Programme: Skins
Website: http://www.e4.com/skins/
Website: http://www.e4.com/skins/
‘Skins’ is a drama broadcast on E4 (Monday at 10pm)and repeated on C4 (Thursday at 10:35pm) weekly with the opportunity to watch it again on E4+1 or on 4OD, Channel 4’s online on-demand service. It was broadcast as part of the drive to bring more British programmes to our TV screens, with ‘Skins’ being described as E4’s “flagship” show.
The cast of the show are all appealing to the desired audience for ‘Skins’, all being able to act their parts and make them seem like an everyday occurrence in a teenager’s life. Shot in Bristol, the show has eight main characters; Tony (Nicholas Hoult), Michelle (April Perason), Sid (Mike Bailey), Maxxie (Mitch Hewer), Cassie (Hannah Murray), Chris (Joe Dempsie), Jal (Larissa Wilson) and Amwar (Dev Patel). Each is meant to represent a typical teen in society to appeal to the audience:
Tony – popular yet manipulative and arrogant ring-leader
Michelle – pretty yet subservient girlfriend of Tony
Sid – in love with Cassie, a genuinely nice guy with low self-esteem
Maxxie – openly gay tap-dancer
Cassie – suffers from an eating disorder, drug addictions, low self esteem and suicidal thoughts although very intelligent
Chris – loves to party and take drugs, was once in love with a teacher
Jal – intelligent and from a privileged background
Amwar – rebellious Muslim (takes drugs, drinks alcohol and has pre-marital sex) who feels he has no choice in his faith
The ‘Skins’ site opens with a warning that it contains “adult content” and users “must be 18 to proceed”, instantly setting itself up as something more mature and exclusive than other websites for shows aimed at the same age group. This supports the idea that ‘Skins’ is for an exclusive club with the original airing on E4 in a late time slot and the repeat shown on C4, whereas it is usually the other way round for other dramas shown by Channel 4.
The website is reflective of the self-contained nature of the episodes (each character has their own episodes) with all of the photos, blogs, videos etc. being split up in this way too as well as by series. As well as offering catch-ups there is the chance to win both series on DVD, visit the social networking sites set up for the show, receive updates on mobiles and much more. This is increasing the reach that ‘Skins’ has to its audience, entering even more aspects of their increasingly technology base lives. This is again demonstrated by the advertising for the Skinscast, a podcast released after each episode, which was featured in the last ad break of each episode. There are also mini and secret episodes between episodes and series that can only be access online, designed to attract fans to the website.
The ‘Skins’ website offers vast amounts of interactivity between viewer and broadcaster. There is the comment board down the side of the home page in which members are able to make comments about ‘Skins’, as well as the ability to add comments and questions to the weekly updated blog. There had previously been chances to win tickets to secret ‘Skins’ parties as well as the chances to submit pictures taken at these events. As well as this, fans can vote in polls including the character that they will miss the most whilst joining the broadcaster in saying goodbye to the original cast and there was also the chance to design a new ‘Skins’ logo, an example of democratisation.
In a clever marketing ploy, you are able to share the pages with friends via email or link them to your own personal networking page, and add the ‘Skins’ MySpace, all of which provide free advertising for the programme and providing a wider reach.
The page is deigned to be viewed in a non-linear, personal way, fans are encouraged to move between what they want to see. For example the side menu displays the picture galleries in an order that doesn’t follow the broadcast or times that the events happened. There is also the ability for immediate updates via the blog, podcasts and secret episodes, with the podcasts being an example of the miniaturisation of ‘Skins’ onto an iPod. This also allows a time shift, the fan is able to watch or listen to these at their leisure, not when dictated to by the broadcaster.
The cast of the show are all appealing to the desired audience for ‘Skins’, all being able to act their parts and make them seem like an everyday occurrence in a teenager’s life. Shot in Bristol, the show has eight main characters; Tony (Nicholas Hoult), Michelle (April Perason), Sid (Mike Bailey), Maxxie (Mitch Hewer), Cassie (Hannah Murray), Chris (Joe Dempsie), Jal (Larissa Wilson) and Amwar (Dev Patel). Each is meant to represent a typical teen in society to appeal to the audience:
Tony – popular yet manipulative and arrogant ring-leader
Michelle – pretty yet subservient girlfriend of Tony
Sid – in love with Cassie, a genuinely nice guy with low self-esteem
Maxxie – openly gay tap-dancer
Cassie – suffers from an eating disorder, drug addictions, low self esteem and suicidal thoughts although very intelligent
Chris – loves to party and take drugs, was once in love with a teacher
Jal – intelligent and from a privileged background
Amwar – rebellious Muslim (takes drugs, drinks alcohol and has pre-marital sex) who feels he has no choice in his faith
The ‘Skins’ site opens with a warning that it contains “adult content” and users “must be 18 to proceed”, instantly setting itself up as something more mature and exclusive than other websites for shows aimed at the same age group. This supports the idea that ‘Skins’ is for an exclusive club with the original airing on E4 in a late time slot and the repeat shown on C4, whereas it is usually the other way round for other dramas shown by Channel 4.
The website is reflective of the self-contained nature of the episodes (each character has their own episodes) with all of the photos, blogs, videos etc. being split up in this way too as well as by series. As well as offering catch-ups there is the chance to win both series on DVD, visit the social networking sites set up for the show, receive updates on mobiles and much more. This is increasing the reach that ‘Skins’ has to its audience, entering even more aspects of their increasingly technology base lives. This is again demonstrated by the advertising for the Skinscast, a podcast released after each episode, which was featured in the last ad break of each episode. There are also mini and secret episodes between episodes and series that can only be access online, designed to attract fans to the website.
The ‘Skins’ website offers vast amounts of interactivity between viewer and broadcaster. There is the comment board down the side of the home page in which members are able to make comments about ‘Skins’, as well as the ability to add comments and questions to the weekly updated blog. There had previously been chances to win tickets to secret ‘Skins’ parties as well as the chances to submit pictures taken at these events. As well as this, fans can vote in polls including the character that they will miss the most whilst joining the broadcaster in saying goodbye to the original cast and there was also the chance to design a new ‘Skins’ logo, an example of democratisation.
In a clever marketing ploy, you are able to share the pages with friends via email or link them to your own personal networking page, and add the ‘Skins’ MySpace, all of which provide free advertising for the programme and providing a wider reach.
The page is deigned to be viewed in a non-linear, personal way, fans are encouraged to move between what they want to see. For example the side menu displays the picture galleries in an order that doesn’t follow the broadcast or times that the events happened. There is also the ability for immediate updates via the blog, podcasts and secret episodes, with the podcasts being an example of the miniaturisation of ‘Skins’ onto an iPod. This also allows a time shift, the fan is able to watch or listen to these at their leisure, not when dictated to by the broadcaster.
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