The Secret Behind Skam’s Success
Skam- the Norwegian show that was released in 2015 was initially made for the Norwegian teens. Little did anyone expect, the show soon became an international hit among teens with country specific versions of the show popping up rapidly.
I spent about a week watching all 4 seasons of the show hoping to understand what the show creators did differently especially since in this day and age it is not incredibly easy for non-english entertainment programs to taste success without a strong streaming service or producer such as Netflix which has been responsible for the success of numerous foreign language TV shows and movies such as Cable Girls, Money Heist, etc.
In a nutshell, the show centers around students attending the Hartvig Nissen High School. Each season focuses on a particular character and their personal journey.
What attracted me to Skam was how closely paralleled to real life it was. The actors were all actual teenagers which made their acting and the overall aesthetic of the show all the more realistic. The scripts were generally believable and nothing out of the ordinary but the same simplicity brought a certain freshness to the show which allured viewers including myself.
Without revealing too much, the behaviorisms depicted by the characters were more relatable and were drawn from the mannerisms of actual gen-z teenagers. For example, the texting patterns, social customs and high school drama. Show creator Julie Andem cleverly builds up on this simplistic aesthetic to propagate deeper issues such as as the prejudices that the characters have to face such as homophobia, xenophobia as well as their personal journeys to embracing their roles.
(SPOILER ALERT)
I personally liked the way Andem depicted Noora’s struggle with facing Nico blackmailing her with sexual pictures that he took of her without her consent. This particular story arc much like all others throughout the show was handled maturely and delicately which is a hallmark of a good show.
(END OF SPOILER)
With regards to character development, almost all of the characters shown underwent an arc of progress and the viewers were witness to each of their journeys. More importantly, it wasn’t the fact that the characters underwent these developments that impressed viewers; it was the pace, reality and reliability of these developments that made viewers stay rooted to their screens.
There was a character that almost everyone identified with or saw as a representation of their friends. The dialogues were drawn from the speech of the average Norwegian teen and the wardrobe was something that I see teens wear around me regularly.
The creative decision to omit pompous clothing, dialogue and plot structure allowed the show to flow well despite there being a new protagonist each season. Each of the stories was given sufficient time to build up except perhaps maybe the last episode but the fast pace of the series finale does not speak for the quality of the show in general and hence does not harm any perceptions of the show.
This does not mean that show is without flaws- there were numerous moments where I would question the plot such as most of the teens living alone. Particularly judging from the last episode, there were a lot of unexplored storylines that showed promise and potential such as Vilde’s attempts to enjoy her high school life while dealing with her depressed mother and Eskild’s surprising ability to act as a mature father figure for Linn, Noora and Isak. However, the minute negatives are definitely outweighed by the positives and fans find it easy to ignore them.
At the end of the day, it wasn't outrageous plot twists, extravagant cinematography or unparalleled acting that sets this show apart; it was the sheer ability of everyone involved in the show to mimic reality and present an amalgamation of experiences that millions of teenagers undergo each day. It was for this exact reason that I found myself rooting for the characters.
