The three TV Dramas that I compared were 90210, The OC and Skins. The OC and 90210 are American dramas and Skins is British. Skins is the odd one out, the unconventional one of the three for many reasons. You can see from the opening scenes that 90210 and the OC are very much about the setting, as they are set in iconic places (Beverly Hills and Newport Beach) and the shots make the places look glamorous and the watchers envy the people that live there. Whereas in Skins, which is set in Bristol, it still shows the setting but it doesn't look particularly glamorous it just looks like boring English suburbs.
In the story lines within 90210 and the OC, there are adults involved almost as much as teenagers, whereas in Skins the story lines are primarily about the teens life. It trys to show that the characters in Skins are a lot more independant than those in 90210 and the OC. The opening scenes also tell the watchers that the overall tone of Skins is quite a lot darker and more serious than those in 90210 and the OC. The shots in the opening scenes of 90210 and the OC are mainly the characters smiling, laughing and having fun, whereas in Skins, it mainly shows them doing all the things that someone would associate with Skins such as partying, drinking ect.
The plot line of Skins explores issues such as dysfunctional familes, mental illness, adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death. Although 90210 and the OC also explore issues similar to some of these in their plot lines, they do it in a way that is not as graphic or dark - the overall tone of 90210 and the OC is quite happy and light. Another thing that makes Skins different to the other two is the audience. Skins has an '18' certificate and was shown on TV at 10pm, whereas the OC and 90210 were shown at 9pm. This meant that Skins was quite a 'ruder' than the other two. 90210 and the OC sometimes feature swear words but it would never be anything ruder than 'pissed off'. Skins features a much wider range of swear words. Also, you would never see a full on sex scene in 90210 or the OC, even if it was implied, whereas Skins is a lot more graphic.
Some good observations in relation to Skins and how it uses slightly different conventions. I would like to see a little more detail though please. (=)
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