Claudine (1978)

If there was ever any doubt in your mind that the French just did television better than us Americans in the 1970s, allow us to point you in the direction of the 1978 French television series Claudine! Based upon the four novels written by Colette (memorably played by Keira Knightley in the 2018 film of the same name), the series follows the titular sixteen year old heroine—played by 31 year old Marie-Hélène Breillat—as she navigates her way through the patriarchal early 20th century life of a French woman of means. Claudine loves her life in provincial Burgundy, but her father's business causes them to up and move to Paris in the summer of her 16th year, causing her much consternation, at least at first. It isn't long before Claudine takes to high society Parisian life like a duck to water, but her dreams soon begin to fade as her father arranges for her to marry the nobleman Renauld (Georges Marchal), a man the same age as her father. The pearl clutching comings and goings of young Claudine are all well and good for a literate audience, but we think that as Skin fans, you'll also find a lot here to love, namely the sight of leading lady Marie-Hélène Breillat in the altogether! In the series' most skintillating scene, Marie-Hélène is bathing when she becomes enraged with some women outside her window, standing up to yell at them and flaunting some terrific T'n'A for the camera! We think that this scene alone means that Claudine will make you wanna touch your peen!