The Stateside chatter around this British high school dramedy was mostly due to its envelope-pushing take on teen sexuality and drug use. Skins certainly doesn't disappoint on those fronts, least of all in this DVD, where its ill-behaved youngsters swear and smoke just like they did during the show's original run in the U.K. But for those of us raised on American teen soaps -- bitchy morality plays acted out by overdressed twentysomethings -- the real shock of Skins comes from its characters, who are allowed to behave like real teenagers in all their confused, irrational, hopeful glory. We're given characters to care about, not situations to gawk at. While the DVD leaves a lot to be desired, in both extras and transfer, the series itself manages to transcend every other show that thinks it has its fingers on the pulse of teendom. Come for the ridiculousness, stay for the reality. Highly Reccomended

The Stateside chatter around this British high school dramedy was mostly due to its envelope-pushing take on teen sexuality and drug use. Skins certainly doesn't disappoint on those fronts, least of all in this DVD, where its ill-behaved youngsters swear and smoke just like they did during the show's original run in the U.K. (It was lightly edited for U.S. cable, where two seasons just aired back-to-back; this DVD set contains only season 1.) But for those of us raised on American teen soaps — bitchy morality plays acted out by overdressed twentysomethings — the real shock of Skins comes from its characters, who are allowed to behave like real teenagers in all their confused, irrational, hopeful glory.