SKAM Austin: What Is It? Where Can I Watch It? Who Stars In It?

25 June 2018, 17:24

By Sam Prance

The American version of the Norwegian teen drama is here and we've got all of the details that you need...

Ever since it was confirmed back in 2016 that the smash hit Norwegian teen drama SKAM would be adapted for US audiences by former American Idol and Spice Girls mastermind Simon Fuller, fans have been both worried and excited in equal measure.

The original show garnered huge critical and commercial acclaim for its realistic and nuanced depiction of adolescence. As excited as loyal SKAM viewers were to see it find its own feet in the US, they were also concerned that it may lose some of its heart and soul in the process.

As great as US high school series can be they often tend to be big and brash and plot-focused in a way that feels far removed from everyday teenagedom. Could a US SKAM really work?

Thankfully it does. Not only has it managed to maintain its honest nature but it's also effortlessly taken on themes such as mental health, sexuality and racism in a way that isn't forced or heavy handed. It depicts school life in a remarkable way.

So, what do we know about the new US take on SKAM?

1. What is the title of the US remake of SKAM?

The new adaptation is in English and it is called SKAM Austin. It was originally going to be titled SHAME (a direct translation of SKAM) but the team behind it eventually settled on SKAM Austin. There are now also French (SKAM France), German (DRUCK) and Italian (SKAM Italia) versions of the show too.

2. Where is SKAM Austin set?

The action of SKAM Austin takes place in the city of Austin, Texas at Bouldin High School.

3. How does SKAM Austin differ to SKAM?

SKAM Austin is essentially the exact same show as SKAM but in a US context (dance teams instead of russ buses etc.) with a more diverse cast and a few extra characters (we stan Poonam). The original SKAM protagonists still feature but with different names (season one follows Megan, who is the US equivalent of Eva) and the plot hasn't changed. Whether or not this will continue in future seasons is yet to be seen but for now it works really well. It may seem repetitive but it is no less enjoyable and the change of scenery means that SKAM Austin appeals to both hardcore fans and newcomers to the franchise.

4. When is SKAM Austin out and where can I watch it?

SKAM Austin is out right now. Just like the Norwegian series, it is a proper immersive experience that takes place in real time. Every week clips from the show appear on Facebook Watch as and when they take place during the school week and then Facebook edits them together and uploads them as episodes on Saturdays. As it stands you can watch the entire first season of the show with the second season due later this year.

Here's all of the full episodes so far.

WATCH SEASON 1 EPISODE 1 HERE

WATCH SEASON 1 EPISODE 2 HERE

WATCH SEASON 1 EPISODE 3 HERE

WATCH SEASON 1 EPISODE 4 HERE

WATCH SEASON 1 EPISODE 5 HERE

WATCH SEASON 1 EPISODE 6 HERE

WATCH SEASON 1 EPISODE 7 HERE

WATCH SEASON 1 EPISODE 8 HERE

5. Who is writing the script?

Julie Andem, who created SKAM, is the show-runner and director of the new series, hence it still being as brilliant as the original version. Andem announced the move via a post on her Instagram page.

"I have decided to showrun and direct the American version of Skam. I didn’t want to give it to someone else. It will be a challenge to try to make it in a different culture, in a different language, to a much larger and diverse audience, but I promise that I will put all of my effort and heart in to it. And I am going to need your help. Because Skam is not my show. All of us own Skam. It is not just a drama series, it’s an event and a community that all of you are a part of and contribute to. So please help me. Let's show teens everywhere that they are not alone."

Dear Coolest fanbase on earth. Thank you so much for all your messages, I am not able to answer all of you, but I read everything. And with this note I want to try to answer some of your most frequent questions. When Skam started my plan was to make three seasons and then hand it over to a new writer/director. But when season 3 was done, I couldn’t give it away. It didn’t feel right. So I made one last season. I know many of you are still sad it ended, but I am positive it was the right decision. I wanted Skam to be no less than amazing, and for several reasons I wouldn’t have been able to make a season 5 as good as it deserved to be. Maybe at some point in time we will go back to Skam and meet all the characters once again. But not now. Skam was made at NRK, the public broadcaster in Norway, and they also own the rights to it. NRK is not a commercial network, but financed by the Norwegian public trough a mandatory annual license fee, which means that it is paid by the Norwegian public to make content for the Norwegian public. This is great because it means that the network is not run by profit, but is able to take chances on bold ideas with a small target audience, shows like Skam. But it also means that it is there to serve the Norwegian public. So even though teens from all over the world started watching Skam, every choice we made in the show was to serve teens in Norway. At some point it became impossible not to notice the need amongst teens everywhere. The need to open up and discuss topics like mental illness, sexual harassment and sexual orientation. This is why NRK sold the show for remakes. I have decided to showrun and direct the American version of Skam. I didn’t want to give it to someone else. It will be a challenge to try to make it in a different culture, in a different language, to a much larger and diverse audience, but I promise that I will put all of my effort and heart in to it. And I am going to need your help. Because Skam is not my show. All of us own Skam. It is not just a drama series, it’s an event and a community that all of you are a part of and contribute to. So please help me. Let's show teens everywhere that they are not alone.

A post shared by julieandem (@julieandem) on Nov 10, 2017 at 12:00pm PST

6) Who is in the cast of SKAM Austin?

SKAM Austin stars first-time and up-and-coming actors. Expect them all to become huge in the coming months.

Just like the Norwegian version of the show, you can follow all of the main characters on Instagram.

Be sure to check out our Ultimate List Of The Cast and Characters' Social Media Accounts.

Julie Rocha as Megan Flores (Eva)

Till Simon as Marlon Frazier (Jonas)

Kennedy Hermansen as Grace Olsen (Noora)

Austin Terry as Daniel Williamson (William)

Shelby Surdam as Kelsey (Vilde)

Valeria Vera as Josefina Valencia (Chris)

La'Keisha Slade as Shay Dixon (New)

Aaliyah Muhammad as Zoya Ali (Sana)

Pedro Castenada as Jordan Diaz (Penetrator-Chris)

Giovanni Nubio as Tyler Nunez (Isak)

Sophia Hopkins as Abigail Heyward (Ingrid)

Praveena Javvadi as Poonam (New)

Don't selfie and drive

A post shared by Megan Flores (@meglovessmoothies) on May 11, 2018 at 5:34pm PDT

How popular is SKAM Austin?

The first episode has already garnered over 13 million views and the others each have close to if not over 1 million respectively. So far most people have come to the show as fans of the original series but expect this to change as people stumble across it organically on Facebook and come to it through press and word of mouth. It's an amazing show and we cannot wait to witness its fanbase develop as the series unfolds.