WILL MTV CANCEL SKINS?

A report appearing in the New York Post on Wednesday quoting an MTV source as saying that the racy new teen drama Skins “may soon be off the air — for good” quickly drew a denial from the cable channel, which issued a statement saying, “MTV stands by the US adaptation of Skins and the vision of its creator Bryan Elsley. … Skins has earned the loyalty of fans across the globe for its thoughtful and honest portrayal of teen life today. An internationally acclaimed scripted drama, the show has been honored with a long list of prestigious awards.” Elsley, who created the original British series and the U.S. adaptation, issued a separate statement responding to claims by the Parents Television Council that the show constituted child pornography and may be in violation of federal law. “The show is the opposite of pornography,” Elsley maintained. “It isn’t us who are being provocative. I think that some of the people who object to the show are being provocative in the use of that word.” A particularly controversial episode is due to air next week in which a 17-year-old actor is seen running naked (from behind) down a street. Elsley said that the episode actually deals with a boy who is abandoned by his mother and “how he deals with that and how his friends come to realize that this happy-go-lucky boy has led an incredibly sad and fractured life.”