(Un)Fit for the eyes
A lot has changed since the Golden Age of television—now the barriers have been broken as intense sexuality and graphic nudity take over our screens, daring to tackle controversial social issues, violence, drugs, sex and everything in between. We’re already one step closer from the no-holds-barred television hitting the airwaves—and we just might be getting away with it. Here are some of the fearless shows filling the silver screen with unfiltered reality.
Skins (2007-2011)
As viewers get fed up with cookie-cutter teenage dramas, a critically acclaimed series came into the picture that daringly showcased the barely-touched sensitive issues of sexuality, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, personality disorders, and mental illness. As the show presents an unflinching look on these controversial subjects, Skins also exposes us to the complicated world of dilemmas inside a teenager’s life—of which the other side of the story slowly unfolds.
Each episode of the series puts a major character in the spotlight as they tackle individual struggles while reaching adulthood. The show integrates a well-balanced facet of presenting the typical teenage turmoil every college student might go through, all while injecting amusing lines. Skins is far more than just its gratuitous acts that entice audiences. It’s defined by how it captures and complements these scenes with meaningful storylines, looking at the battle of a teenager with peer pressure, feelings of abandonment and betrayal, and realizing their own imperfections in a constructive light.
Throughout it all, the show cleverly blends with each teenager’s narratives with the aim of picking up important lessons about growing up. Because of its strong content and heavy storyline, Skins has been able to leave a bold impression of a raw, unfiltered kind of show—definitely not your typical cookie-cutter teenage drama.
The Inbetweeners (2008-2010)
Chronicling the rollercoaster ride of life is this brazen British sitcom about schoolboys that will make you remember every embarrassing moment of your adolescence. The Inbetweeners resonates classic teenage dramas involving schoolyard bullying, broken families, underage drinking—and even the failed sexual encounters that we’re all too aware of.
The Inbetweeners navigates social scenes clumsily to depict the true story of coming of age. This show exemplifies boyhood discovery by refusing to shy away from tackling sexuality and gender-related slurs. At its core, The Inbetweeners shifts its storyline from personal realization to personal development by depending on the dialogues as well as the emotions of the genuine actors.
To put it briefly, The Inbetweeners truly succeeds in presenting sex and sexuality in a comical and honest way, leaving us with a reminder as we enter adulthood that we’re not alone in our awkward journeys in life.
SENSE8 (2015—Present)
We’re all used to science fiction genre films bringing in that Star Wars-esque ambiance and all those crazy space crafts. Although typical sci-fi stories have been commodified in our minds, Sense8 caters a new angle to scientific phenomena, a metaphysical connectivity among the audience with an endearing representation of diversity among different social, cultural, and racial classes such as LGBT, black people, Asians, and the like. If you’re fascinated about understanding the minorities in the world right now, this show brilliantly represents them, and the depiction of their existence will make you feel connected to the world in a way you never expected.
Connecting the lives of eight people of different races and nations, each with a common goal of protecting each other, this exhilarating and sexually provocative show underlines the development of its characters’ personality and interests—which somehow left out the scientific storyline of the main show.
On the bright side, the underrated Netflix show will come back in May of this year with the promise to expound its paradigm and make it even more electrifying.
Narcos (2015-Present)
Politically-inclined, dominant, and explicit—this is how Narcos penetrated the flexible and convoluted realm of TV shows, showcasing fresh elements straight from facts, history, and of course, drugs. Set in Colombia in the 1970s and 80s, the show is a historical autobiography of the most successful drug lord in the history of drugs cartel and black markets, Pablo Escobar, and his contribution to the worldwide spoilage of drug routes starting in Colombia.
Although the show features uncensored and heavy themes of drugs and sex, what’s been highlighted the most in the series is the family-centered personality of Pablo Escobar and the beauty of Latin American culture. His unwavering commitment to his family somehow pays the cost of what he has done—to the government, to its people, and to himself.
Perhaps one of the best shows in the line of phenomenal TV series right now, be careful as you might stumble upon Marxist and communist theories, and perhaps, you might learn a curse or two in Spanish as well.
