The Nicholas Hoult gay scene.

A few weeks back I mentioned the British drama Skins, a show of negligible value plot wise but which has more young male flesh than you can shake a stick at. And the previews I see, the bits here and there when my other show is on a commercial break, indicates they are still doing their best to strip the boys to as a little as possible as frequently as possible. I suspect someone at the network is getting their jollies.

I mentioned that an episode concentrate on a strained friendship between Muslim Anwar and übercute Maxxie, played by Mitch Hewer. And there is still a scarcity of decent photos of Hewer on the net. Very odd indeed. Even the official website for the show only has a few, fuzzy, small photos. Anyway Maxxie and the main character Tony, played Nicholas Hoult, have a very brief fling at Tony's insistance. Tony kisses Maxxie and then briefly goes down on him only to be seen by his girlfriend, who he thought was passed out in a drunken stupor (typical plot line -- drugs, alcohol and sex -- not particularly interesting actually).

Anyway I have two video clips to share. The first one is just a strange little clip, not from the show actually, but from a promotion for the show. It shows Maxxie's "video diary". It is a bit amusing. And while Maxxie doesn't look as cute in this clip as he usual does it gives some context. I add that one in because the clip of the actual kissing scene was rather dark and you never get a good look at Maxxie there. So enjoy.

Skins: This certainly was about a boy.

They just don’t make child stars the way they used to. A friend of mine had his moment of fame. He did some television, did some film and even a little Broadway and worked with major talent. He hit puberty and retired.

Apparently these days puberty is the in thing when it comes to acting. Certain Daniel Radcliffe is making the most of his on the West End in Equus showing the world exactly how talented he really is. He’s not alone.

Nicholas Hoult has continued his career in a very steamy way as well. If you don’t remember him he was the boy in the film About a Boy with Hugh Grant and Toni Collette. These days he is steaming up British television is a very racy series Skins. He seems twice as tall and has a rather pleasant metamorphosis.

Now Skins may have more male flesh than you can shake a stick it but the show just isn’t my cup of tea. It a teen oriented show with lots of stupid ass teenagers doing destructive, mean and idiotic things. It basically seems to depict teens as liars, thieves, sex fiends, drug addicts, idiots, vicious, etc. No doubt the teens eat it up. And apparently the show is made for them though with the plot lines they explore it is hard to believe.

I’ve watched two episodes, or to be more precise one episode and bits of another during the commercial break. I actually prefer Boston Legal for entertainment. Skins is closer to soft core porn and the drama they portray is just to sordid for my tastes.

As far as I can see most episodes (based on the two I’ve seen and the commercials) seem to be plot devices so they can strip Nicholas Hoult down to as few clothes as possible. And when they do underwear shots they make sure they are tight, tight brief---none of this puritanical American obsession of Boxers that go from the neck to the knees. And when they do the scene with briefs that is all he has on -- no shirts. I'm not sure anyone watches for the plot.

Based on a rather limited sampling it appears that Mr. Hoult shags someone in every episode but then everyone is apparently shagging everyone in every episode. And the half episode that I saw was no exception. The teens, with two teacher chaperons, are off to Russia for some reason. Except the one female teacher has the hots for one of the boys.

Of course they fall into bed. She tells him she’s not used to shagging her 17-year-old students. He responds: “How old are they usually?”

The main theme, however, seems to be a conflict between two former best mates, Maxxie and Anwar. Anwar is Muslim and makes nasty remarks to Maxxie about him being gay. Anwar is a drug runner who beds a woman he meets in Russia so he’s more a hypocrite than religious or perhaps, that's just the same thing.

Maxxie, played by the übercute Mitch Hewer (who apparently has no photos on the net), was supposed to room with Anwar but walks out after the unpleasant remarks. He is off to spend the night in Tony’s room, played by Hoult. And now things get rather hot even for the Brits. (And I thought the Brits never had sex. Actually maybe they don’t but their tv characters sure do.)

Maxxie is upset and tries to talk to Tony. But Tony (Hoult) instead offers to give Maxxie some head. Maxxie is rather shocked by this and then Tony grabs him and kisses him full on the mouth rather forcefully. When Maxxie expresses complete shock Tony says: “I’m in Russia. I want to try something new.” Maxxie informs him that he has no intention of being a new hobby like canoeing. Tony responds that he’s already done canoeing. And then Maxxie asks about Tony’s girl friend and Tony replies she’s done canoeing as well.

Commercial break over and I’m back at Boston Legal. I tune in again later only to find Maxxie and Tony standing in the room talking. Tony’s girlfriend is passed out on his bed -- another favorite past time of the teens in the this show. Tony removes his and Maxxie's shirt and starts making out with him. He slides down and unzips Maxxies pants and, from the rear view we are given, spend a couple of seconds giving his gay mate head -- something the girl friend observers silently from the bed.

Maxxie pulls back and says: “Well at least there’s one thing we know you’re no good at.”

Now you see what I mean when I say that this is very, very steamy.

I know that some people in the States get very upset with things like this. Outside of Islamic countries they are about the only Puritans left on the planet. So if they were furious that Daniel Radcliffe appears nude in a play just how do you think they’ll respond if they find out that Nicholas Hoult, who they still imagine as 12 years old, is depicted (though not explicitly of course) as giving head to Mitch Hewer. If you think British television is Monty Python or Brittas Empire then there are other sides to the UK that you obviously don’t know about.

And I’m not even talking about Torchwood (though I will sometime soon but it will take up several pages).