"GOSSIP GIRL" MEETS OXFORD
Even though it takes place across the pond, “Trinity” is a story Columbia students will recognize—it’s “Gossip Girl” meets Oxford, with the same sex, scandal, and wealth that make those Upper East Siders so popular. The titular “Trinity” refers to the fictional Trinity College of Bridgeford University. While the students go about their lives, the administration conducts a secret experiment, whose only mission is to “Guard the project. Protect the Dandelion Club.” The 600-year-old Dandelion Club is at the center of the scandal—its president is the handsome and wealthy Dorian Gaudain (Christian Cooke), who is at odds and in love with Charlotte Arc (Antonia Bernath), a student who wants to get rid of the exclusive Club. It all blends together to create the dramatic story lines college students love.
—Logan Hofstein
A REALISTIC SOAP OPERA
BBC’s “EastEnders” is the quintessential British television show. Based on the families and neighbors in a fictional borough of London, when it premiered in 1985, it claimed to be about “real” people—which meant racy plots of abuse, kidnapping, drug use, and rape. Wildly popular, even after being on the air for almost 25 years, “EastEnders” continues to be a point of reference for today’s youth and adults. While studying abroad in England, I sat confused as my classmates and professors referenced the show in comparison to authors like Daniel Defoe and Samuel Richardson. Moreover, “EastEnders’” status as a soap opera does not hinder its performance or reputation (it would probably be most easily equated to NBC’s “ER” during its 1990s heyday). While I am not a fan of soaps, I do applaud the show’s abundance of diversity. The episode I saw included African-Americans, Middle Easterners and plus-sized women as series regulars. Maybe the Brits know a little more than we do when it comes to soapy goodness.
—Caitlyn McGinn
DRAMA WITHOUT BOUNDARIES
The easiest way to describe the British series “Skins” is to call it the “Degrassi” of the UK, but, in reality, it’s much more than that—more addictive, more troublesome, and more complex. The show’s plot knows no boundaries when it comes to sex, violence, drugs, and death, and neither do the characters. Each character has his or her own flaw and is equally self-destructive, dealing with drugs, eating disorders, family issues, and almost every other problem imaginable. This could easily become predictable, but “Skins” isn’t afraid to take the characters over the edge. A few memorable twists have included a protagonist’s death, a pregnancy, and someone getting hit by a bus. “Skins” can be over-the-top dramatic, but characters like Tony (Nicholas Hoult), an arrogant but charming boy who manipulates everyone around him with alarming skill, and his little sister, Effy (Kaya Scodelario), who somehow remains mysterious as she actively seeks out trouble, keep it compelling and realistic.
—Liz Lucero
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