Skam

One of the most realistic depictions of high school culture in scandinavia i have ever seen, even though this series is a bit dated in regards to technology, the overall culture of hedonism and wild drinking seen in the series definitely still exists today. This is a must watch for anyone interested in how young people here in scandinavia really think and act when we're alone together.

Season One: 8/10

Season Two: 8/10

Season Three: 10/10

Season Four: 8/10

Themes: Drama, High School, Friendship, Romance, Religion, Lgbtq+, Gay Couple, Coming Out, Mental Health, Cheating, Sexual Assault, Bipolar Disorder, Partying & Norwegian.

Top five characters: 1) Isak Valtersen, 2) Even Bech Næsheim, 3) Vilde Hellerud Lien, 4) Yousef Acar and 5) Jonas Noah Vasquez.

SKAM was an experience, from beginning to end, that I firmly believe people of all ages can enjoy, though I will admit it will probably appeal most to the teenage mind. This show combines well-written characters with interesting plot lines and development to create an amazing show viewers will fall in love with. It does have its issues with a few somewhat dull scenes, including one scene that consists solely of characters eating breakfast in silence, but that can be forgiven.

SKAM is the first show I've seen in a very long time that has cast teenagers to play teenagers. Not only that, but the actors are a part of the production and do get a hand in deciding things about their character. The show itself contains some great messages about standing by your friends, accepting yourself, and coming to terms with your identity, and they do it in a tasteful and realistic way. No one gets their happy ending without making a few mistakes along the way. The show does contain some themes that are often considered taboo for teenagers to do or even talk about in today's society, like drinking, sex, partying, and drugs. SKAM does a great job of portraying the teenage party scene in a realistic but still kind of tasteful way.

Overall, SKAM is a great show that I would encourage most people to watch. Maybe not a show to watch with your little sibling or kid, but a good show for people over the age of thirteen.

I've seen a lot of TV shows during my life (probably more than most people) and I am having serious issues finding a show that is better than this.

As a 24 year old guy I am probably not the primary audience for this, but I've never once felt like I am too old for this or that this was written for somebody else. It instead made me feel nostalgic and reminded me of my high school experience, which was pretty similar to what is shown here (just with less partying). There are no classic "jocks and nerds" groups in this, just different groups of friends that interact with each other. I don't know if this is because the high school experience is different in Europe than in the US (where most popular TV shows are from) or something else. But it certainly felt closer to home.

The first two seasons were brilliant, but season 3 felt so real that it made me cry more than once. The character of Isak could have been written after any closeted gay boy during high school. And that basically struck so close to home. I pretty much fell in love with Tarjei Sandvik Moe and his character. His acting ability at 17 pretty much makes every other actor seem like an amateur. He expresses so much emotion through his body language and facial expressions that I believed that this is actually what he was feeling.

Season 4 has just started and I am going to watch the first episode after I finish writing this. Sure it probably won't be as good as season 3 (mostly because I pretty much saw myself in season 3), but I have no doubt that it will be brilliant. The main issue is - where do we go after Season 4? Season 4 is supposed to be the last one and I have serious issues finding a suitable replacement. To be honest... I pretty much lost interest in all other TV shows because none of them can compare to this.

Exceptionally well-done series. Although originally envisioned as appealing to adolescent girls, it has a universal appeal because of its authentic story-line, realistic portrayal of characters, great writing and pacing, but most of all.... its intelligence. Yes, intelligence! Skam doesn't dumb down the lives of the teens it portrays, the challenges and issues that they face, or their own intelligence and motivations. It doesn't exploit them. It treasures them. It is deeply respectful of the lives that they lead, and values their intelligence and authentic striving -- their essential humanity. It's a rare piece of television. And great stuff.

How sad that the US/UK television rights have been bought by Simon Fuller. The US/UK version will undoubtedly miss all that is good and noble about this series and go right to the ratings formulas, giving us a self-absorbed, teeny bopper melodrama that turns characters into stereotypes and sensationalizes (i.e. exploits pornographically) the lives of the young people portrayed. What Fuller will do will have NOTHING to do with what this series is about. But he'll steal the rights, steal the name, and do the teensploitation. Shame on him!!

Skip what will surely be the US/UK abortion. Watch the original - thanks to all those wonderful people who translated and embedded subtitles. Once you watch, you'll have no doubt that Fuller hasn't the intelligence or decency to do what's right by this series.