As I expected, the MTV-produced US version of the amazing UK series Skins is failing ? miserably. Not only have pretty much all of the show?s sponsors demanded to NOT be associated with the show but so, too, has the viewing audience been running away as fast as they can from the show. Ratings for Skins (US) have been falling significantly since the show debuted last month ? with the most recent ep failing to attract a million viewers (down from the 3.2 million who watched the premiere ep) ? but MTV plans to stick with the show and air all 10 eps ? whether we bother to tune in or not.
Not quite a million people tuned in to watch the fifth episode of MTV?s controversial teen drama ?Skins? last Monday night, a major drop from the 3.2-plus million people who watched the premiere on January 19. By means of comparison, despite outcry from various Italian-American groups over perpetuating negative stereotypes, the first season of ?Jersey Shore? built on its lack-luster premiere of 1.375 million viewers to reach over 3 million by its fifth episode, becoming MTV?s most-watched show. But halfway through the first season of ?Skins,? MTV is staying true to its promise to air all 10 episodes, despite a parent?s group?s request for a federal investigation into whether it constitutes child pornography, the aforesaid declining viewership, and, most important for the network?s bottom line, a continued lack of advertiser support. ?At this point, the only advertising that you see on the show, aside from Clearasil, are movie trailers and various direct marketing type of things,? Dan Isett, director of public policy for the Parents Television Council, tells FOX411. ?So, there?s virtually no mainline commercial support for this show. There?s no economic reason to keep ?Skins? on the air. If I were a Viacom shareholder, I?d be upset that my corporate management is going out of their way to lose me money by putting on this show.? The Parents Television Council is the watchdog group that called for the show to be investigated for possibly being child pornography. However, a marketing experts says ?Skins? could be valuable to Viacom if it helps keep the MTV brand ?edgy,? despite its weak ratings. ?The show has been losing its traction pretty quickly, but from everything I know about Viacom, they look at their programs not only for audience size, but also as a promotion for MTV,? marketing expert Adam Armbruster explained. ?They look at it in terms as a kind of ?halo? effect?the show may not get great numbers, but it brings more attention to the network itself, supporting the brand. MTV sees itself as being dangerous, edgy, anti-authority?and ?Skins? is right in MTV?s sweet spot for what the brand is all about.? And MTV definitely seems pleased with all of the press the controversy surrounding ?Skins? has created. ?I think it?s always good when people are talking about you and people are certainly talking about (?Skins?),? MTV programming chief David Janollari told the Hollywood Reporter last week. But aside from the outrage over the racy content of ?Skins,? the show itself hasn?t received much interest from viewers or buzz on the Internet. ?Quite frankly?no one I know watches ?Skins?,? TV critic and editor of bsideblog.com, Ben Mandelker, tells FOX411. ?Absolutely no one is talking about ?Skins? on the Internet. Maybe in some forum, somewhere, but it?s not being talked about on Vulture, Gawker?I?m not seeing links on Facebook, I?m not seeing things on Twitter. I forget the show is even on. I don?t even know when it?s on, to be honest.?
For me, the only reason I even pay attention to the US version of Skins is because I am such a big fan of the original UK version of the show and it literally pains me to see what the US version has done to the UK version of the show. I have watched every ep of the US version of Skins and there hasn?t been a single ep where I didn?t spend a considerable amount of time cringing at what I see on the screen. In contrast, I have also watched every episode of the 5 season (and running) of the original UK version and I have loved each and every ep. To be honest, all the controversy about the sex and drug use on Skins (US) wouldn?t even matter if the show was actually worth watching. The acting is just horrendous. I sincerely hope that this first season of Skins (US) is the last. If MTV really wants to do things right, they should just import the superior UK version of the show instead.
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