Skins is an American adaptation of the UK teen drama of the same name that follows a group of teenagers in an unnamed East Coast city through their last two years of high school. As with the UK version, the show explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness, eating disorders, sexual orientation, substance abuse, and death. The American adaptation was created by Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain, who also created the original show. As with the UK series, the U.S. version features a cast of amateur actors and young writers. It premiered on MTV on January 17 2014.