Party boy drama on SBS

Just over two weeks ago SBS aired the British-made drama Skins in which a group of teenage friends are the central characters. The show first aired in the UK a year ago.

But in what seems like a case of art imitating life, a plot coming up will soon mirror one which has been in our own news stories.

When “Chris'” mother goes away he invites some friends over for a bit of a party, and eventually finds himself outside the house stark naked. The party boy gets a rude lesson in his adolescent life running out of control.

In the UK the series even gave rise to an urban phrase, a ‘skins party‘ defined as “a huge party in someone’s house where nearly everything is broke, lots of people are having sex and almost everyone is either drunk or drugged up.”

But in a cruel irony, Chris is also from a broken family. His self esteem issues stem from more than simply being a party head.

For a show that attempt to get ‘under the skin’ of its characters and give viewers an insight into what makes them tick, Skins does an excellent job of shedding light on a wider social problem.

The Skins episode featuring “Chris” airs 10pm Monday January 28.