NEW CAST: from left to right, Alexander Arnold, Dakota Blue Richards, Sean Teale, Sebastian De Souza, Will Merrick, Laya Lewis, Freya Mavor and Jessica Sula.
A fortnight ago, E4 announced the new eight members who will be pioneering the popular teen drama Skins through the next two series. Series five, which begins in January 2011, will see a new crop of young actors/actresses who will deal with the crazy hedonistic teenage lives, full of sex, drugs and family disfunctionality based around Roundsview College in Bristol.
Skins changes its cast members every two years and has become one of the most talked about shows on UK television, since it burst onto our screens in February 2007. Back in April, open auditions were held in London and Bristol, with approximately 7,000 people auditioning to get a role in the third generation. Five of these new members have come directly from the open auditions. Dakota Blue Richards is the only member of Generation Three who has previous acting experience before, having starred in the 2007 movie, The Golden Compass.
Unlike the last generation, which had Kaya Scodelario (Effy) carry on from the initial generation breakthrough, this is a brand new slate for the new group and over eight episodes next winter, they will get their chance to shine. They certainly have the backing from the executive producer of Skins, John Griffin.
“More people than ever turned up this year for the open auditions in London and Bristol and the standard of young talent was as high as ever. It was a huge process but incredibly rewarding and we hope that those who auditioned ended up as much fun as we did.”
The new crop hasn’t been given any character names as yet, though they should be revealed soon. Though I admit that they seem to miss the sex appeal that many fans saw in the likes of Kathryn Prescott, Megan Prescott and Lily Loveless from the last generation, what matters the most is whether this lot can act. It will be a tough act to follow from the success of the first two generations, but they need the time to rubberstamp their authority on Skins and I do hope the fans will stick by them and give them the time required to settle into a very daunting proposition. Kelly Brook has already been confirmed as a guest star and comedian Chris Addison will return to play the dynamic college director, David Blood.
Skins have helped promote the careers to fame of Dev Patel, Nicholas Hoult, Kaya Scodelario and Jack O’Connell. Its success means that it has been E4’s second highest ratings show, after the US sensation Glee. For those who miss the old members, there will be a Skins Movie which is being written by former writer of the show, Jack Thorne. Hoult, Patel and Scodelario are all on the verge of being confirming for the showpiece next summer, with more cast members set to be announced in the near future. Below is a video that was released by Channel 4 yesterday, which shows the lighter side of filming for the last series.
I wish the new generation the best of luck for the future – they all deserve a chance at the big time.
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