Why You Should Be Watching ‘Skam’

By now, I’m sure all of you have heard of Skam, a famous Norwegian web/television series that centers on teenagers at a prestigious high school in Oslo. Similar to Skins, each new season focuses on a different character in a group of highschool friends. The episodes are only 15 minutes so you can’t use the “I don’t have time” excuse. Season one focuses on Eva and her boyfriend, Jonas. Season two focuses on Noora and her relationship with William. Season three features an incredibly realistic LGBT relationship, Isak and Even. Season four started this week and focuses on Sana Bakkoush- the most badass Muslim character ever to exist.

What I really like is that Skam is an interactive tv show. Almost every character has their own Instagram account- which you can actually follow- where they post regularly as if they were real. Texts and short clips are posted to NRK (Skam’s network) when they’re supposed to be happening to the characters throughout the week and are then compiled into a single episode at the end of the week. This is great because fans get content everyday and hints of what might be happening.

Another unique thing about the show is that it doesn’t shy away from topics like sexual harassment, eating disorders, cheating, alcohol, self acceptance, teen pregnancy, feminism, bullying, slut-shaming, refugee crisis, mental illnesses and more. The way Skam covers these topics isn’t in a fake and useless way.

They’re not thrown into the plot just for attention- they’re present because these issues are present in real lives. They know that we want to see teenage struggles brought to the forefront of a show and not backed away from. The characters have serious and realistic discussions about these issues.

The show is realistic– not dramatic. It might seem slow-paced and not entertaining enough at some parts but that’s what makes it realistic. The dialogue is also very realistic: There are lots of hesitations, repetitions and trailing off. It’s a little bit odd in the first few episodes- especially if you’re not used to TV shows sounding like real life. Unlike every American show, the main characters and supporting characters actually look and act like teenagers. They’re portrayed by actual teenage actors- some of which still go to school or/and have part time jobs. The characters look like real people- they have acne, messy hair and are not stick-thin. In addition, they aren’t perfectly dressed at all times. The friendships and relationships are all realistic and will bring you so much joy!

Go watch it and if you don’t speak Norwegian, you can find the transcripts online in English. Have fun binge-watching!!