Skins

Skins US is a remake of the British series of the same name, created by Bryan Elsley, who was first approached by MTV executives Liz Gateley and Tony DiSanto but initially doubted an American version would work.

Several other networks and cable channels courted Elsley for a North American adaptation, but he chose MTV because it seemed the only one committed to the show's core values, even though it meant taking a bigger risk.

In early 2009, Elsley assembled a writing team by reading around 400 scripts and deliberately sought out fresh, unproven writers rather than established Hollywood names.

Open casting calls were held in New York City, and six of the nine main cast members had never acted before, mirroring the British original's use of amateur actors.

James Newman, who plays Tony Schneider, was urged by his older brother to audition, missed his first audition, but got the role after attending a later one.

Ron Mustafaa attended the open casting call because his mother was a fan of Dev Patel, who played the equivalent character Anwar in the UK version, and wanted her son to 'be the next Slumdog'.

Production began in mid-2010 in Toronto, a change from the originally planned filming location of Baltimore.

The show sparked major controversy in the US over its sexual content involving underage actors, leading advertisers like Taco Bell, Wrigley, General Motors, Subway, Foot Locker, H&R Block, Schick, Proactiv, L'Oréal, Clearasil and Kraft to pull their ads, and the Parents Television Council even asked the Department of Justice to pursue child pornography charges.

A Canadian entertainment lawyer reviewed the country's child pornography law and concluded it was highly unlikely Skins would be found to violate it, since the show was produced in Canada.

MTV canceled Skins after just one season on June 9, 2011, stating it 'did not connect with an American audience as much as we had hoped.'