Dawson's Creek, a US teen drama that premiered on January 20th 1998 on the Warner Brothers network, quickly became an international sensation, broadcasting on Channel 4 in the UK before moving to FIVE. Despite conflicting values with its original network, the show effectively reached its target audience of teens through typical teen drama themes of complicated relationships and school conflicts, alongside identifiable character types. The program's timing also helped draw in viewers, airing at 5pm when few other shows catered specifically to teens. Interestingly, Dawson's Creek was abruptly replaced by Skins almost a decade later in 2007, which was broadcast on E4 - a subsidiary channel of the same corporation that once aired Dawson's Creek.
The show Skins utilizes many conventions of teen dramas, featuring relatable storylines and characters updated to reflect changes in society. By broadcasting the show after the 9pm
...watershed, it attracts a teenage audience seeking mature themes and a sense of boundary-pushing. The DVD cover and title sequence of Dawson's Creek prominently feature the main characters with friendly typography to familiarize the audience before introducing the storyline. Skins, in contrast, presents key characters briefly and obscured on the title sequence and DVD cover, suggesting they are mysterious and possibly involved in drugs or smoking. Both shows heavily stereotype their characters, albeit in different ways.
Dawson's Creek and Skins both utilize visual cues to represent their characters and narratives. On the DVD cover, the characters of Dawson's Creek are portrayed as typical middle class children, embodying the American dream with traditional values. This stereotype is depicted through their constant smiles, conservative clothing and body positions, and the college background setting. Meanwhile, Skins portray
its characters as modern and independent adults with a promiscuous lifestyle through the fast-paced music, complex graphics, and frames suggestive of modern technology. The promiscuity of the Skins characters is also hinted through their positioning on a bed on the DVD cover and in kissing scenes during the opening sequence. In terms of narrative, Dawson's Creek's protagonist is readily identifiable due to his central placement on the DVD cover and his size compared to other characters.
The positioning of a man between two women indicates that relationships may play a role in the storyline. The man's closeness to one woman and the other woman in darker lighting suggests that he may be in a relationship with the first woman, and the other woman may either be evil and trying to sabotage them or jealous. In contrast, it is more difficult to determine the main character in Skins from the DVD cover mise-en-scene as all the characters are positioned closely together. However, Tony, the protagonist, could be identified by examining the body language of the other characters. One character towards the edge of the cover appears to be staring at Tony, indicating that he is the center of attention. The DVD cover also portrays Tony kissing another person, suggesting relationships are involved. Additionally, all characters are shown on a bed, with one appearing unconscious while another appears to have taken drugs, implying that parties and drugs are part of the narrative.Both Dawson's Creek and Skins have opening sequences that reveal aspects about the characters and narratives. In Dawson's Creek, a mix of close ups and medium close ups are used to show the emotions of the
characters, and this is complemented by light-hearted music and natural lighting in a homely setting within a city environment that conveys the idea of perfect lives in suburbia with a happily ever after ending. Similarly, Skins also offers more information about the characters and narratives through its opening sequence, although its approach is different from Dawson's Creek.
The use of various shot types, computer graphics, jagged frames, color inversion, and shots of skyscrapers create the impression of a hectic and imperfect urban lifestyle in both Skins and Dawson's Creek. However, they differ in their representations of teenagers due to targeting different generations of viewers with changing social and teenage issues over the ten-year period. Skins faces added pressure to stay relevant as it competes not only with other programs broadcast at the same time, but also with a plethora of channels, on-demand services, and internet TV and radio stations. The result is an action-packed drama with a sometimes shocking ending.
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