MTV STANDS BY TEEN DRAMA "SKINS."

MTV bosses have dismissed speculation they are set to pull controversial teen drama SKINS off-air following protests from a campaign group and the loss of a number of advertisers.
The U.S. adaptation of the hit British series premiered in America last week (17Jan11), but the scandalous storylines involving sex and drugs have angered heads of the Parents Television Council, who condemned the show and called for an official investigation.

The controversy has also led to a number of high profile advertisers pulling their promos from the programme's ad breaks, leading to speculation MTV bosses plan to scrap the show after just two episodes on-air. But network bosses are adamant they will continue to broadcast the series, despite the fall out. An MTV spokeswoman tells Reuters, "The show is not cancelled. The next episode is going ahead on Monday." A statement from the network adds, "MTV stands by the US adaptation of Skins and the vision of its creator, Bryan Elsley."