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So, a funny thing happened on the night of January 17th on a little cable outlet known as MTV (just don’t call it Music Television). A spankin’ new show premiered that somehow didn’t rely on uber popular socialites with zero desirable skill sets or vain knuckleheads with one too many guido and guidette references. By golly, the newbie was scripted! A curse word, of course, to the MTVs and VH1s and Bravos of cabletown.

The series, an Americanized version of The UK’s Skins – a controversial exploration of sexual identity, substance abuse, death and the rest of it among teenagers – tallied 3.3 million viewers on opening night. Additionally, the pilot set a first-episode record for MTV among 12- to 34-year-olds.

If MTV is at all aiming to gain some credibility back – basically from anyone who doesn’t watch Jersey Shore – then scripted television is one way to make steps forward. But, is Skins the kind of show that’ll get it there? For that I’m none too sure. Here’s why:

For starters, like Jersey Shore, Skins didn’t premiere quietly and then go off on its merry way. It hit the air and then got people very angry. In Jersey Shore’s case, it was mostly organizations that promote Italian Americans and their heritage. A group of immature 20-somethings goofing off on the Jersey coastline? How little that does for the betterment of Italian Americans.

Worse yet, though, Skins has fallen under the watchful eye of, yep, American law. More specifically, Title 18 of the United States Code, which deals with federal crimes and criminal procedure. Even more specifically, because the series stars actors as young as 15, we’re talking about possible violations of child pornography statutes.

The scene that seems to have gained the most attention is one that – for now – will appear in the series’ upcoming third episode on January 31st. In it, a 17-year-old boy, shown from behind, runs naked down the street. Also, he’s got an erection thanks to erectile dysfunction pills.

Knowing the way these things usually work, MTV will get the pass on this one. Whether anything comes out of it – save for hasty edits of future Skins episodes – isn’t a bother to me. I’m more concerned with the backlash, the negative publicity and the rest of it that comes with a show that pushes the envelope on what teens can and cannot do on television – no matter what hour it’s scheduled to air.

The negativity surrounding the series, then, changes the discussion from “Hey, look at MTV acting all grown up by airing scripted content with forethought and hard work” to “Hey, look at MTV doing what it’s known for doing – only without Snookie this time.”

Where MTV effed up, I think, is in developing a drama that imitates the success of its (and other networks’) reality shows. The Jersey Shore-ites have tons of sex, so why not do the exact same thing with actors five to 10-years younger than them… and script it? Brilliant.

That kind of thinking is limiting. To think that MTV target’s demographic – I think 18- to 34-year-olds, though Skins probably skews even younger than that – is only interested in what men and women can do to their and each others’ bodies is only mostly right. In Skins’ case, episode two had 1.7 million less viewers than the premiere - and that was even with the “aid” of all that negative chatter swirling around.

In lieu of more of the same, MTV should look to develop series that push the envelope, but in a different way. How about a shot of realism a la Friday Night Lights? Or, a comedy not unlike the ones tearing it up on broadcast TV these days? Or, pioneer your own drama, like what HBO did with True Blood or AMC did with The Walking Dead.

A strange thing MTV’s got in the works for 2011 is a development slate that includes, yes, more scripted TV. More interestingly, planned series include a buzzed about re-launch of Beavis and Butt-head, and, hmm, the I’m-having-trouble-figuring-out-how-this-one-will-fit-in-but-maybe-it’s-the-type-of-show-that-will-break-the-MTV-mold re-imagining of ‘80s classic Teen Wolf.

So MTV is feeding off the tired Hollywood formula of pumping money into what works (or, at least, what worked in the past)? So be it. Already, I think, these prospects sound more promising (and less controversial) than Skins.