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British Exports
When it comes to entertainment, the British have had their share of success stories, but when Americans begin to adapt them to the US market can they still be considered a success?
The original boy band born in Liverpool in the 1960s swept the world with its Beatlemania. The fringed and fabulous four had girls screaming at their romantic lyrics and catchy melodies from the USSR to the US of A. Since then the United Kingdom has produced a variety of musical successes. Belle and Sebastian, Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, The Libertines and the Spice Girls are just a few of the English-bred talents that have reached every corner of the globe with their tunes. Causing a frenzy wherever they go, they are not unlike other popular exports from the British Isles. From Cadbury chocolates to Shakespeare to the language itself, it may sometimes seem like the English could do no wrong. Yet in recent years the adaptations of their small screen hits beyond their shores have suggested otherwise. While Pop Idol morphing into American Idol left more Americans voting for the show's contestants than the country's president, the more recent creation of a US version of the teen drama Skins has raised many eyebrows and few of them in good interest.
After its premiere on E4 in 2007, Skins scored high ratings and was honoured by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Its racy scenes and depictions of teen drug abuse, eating disorders, excessive drinking and an array of similarly destructive behaviour did not phase the public nearly as much as its newly debuted American counterpart. Bearing the same name, shortly after the airing of the US Skins the MTV show was subject to serious scrutiny on the part of the Parents Television Council (PTC), a watchdog group. Citing accusations of child pornography due to the underage actors' depictions of sexual acts, the PTC claimed that the programme is in clear violation of federal legislation. Issuing a petition proclaiming the new drama to be "the most dangerous programme ever", the PTC has hardly let up even a month after the show's premiere.
The repercussions of the lobbying done by the 1.3 million member group has had a ripple effect on advertising revenues as company after company have chosen to disassociate themselves from MTV's Skins. Sandwich chain Subway, fast food chain Taco Bell and General Motors are but a few that have chosen to cut their commercial ties from the show. Yet just as the companies have decided to sever their link, MTV continues to stick to its guns. To quell some of the negative attention, however, the broadcaster has joined forces with Clearasil to launch a public service campaign under the slogan of Make the Clear Choice. Hardly a reflection on Clearasil's anti-acne products, the campaign will actually aim to focus on promoting education on the perils facing contemporary teenagers, many of which are prominently featured on Skins. The move may be ill-fated from the start. Advertisers are not changing their minds, but viewers seem to be. While the show initially grossed 3.3 million viewers in the key demographic of 12 to 34 year olds, the second episode saw numbers drop drastically to 1.4 million.
The crucial question for MTV is now whether continuing on with the show in a primetime slot is worth the negative attention. Lost revenues and continued criticism are making the profitability of Skins slide straight down. It remains unclear as to why the public has moved away from what seemed to be a guaranteed hit. The key may not be in the less than stellar publicity, especially when considering the old public relations cliché that no publicity is bad publicity. In fact, the mediocre acting and sub-par translation of a witty British script are more likely to blame for viewers not tuning in for subsequent episodes. After all, teenagers are bombarded with advertising from every direction and the lack of exposure to 30-second clips on fast food tacos are hardly sufficient reason to turn off the television, especially when something that is tabooed by parents is on the screen. Food for thought for MTV and maybe even reason enough to pull the plug.