New skin for the old ceremony

The executive producer of Skins has confirmed its entire cast will change for the next series. Bryan Elsley said: "There are risks associated with dumping a cast, but we just did it. There was some disquiet at the channel, but then they told us just to go with it. It's exciting - we never stand still and we can tell our stories in a new way."

Speaking at Broadcast's television drama conference, he also confirmed the show would stick to its pattern of introducing college-age characters, moving them on in the next series, then letting them go. "The first year is about getting to know the kids, and the second gives us the advantage of being able to explore their psyches a little more," said Elsley. The show will also continue to use a team of up to 20 writers, including newcomers.

A pair of twins will be among the characters featured in the next series of Skins. Jamie Brittain, the show's co-creator, told Digital Spy that other new characters will include an Eastern European and a new male character who is "a real nasty piece of work". The new group will be centred around Tony's younger sister Effy, who has appeared in the first two series. In addition, the current cast members are unlikely to return in the future, even for guest appearances. Brittain added: "I just can't quite see what the benefit of that would be, other than for them to say 'hi'. We haven't ruled it out, but I think it's unlikely."

Further reading: Skins creator talks finale and new series