This the article that you can find in the afterellen website, where they talk about Skins US one more time. They even have an interview with Bryan and Sophia (Tea)... so read the full article and interview bellow.
"If you're a fan of the first generation of Skins, the pilot of the American adaptation will be very familiar to you — with one notable exception: gorgeous, tap-dancing Maxxie's Big Gay Night Out has been replaced with gorgeous, cheerleading Tea's Big Lesbian Night Out.
But if you're worried that MTV's remake is going to be the mirror image of the UK series — where "arse" and "bollocky wankshite" are reflected as "ass" and "bullshit" — let me put your mind at ease: Skins co-creator Bryan Elsley told the Television Critics Association, "We've hired a bunch of very, very talented American screenwriters, and already, series one is looking very different. There will be a degree of resonance, let's say, from the UK show, but you'll find some original episodes and some very original writing from the young team."
Elsley knows that the number of successful British television imports in America is "quite small," in large part because of the tempestuous balance between British source material and American culture. It doesn't work to simply change names and accents. For every The Office, there are dozens of Couplings — an analogy that works well in this case, because just like The Office, if US Skins survives for a second season, the content will be completely original.
But why not just change everything right from the start? Elsley's got an answer for that, too. One of the things that sets Skins apart from other teen dramas is that young people actually write the show. "But in order to achieve that," Elsley says, "You have to invest in those young people very, very heavily over a long period of time."
That's why Elsley, Jamie Brittain and Jack Thorne wrote most of the first series of UK Skins, before handing over so much creative control to teenagers in the second series and beyond. The upside? It resonates in a way no other teen show ever has. The downside? It takes time.
And if the American adaptation makes it as far as a second season, there's something else to be excited about: The Skins writers room in America is full of young gay men and women. "I'm very pleased about the gay contingent in my [writers room]," Elsley told us. "They just showed up. They were very assertive and very confident and very opinionated, and that put them in my room. Those voices will come out. They can't not come out."
So what about now? What about Tea? We told you this weekend that she is going to be played by Sofia Black D’Elia, but what we didn't tell you is that your resistance to US Skins is futile: Sofia is going to charm her way into your heart whether you like it or not.
The 18-year-old actress from North Jersey is warm and bright and articulate. She understands the loyalty to the UK show. She understands what it means to play a "fully-rounded, complex, difficult" lesbian character (Elsley's words) in the current void of fully-rounded, complex, difficult lesbian characters on American TV. And you know what else? Naomi and Emily are her favorite Skins couple. "
AfterEllen: Can you tell us a little bit about auditioning for Skins. Did you audition strictly for the role of Tea?
Sofia Black D’Elia: Originally I auditioned for the role of Michelle, but at that time Tea hadn't been written. And I think I was actually the first person to read for Tea once she was written, in New York at least.
AE: What did you think of her when you first read her?
SBD: At that time, she was nothing more than a couple of pieces of paper. I hadn't talked to Bryan yet. I was just another kid auditioning. The only thing I knew about her was that she was a lot like Teo, and I had been reading with a lot of other kids who had been auditioning for Teo, while I was auditioning for Michelle.
AE: What did you know about her?
SBD: I knew she was very funny. When I read for her originally, she was very comedic. Very confident.
AE: Now, were you familiar with the UK Skins?
SBD: Yes!
AE: Were you familiar before you started auditioning?
SBD: Yes!
AE: Pretend [series creator] Bryan [Elsley] is not standing right beside you. What did you think of the show?
SBD: I was a huge fan. I hadn't seen every episode, but I had seen all of the first season. And I fell in love with the second generation before I auditioned.
AE: What was it that appealed to you?
SBD: I love that as a young person who wants to be an actor, there are young people out there pushing boundaries, and I think they're so brave. Every kid on the original series was so brave, and I really respected them for that. And I thought the writing was great. And in The States, at least, I hadn't felt that there was any series that represented teenagers properly. I love a lot of shows on HBO, but they're all for adults, and then when I saw Skins — after a friend told me about it — it was the first time I saw teenagers being represented the way I thought they should be represented.
AE: It must be kind of exciting to be on a show like this that has launched careers like Nicholas Hoult and Dev Patel.
SBD: Oh, it's extremely exciting!
AE: So you're aware of that aspect of what the show has done for people?
SBD: Yeah, I'm aware of it, but I would say it didn't really dawn on me at all while I was auditioning for it. I was more excited that I was going to meet Bryan. I mean, I'd seen the show and after every episode it had a credit that said, "Created by Bryan Elsley." And I was in a room with him. It was a very surreal experience, in that I was a huge fan. And I believed in the show and in what it does for kids.
AE: So, what do you know about Naomily? Naomi and Emily, the worldwide craze?
SBD: As far as couples go in generation two, I thought they were the best couple on the show.
AE: How does it feel to be doing an American adaptation of a British show?
SBD: It's scary. I mean, I totally understand where everyone is coming from. I was a fan of the original Office, and when I heard it was coming to The States, I was completely freaking out about it — so I totally understand why everyone is so upset. It's normal. When anything gets redone, there are always going to people who will say, "There's no way it's going to be [as good as the original]." But I think that if American audiences just accept that we're remaking the show, and watch it as a new show, they're really going to love it.
AE: Without giving anything away, what do you think will be different about the new show compared to the old show.
[Bryan Elsley stepping in]: There will be a gay character at the center of the story, right from the get go, right until the end of the series.
SBD: There you go.
Bryan Elsley: She didn't know that.
SBD: I didn't, until just right now.
AE: Oh, really? You didn't know you were going to be at the center of season one? So, what three words are coming to your mind?
SBD: Oh my God! Is that good?
AE: That works! There are so few fully developed lesbian characters on television. How do you feel about taking on that — I don't want to say responsibility, but that role?
SBD: It is a responsibility.
AE: All right, that responsibility?
SBD: It's obviously very daunting, but very exciting at the same time because I think that, like you said, it's rare, so if I do it well, I think it's going to be a very talked about character on Skins.
AE: Now, my generation was very different when it comes to knowing gay and lesbian people. And we're always hearing that your generation is quite different. Do you have gay and lesbian friends?
SBD: Yep. Actually, one of my lesbian friends is very similar to Tea in a lot of ways. Not as intense, but similar. And I think what's so cool about my girl friends that are gay is that they're the cool ones. They're the confident ones in my group of friends and they're the ones who know who they are. They're so comfortable. And that's going to be hard for me [to portray] because it's just a confidence you sense as soon as you meet them. Because it is much more accepted now.
AE: What do you think about Tea?
SBD: From what Bryan and I have talked about, I think it's going to be interesting to see a character on Skins that can compete with Tony, in the sense that while you're watching series one of the original show, no one really matches up to him. But I think that Tea has it in her. Whether she uses it or not, I don't know. But she's definitely very strong. She's a really, really strong character. And I think it's cool because a lot of girls are really insecure when they're teenagers, and here's a character who is not insecure one bit. And she's completely confident in who she is, and I'm excited to see where she goes because I don't know yet.
AE: OK, last question: You have to deal with another tricky stereotype. You are playing a cheerleader. How are you going to approach her? There are a lot of cheerleading stereotypes.
SBD: Well, I think the great thing about Tea is that she doesn't fit any of the stereotypes except that she just likes to cheerlead. I know people who absolutely love cheerleading. It's like a hobby. They don't do it just to cheer for the football team or be that girly-girl. I mean, that is a stereotype. The cheerleaders we've worked with on the pilot are extremely intense people that are athletes. And Tea also does it because she gets to be around a lot of girls all the time, and there's nothing wrong with that!
AE: Good answer! Anything else you want to say about the character, or about being on the show?
SBD: I don't think so, except that I understand where people are coming from with Maxxie being changed to a girl, but I also think she will bring a lot to the show, and if you just watch and try to have an open mind about it, I think that people will really accept her.
