles/index.html
- ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/s89/skins/news/a293594/e4-unveils-new-skins-characters.html
- ↑ http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/870003-skins-series-six-filming-underway-as-bosses-promise-it-will-not-disappoint
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series6/pictures/photoshoot.html?decorator-index=8
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series5/profiles/index.html
- ↑ http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/870003-skins-series-six-filming-underway-as-bosses-promise-it-will-not-disappoint
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series6/pictures/photoshoot.html?decorator-index=6
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series5/profiles/index.html
- ↑ http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/870003-skins-series-six-filming-underway-as-bosses-promise-it-will-not-disappoint
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series6/pictures/photoshoot.html?decorator-index=4
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series5/profiles/index.html
- ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/s89/skins/news/a293594/e4-unveils-new-skins-characters.html
- ↑ http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/870003-skins-series-six-filming-underway-as-bosses-promise-it-will-not-disappoint
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series6/pictures/photoshoot.html?decorator-index=9
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series6/pictures/photoshoot.html?decorator-index=10
- ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/i383102-8/skins-series-6-publicity-photos-alex-sam-jackson.html
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1467001/
- ↑ http://www.e4.com/skins/series6/profiles/
- ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/s89/skins/news/a312609/skins-writer-jamie-brittain-confirms-exit.html
- ↑ http://www.afterellen.com/people/2011/03/an-interview-with-jamie-brittain
- ↑ http://perezhilton.com/2011-04-08-jamie-brittain-quits-skins
- ↑ http://www.c21media.net/news/detail.asp?area=1&article=61286
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840196/fullcredits
- ↑ http://www.c21media.net/news/detail.asp?area=1&article=61286
- ↑ http://www.channel4.com/info/press/press-packs/skins-the-writers
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840196/fullcredits#cast
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840196/fullcredits#cast
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0840196/fullcredits
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AIujbNZu8s
- ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/media/s89/skins/news/a364141/skins-premiere-actually-drew-in-12m-says-channel-4.html
- ↑ http://www.skinsfansite.com/2012/01/skins-6x01-spoilers.html
- ↑ http://www.skinsfansite.com/2012/01/skins-6x02-rich-synopsis-spoilers.html
- ↑ http://www.channel4.com/programmes/skins/4od#3283914
- ↑ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a365695/whitechapel-rises-to-58m-on-itv1.html
- ↑ http://www.channel4.com/programmes/skins/4od
- ↑ http://www.channel4.com/programmes/skins/4od#3289837
- ↑ http://www.channel4.com/programmes/skins/4od#3293650
- ↑ http://www.channel4.com/programmes/skins/4od#3297045
- ↑ http://www.channel4.com/programmes/skins/4od#3298774
- ↑ http://www.channel4.com/programmes/skins/4od#3302636
- ↑ http://www.channel4.com/programmes/skins/4od#3305820
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy1MukpeqeM
- ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ5Isv4LdxU
- ↑ http://www.digitalspy.com/british-tv/s89/skins/recaps/a361057/skins-everyone-series-premiere-recap.html
- ↑ http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/reviews/888176-skins-has-had-its-heyday-and-now-needs-to-bow-out-gracefully
- ↑ http://www.theyorker.co.uk/arts/tv/10235
- ↑ http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/tv-and-radio/how_skins_lost_the_plot_1_2072973
- ↑ http://www.grantland.com/blog/hollywood-prospectus/post/_/id/41955/the-return-of-skins-the-greatest-teen-show-of-all-time
- ↑ http://www.denofgeek.com/television/1216332/skins_series_6_episode_1_everyone_review.html
- ↑ http://www.tvovermind.com/skins-mtv/skins-uk-series-6-trailer-opening-credits-and-pics/114841