Bryan Elsley Reveals More About MTV’s ‘Skins’

Since Entertainment Weekly debuted the official trailer for the forthcoming MTV installment of Skins last month, fans across the web have been in constant chatter, wondering what’s in store for the American remake.

Show co-creator Bryan Elsley says longtime enthusiasts of the British show, as seen on BBC America, will find the U.S. version loaded with fresh storylines, but not to be alarmed if there are a few similarities sprinkled throughout the first season.

"There are a couple of episodes which are very similar to the UK version, but surprisingly it takes a turn away very quickly, and audiences will be surprised at how different the show is," Elsley said in an interview with TV Squad.

Elsley, who oversees the MTV series with his son, show writer Jamie Brittain, also discussed his reasons for bringing Skins to the States and how the MTV adaptation will highlight more relatable issues as compared to their television counterparts like Gossip Girl and 90210.

"The reason that the show went well in the UK is that there was a gap in the market for a realistic teen show, and looking around, it didn't seem like that gap in American television was being particularly filled by anything," Elsley explained. "But the whole thing was driven by people in the U.S. asking us if we would come. We were responding to interest from the U.S. market."

"All the kids in the show are played by actors who are the same age as their characters," he added. "That isn't that normal either in the U.S. or the UK teen shows. Our cast really are 16, 17, with a few who are 18 years old. And the other element is that the show is written to a large extent by very young writers who are in their early twenties. We also have a lot of teenagers who are part of our writing process and inform everything we do."

Skins premieres on MTV in January.

WARNING: Some content is NSFW.