"JJ has a part-time job with Thomas in a confectionery wholesalers where he has fallen in love with beautiful fellow cashier Lara. He sets about planning to get a date with her, but catching her eye is not easy. What's worse is that some of his friends don't think he's up to it, and to his horror, his mum and his doctor agree with them. Cook however comes to the rescue - full of advice on how to handle the opposite sex. JJ sets forth only to discover that there are many more hurdles than he could ever have imagined. Is he really up to the challenge?

Starring: Ollie Barbieri, Merveille Lukeba, Georgia Henshaw, Jack O'Connell"

"Thomas always says just the right thing"

"Katie wanted the perfect everything..."

"Let's get to know Jack a bit better as we film Cook's episode..."

"Freddie (Luke Pasqualino ) is completely wrapped up in Effy (Kaya Scodelario ), and with Anthea (Morwenna Banks) away, the Stonem house has become their private world. But their hedonistic lifestyle is having an impact on Freddie’s coursework and when he voices his concerns to Effy it ends in a fight. Is this just a spat or is there something deeper wrong with their relationship? After an argument with his dad, Freddie turns to his grandfather, Norman (Dudley Sutton) for advice.

Writer: Sean Buckley; Dir: Esther May Campbell; Prod: John Griffin; Prod Co – Company Pictures"

"Cook is in prison. After beating someone up at the party (episode 2) in front of a room full of witnesses, he's told by his lawyer that he has no choice but to plead guilty. But Cook isn't willing to accept responsibility and pleads not guilty, and is released on bail.

Cook is told he must return for his trial at a later date. He's fitted with an electronic tag and is told he must to stay at a fixed address between the hours of 7pm and 7am. Unfortunately for Cook, that fixed address is his mother's home.

Cook's mum is a super successful artist, and their home is a mansion and his former home with his little brother. But it's no holiday, as Cook and his mother Ruth clash again and again. Cook is trapped at home. With Sophia's death playing on his mind, and few people to turn to, Cook is helped by an unlikely ally, and he starts to question his actions.

Will Cook do the right thing and escape a prison term?

Written by Ben Schiffer
Directed by Philippa Langdale
Thursday February 11th on E4"

Ed Hime – Writer of Episode 2

This episode of Skins was my first proper TV job. I'd worked mostly in theatre before, where you work alone, write exactly want you want to write, and hardly anyone ever gets to see it. TV is different, and Skins is completely different - it's written in a team, and watched by millions.

The Skins writers' room is not for the faint of heart. You sit in a circle with a load of clever people, try not to eat all the doughnuts, and wonder why the windows don't open in the middle of June. And you talk about the things you care about, the things you've lived and haven't seen on TV before, the things that can make Skins so much more dangerous than any other show like it. You speak and listen and consider and argue and wait for your turn and not wait for your turn and shout and laugh and occasionally seethe with frustration. To an outsider I imagine it looks like a cross between group therapy and a late night debate in the House of Commons. It's brilliant.

Then there's the fans. I started at Skins as Series Three was airing, decided I wanted to write for Emily.....and then watched Naomily become a bona-fide phenomenon. Woo-hoo! A global audience of millions! Then the terror set in.

The more I thought of all the assembled Naomily fans, who had invested so much love and hope in them, the more I felt a paralysing mixture of fear, duty, and a desperate need to impress. It was kind of like when you meet your girlfriend's parents for the first time- “I know you love her, and I love her too, but I'm going to be doing some things with her that you probably won't approve of”. Cos I wanted to write about the dark side of Naomily. What happens after you've got the girl and walked off into the sunset? Being in love is no guarantee against suffering. And - if the accumulated wisdom of six decades of pop music is anything to go by - it usually means that there's a whole lot of pain coming your way.

So with the blessing (and assistance) of the group, I wrote a Skins film-noir, with Emily cast as the intrepid detective. I can't say exactly why, except that I love detective stories, and the traits that people love about Emily - her purity, intelligence, bravery and tenacity - are also the traits that make a great private eye. And the warning at the core of every good detective story is: Be careful where you go digging, because you don't know what you'll find.

Jamie Brittain – Writer of Episode 1

When myself, Lucy Kirkwood, Ben Schiffer and Neil Duncan went away to a hotel near Newmarket in the winter of 2008 to come up with series 4 of Skins, we had no idea what we were going to propose. We found that despite series 3 ending on a definite note for some characters, an ambiguous note for others, we had reached a point where we could literally take them anywhere.

So when we started talking about how the new series might start, we entertained, discussed and abandoned many, many scenarios. Weddings, festivals, road trips. All were discussed, all were thrown out. But one idea that emerged, the idea of a death opening the series seemed perfect – landing smack back in our laps and issuing a challenge. But we decided it should be a previously unseen character. These anonymous deaths seem to affect many youngsters (including myself) at some point.

I knew I wanted to write about Thomas, and wanted to write about him early in the series. We felt the character was slightly underused in series 3 and wanted to rectify that. We put the two things together. Thomas would be ep 1.

When I started to write the episode itself, I simply began writing with little idea where I was going. I wrote many drafts, very different from each other. All explored ideas of faith and identity. None satisfied me, or the execs, or the script editor, but we couldn’t work out why.

Then we did work it out. I was having trouble ‘feeling’ the ep – relating to it. Previous episodes I’ve written – this sounds like an awful cliché but it’s the best way of saying it– came from the heart

(you can read that as ‘balls’ if you want to be less sentimental). They were all cathartic processes about stuff that was going on in my life. With this script, I found myself more balanced and optimistic than ever before, but this, annoyingly, had stolen some of my mojo.

Thomas is a black, 17 year old Christian African. I’m a 24 year old, white, middle class Atheist. It would be hard for us to be more different. This was another problem. So I started to think about what we had in common. We’re both from fragmented origins, unsure of the location of our home. We both struggle to see the amazing things life has provided for us. We both have trouble with trust, and faith, and authority. From then on I started to build a story that I, and hopefully the fans, would care about and enjoy.

I have been accused by some of writing scripts that are too conceptual – scripts driven by my own warped interpretations of psychological or philosophical theories. You might have noticed that last year, my script (Cook) kicked against this, attempting to be a visceral, hedonistic non-stop teenage rampage with little time to stop and think. This time I hoped to do a more classic ‘Skins’ ep – emotional, funny, complex. And I realized my key was Pandora. A favourite character of mine (and the actress who plays her, Lisa – a favourite person), she commands the love and respect of many, by her fellow characters and by the fans. It was upon the tension between her and Thomas, and their eventual break up that I could hang the emotional crux of the episode, empowering and justifying the discussion about faith and identity that characterises it and ultimately leads to the break up itself. When I worked out that, the ep came alive in my hands.

One of the fun things about the episode is that I got to introduce a new recurring adult character. We knew we wanted a new college director. I knew I wanted Chris Addison to play him – if you don’t know his work on radio and TV I suggest you Google him right now. I’d met Chris at the British Comedy Awards last year, and, though I was starstruck I managed to ask him if he was interested. He said he was – he’d enjoyed his ‘Thick Of It’ co-star Peter Capaldi’s work (Sid’s Dad) and fancied a bit himself. So all was set.

But what to call him? He needed a good name. I mulled it over for hours and finally decided – David Blood. Now, if I’m proud of anything in my career, it’s coming up with that name. Doesn’t the character just come alive when you hear it? Maybe I’m the only one who sees my true genius here.

I hope you enjoyed the episode. It would be lying to say I enjoyed writing it – writing is never really much fun – but I’m proud of it and hope you think we are continuing to do the show and characters justice. And if you think my ep was intense, just wait for next week’s. That’s right…it’s time for Naomily, and we’re just warming up.

"Kathryn Prescott and Lily Loveless talk about their lesbian fans, their final series together and the ladies that turn their heads in real life. Kat may also have suggested that the pair will have a rosy end in series 4.
Great LezBritain had it whispered in their ear that Kathryn Prescott and Lily Loveless will be signing the Skins novel on Friday, February 5, at 6pm at HMV in Oxford Street, London. So if you live in the area or indeed you are just willing travel, get down there early and go get something signed. Nice"

Finally we have the video of the BFI where our skins answered to a lot of questions!

Fans of the BAFTA winning teen drama Skins flocked to BFI Southbank as the fourth series kicked off in explosive fashion. A life changing event forces Thomas to question everything, and in the process the hedonistic bubble once inhabited by these Bristol teenagers is shattered. In this post-screening discussion, chaired by Boyd Hilton, writers Jamie Brittain and Brian Elsley reveal the relationship between cast and crew, how character developments are considered and the unique industry practices that set Skins apart from other dramas – namely its mandate to be a show by young people for young people. Cast members Lily Loveless and Merv Lukeba are on hand to discuss their experiences filming the show and offer further analysis of their respective characters, whilst episode director Neil Biswas – a relative newcomer to the Skins – reveals his admiration for the drama.