Throng

Skins creator Bryan Elsley has been forced to defend a change to the upcoming US version of the teen series.

Unlike the British original, the character of Maxxie, played by Mitch Hewer, will not be a gay male but a lesbian character called Tea to be played by Sophia Black D’Elia.

"I understand the concerns [about the change]," Elsley said, "And I know that everyone loved Mitch. Skins is always cast from the kids that I have available. In other words, there's a big open audition and the characters always emerge from what is there in front of me."

Elsley explained that he had not found a male actor suitable enough for the US’s equivalent Maxxie character.

"I couldn't find a kid who could bring the same tenor to the performance," he claimed. "And I'd met Sofia and I started to think about things in a different way."

England v Hungary pulls 6.25m

England’s first football match since their World Cup exit pulled an average of 6.25m viewers on Wednesday night. The 2-1 win against Hungary was watched by 28.7% of the audience share in the evening slot on ITV1.

E4 confirms School of Comedy return

School of Comedy has been confirmed for a second season run next month by E4. The sketch show will return to the network on September 13 with a range of new young cast members including Son of Rambow star Will Poulter.

Skins actor cast in new series

Former Skins actor Joe Dempsie has reportedly been cast in new series Game of Thrones alongside Lord of the Rings actor Sean Bean and 300’s Lena Headey. Dempsie, who played Chris in the first two seasons of the teen series, will play the armourer’s apprentice Gendry in the HBO series.

An all-new cast for teen series Skins has been revealed by E4 for the upcoming fifth season.

The series, which has set a pattern of completely re-casting every two seasons in order to keep the characters school-age, has selected a group of 8 young actors and actresses to take the show into 2011.

There is no info yet as to the character details but the cast includes The Golden Compass actress Dakota Blue Richards, Alex Arnold, Sean Teale, Sebastian De Souza, Will Merrick, Laya Lewis, Freya Mavor and Jessica Sula.

Five of the eight primary cast members were selected from open casting calls held in the UK.

Skins fans should mark August 5 on their calendars as this is the day when E4 will announce the new cast for the next year’s fifth season of the teen show.

E4 have announced on their website that the official reveal will take place at 5pm on Thursday August 5.

The show has already churned through two sets of cast members, with season one featuring Nicholas Hoult and Dev Patel and season two introducing the likes of Kaya Scodelario.

The fifth season, set for a January debut next year, will feature Kelly Brook in a guest role.

Skins has landed model and actress Kelly Brook to guest star in an episode for the upcoming season.

30-year-old Brook will reportedly make an appearance in the fifth season as a fitness instructor called Jemima.

A source has said: "Kelly is very funny in it. She is great as a really sexy fitness instructor who drives the boys wild."

The upcoming fifth season of the popular teen show, which returns in January, will feature an all new cast.

11:10pm Thursday, June 10 on C4

The fourth series of the award-winning drama comes to Channel 4. Cook is enjoying a summer of debauchery, while Freddie is learning that love can take you to the edge of sanity. The gang are enjoying themselves at one of Thomas's club nights until an accident at the club leaves Thomas feeling responsible. He is shocked into questioning his role within society and, feeling alienated from his peers, he turns closer to God and the African community, and in doing so, isolates everyone around him.

E4 teen series Skins has been named as the most unrealistic portrayal of student life on TV by a recent poll.

The drama was voted the by 67% of those polled in the MyVoucherCodes survey to be the least realistic of all teen shows ahead of the likes of Hollyoaks and Gossip Girl which places second and third.

The director of the website, Mark Pearson, said: "The fact that Skins was considered the most unrealistic was no surprise as sixth formers don't take that many drugs and have that much sex, or at least you would hope.

"I can definitely agree that American TV shows and films that feature students are unrealistic because they are usually played by people in their 30s!"

MTV are set to add another remake to the tally with news the network is planning to adapt an English show.

The American network has set its sights on teen comedy series The Inbetweeners with plans for an American version in the works.

The news comes after MTV recently announced they were remaking Teen Wolf and hit E4 series Skins for the US.

The Inbetweeners series will feature original creators Iain Morris and Damon Beesley as executive producers who had previously been attached to an unsuccessful attempt at an American remake of the show.

The original series, centring on a group of youths at a London high school, has been airing in the US on BBC America.

Teen drama Skins is heading for the big screen with plans for a movie well underway.

Producers of the E4 series have confirmed they will be taking the series to cinemas with a movie set to be released in September 2011.

The movie will feature a selection of characters from the first four seasons as well as introducing new faces into the mix.

Steve Christian, executive producer of the movie, believes the series is a perfect fit for the big screen but knows they still have a challenge on their hands.

He said: "The biggest critics of Skins are the Skins fans so it's going to be a big challenge. The programme has this incredible fanbase despite all the characters changing."

MTV has picked up the pilot for the US version of teen show Skins.

In much the same fashion to the successful UK series, the remake will feature previously unknown teenagers as the main cast and use young writers to pen the scripts.

The series will be set in Baltimore and will have co-creator Brian Elsley on board as writer and executive producer.

Several name changes will take place for the character however with Cassie changing to Cadie, Jal to Cho, Side to Stanley, Abigail to Tabitha, Anwar switching to Abbud and Maxxie changing to a Hispanic character named Teo.

MTV’s Liz Gateley is ecstatic to have finally secured a US version.

“Skins is one of those rare shows that cuts through to its core audience with unusually authentic stories due to the unique writing and casting process that Bryan pioneered.

This May the award winning U.K. drama Skins returns to C4.

Starring the same breakthrough cast from season 3, the new season kicks off with the gang returning from their summer holidays. There are no limits to the risks they will take, no consequences for their actions and no need for them to worry about tomorrow, or is there? 
 
Their care-free bubble abruptly bursts when a near-stranger dies so needlessly, sending a shockwave through the group.

Wednesday, September 2 on 4

Cook and Effy are in self-imposed exile from the gang; they've gone to stay with Cook's father. Unfortunately, Cook is slowly falling out of lust, and in love. Back in Bristol, JJ tries to snap Freddie out of his depressed stupor; he's down about the loss of both his best mate and the girl he loves. Freddie and JJ arrive, forcing Effy to confront who she is and what she really wants. She has to make amends for the damage she's caused. She also has to decide whether to follow her heart. Can the four friends find a way forward together? Last in the series.

Wednesday, August 26 on 4

Katie won't leave the house. Fortunately, Emily is able to disguise herself as her sister, and sits an exam on her behalf. Emily and Naomi get closer, just as Emily has wanted for a long time; but when Emily asks Naomi to accompany her to the college ball, she says no, breaking Emily's fragile heart. Katie's scheming is about to come back to haunt her; Emily is about to discover a few things about her twin, and the mother of all showdowns awaits.

Wednesday, July 15 on 4

Thomas arrives alone in the UK from the Congo. His family are due to join him in a few days, and he has to find somewhere for them to live. He finds an abandoned flat on an estate, but little does he know that local gangster Johnny White (Mackenzie Crook) is his new landlord, and there's no way Johnny's going to let him live there for free. Thomas has to fend for himself, but a chance encounter at a bus stop, and a mutual love of doughnuts brings him together with Pandora and Effy. Also starring Morwenna Banks, David Baddiel and Maureen Lipman.
An interview with Lily Loveless, who plays Naomi, is available on the press website under Programme Info/ Future Highlights/ July.

Wednesday, July 8 on 4

Cook eventually gets the gang to gatecrash a party by flirting with the hostess Kayleigh. But Cook's actions attract the attention of Kayleigh's dad, notorious local gangster Johnny White (Mackenzie Crook), who's not happy with their arrival. Cook decides to up the tempo of the surprisingly quiet party, ignoring Freddie's warnings about upsetting Johnny White. Johnny is furious and it looks like he'll run them out of town, until Cook discovers that Johnny's got a very big and rather seedy secret of his own...
An interview with Lily Loveless, who plays Naomi, is available on the press website under Programme Info/ Future Highlights/ July.