Shameless is a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
televisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
dramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
series set in
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
on the fictional Chatsworth council estate. Produced by
Company PicturesCompany Pictures is an independent British television production company which has produced drama programming for many broadcasters. Their productions have included:*drama series Wild at Heart for ITV1, written by Ashley Pharoah....
for
Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, the first seven-episode series aired weekly on Tuesday nights at 10pm from 13 January 2004. The comedy drama, centred on British
underclassThe term underclass refers to a segment of the population that occupies the lowest possible position in a class hierarchy, below the core body of the working class. The general idea that a class system includes a population under the working class has a long tradition in the social sciences...
and
working classWorking class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
culture, has been accorded critical acclaim by various sections of the British media, including
The Sun newspaper and
Newsnight Review on
BBC TwoBBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. The programme was created and partially written by
Paul AbbottPaul Abbott is a BAFTA award-winning English television screenwriter and producer. Abbott has become one of the most critically and commercially successful television writers working in Britain today, following his work on many popular series, including Coronation Street, Cracker and Shameless,...
, who is also the programme's
executive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
. The second half of series eight resumed on 30 August 2011 on Channel 4 and concluded on 25 October 2011.
On 11 July 2011 the tv channel Dave stated they would be showing Shameless from Series 1–7, however only series 1 and 2 were shown.
The show has been renewed for a ninth series which will be shown in 2012.
Plot
The opening credits have always featured a monologue from the central character of the series, Frank Gallagher. The series charts the lives of the dysfunctional Gallagher family, comprising Frank and his six children, widening the scope to other occupants of the estate as the series progresses. Central characters in the Gallagher family include eldest daughter Fiona (episodes 1.1–2.11), eldest son Lip (Phillip) (1.1–5.1), plus younger children Ian (1.1–7.16), Carl, Debbie (1.1–6.16), Liam (1.1–8.5) Other characters featured in earlier series include Fiona's boyfriend Steve, a
middle classThe middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
car thief (series 1.1–2.11); Kev and Veronica (1.1–4.1), the Gallaghers' neighbours; gay Kash, the owner of the local shop, and his wife Yvonne;
agoraphobicAgoraphobia is an anxiety disorder defined as a morbid fear of having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms in a situation from which it is perceived to be difficult to escape. These situations can include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions...
Sheila (series 1.1–4.3) and her daughter Karen; Lip's girlfriend Mandy Maguire; the policemen Tony and Stan, along with various regular background characters. The cast was expanded for the series 2, with Carol and Marty, Veronica's mother and brother, becoming regular characters after guest roles in the first series. In series 4, Mandy's family, led by her drug-dealing parents
Mimi MaguireKatherine Harmonica Joy Catherine "Mimi" Tutton is a fictional character from the Channel 4 drama Shameless., Mimi is the foul-mouthed, loud, brash and violent matriarch of the Maguire family. She is also a drug dealer on the Chatsworth Estate and is frequently seen selling drugs on the show...
and Paddy Maguire, became key characters.
The Gallagher family reside at 2 Windsor Gardens on the fictional Chatsworth estate, a council estate in
StretfordStretford is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Lying on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal, it is to the southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Salford and northeast of Altrincham...
, near
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Originally the show was filmed on location on a council estate in West Gorton and in the Pie Factory Studios in Salford. Since series 5, the show has been filmed from a purpose built set on the Roundthorn Industrial Estate in South Manchester on the site of an old
UmbroUmbro is an English sportswear and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. The company is now part of Nike. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment...
warehouse, and around
WythenshaweWythenshawe is a district in the south of the city of Manchester, England.Formerly part of the administrative county of Cheshire, in 1931 Wythenshawe was transferred to the City of Manchester, which had begun building a massive housing estate there in the 1920s to resolve the problem of its inner...
and
SaleSale is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, the town lies on flat ground on the south bank of the River Mersey, south of Stretford, northeast of Altrincham, and southwest of the city of Manchester...
.
Series overview
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Premier |
Finale |
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Series 1 consisted of seven episodes. Series 2 started with a Christmas special (23 December 2004) followed by a longer run of ten episodes (4 January – 8 March 2005). Channel 4 introduced "First Look" to their scheduling of
Shameless from Series 2 onwards, enabling viewers to see all but the first episode a week early on their sister channel E4. The preview screening immediately following the Channel 4 episode, allowing two consecutive episodes to be watched in quick succession.
Series 3 began with a New Year special (3 January 2006), with seven further episodes (10 January – 21 February 2006) completing the run. Series 4 comprised eight episodes (9 January – 27 February 2007), but it was also announced that Series 5 would see the series expanded to sixteen episodes (1 January – 15 April 2008). Series 6 continued the lengthened sixteen-episode format (27 January – 12 May 2009).
Series 7 began on 26 January 2010, and introduced
Pauline McLynnPauline McLynn is an Irish actress, comedienne and author, best known for playing Mrs Doyle in the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted, and Libby Croker in the Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless.- Early life :...
and
Valerie LilleyValerie Lilley is a Northern Irish actress who has played many television roles on dramas such as Doctors and Grange Hill.Lilley currently appears on Channel 4's serial drama Shameless....
. It again consisted of sixteen episodes.
Series 8 began on 10 January 2011, and is the longest run to date, with 22 episodes. Channel 4 broke Series 8 into two parts, with Episodes 1–13 being shown between 10 January – 8 March 2011 and Episodes 14–22 aired during late summer 2011. The second half of series 8 resumed transmission on 30 August 2011, finishing with episode 22 on October 25, 2011.
Series 9 began filming in May 2011 continuing the lengthened 22 episode format
Critical reception
In April 2005, the programme's first series won the
Best Drama SeriesThe British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series is one of the major categories of the British Academy Television Awards , the primary awards ceremony of the British television industry...
category at the
British Academy Television AwardsThe British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:...
. It was also nominated for Best British Drama at the National Television Awards 2007, but lost out to
Doctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
.
Shameless won an award at the Royal Television Awards Society North West Awards 2007 where it beat
Coronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
to the Best Continuing Drama Award.
The programme has been sold overseas, where it airs on channels such as SBS One (
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
),
UKTVUKTV is a digital cable and satellite television network, formed through a joint venture between BBC Worldwide, a commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, and Scripps Networks Interactive, spun off from The E.W Scripps Company in 2008...
(
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
), Acht (
BelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
), Showcase (
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
),
Virgin 17Virgin 17 was a French music video and tv show television network owned by the MCM Group, a subsidiary of Lagardère Active. It was available through digital terrestrial television in France, "TNT"....
(
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
),
Nederland 3Nederland 3 is the third and youngest of the terrestrial television channels operated by the Dutch public-broadcasting organization NPO in the Netherlands and carries programs provided by member-based non-profit broadcasting associations. It is oriented towards children, youth and innovative...
(
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
), YLE FST5 (
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
),
SIC RadicalSIC Radical is a cable television channel in Portugal owned by Sociedade Independente de Comunicação.SIC Radical is an entertainment channel targeted at teens and young adults. Programs are mostly imported, mainly from the United States and the United Kingdom...
(
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
),
RTÉ TwoRTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
(
IrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
),
BBC AmericaBBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
(only aired the first series) and Sundance Channel (
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
), yes+ (
IsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
),
I.SatI.Sat is an Argentine cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System Latin America and Time Warner. It airs movies, series, music and shows focused on people aged 18 to 39...
(
Latin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
) and
JimmyJimmy is a satellite digital television channel in France and now defunct in Italy. It was part of Sky Italia at n.140.-External links:*...
(
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
).
American version
HBO began developing an American version of
Shameless after striking a deal with
John WellsJohn Marcum Wells is an American theater and television producer, writer and director. He is best known for his role as executive producer and show runner of the television series ER, Third Watch, and The West Wing. His company, John Wells Productions, is currently based at Warner Bros. studios in...
.
By October 2009, the development had moved to Showtime. John Wells Productions filmed a pilot episode for the cable network in December 2009. It stars
William H. MacyWilliam Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though...
in the Frank Gallagher role.
Allison JanneyAllison Brooks Janney is an American actress, best known for her role as C.J. Cregg on the television series The West Wing.- Personal life :...
was cast as a romantic interest for Frank, but left after taking a job on Matthew Perry's
Mr. Sunshine and was unable to be a part of both series. Academy Award nominee
Joan CusackJoan Mary Cusack is an American film, stage and television actress. Throughout her career, Cusack has appeared in many films as well as appearing in stage productions....
joined the cast as the new Sheila Jackson. Also joining the pilot are
Emmy RossumEmmanuelle Grey "Emmy" Rossum is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She first starred in a string of movies including Songcatcher , An American Rhapsody, and Passionada . However, it was her role in Mystic River that garnered her wider recognition...
as Frank's sensible and feisty eldest daughter, and
Justin ChatwinJustin Chatwin is a Canadian film actor. He played the son of Tom Cruise's character in the Steven Spielberg-directed War of the Worlds, a leading role in the 2007 mystery/thriller The Invisible, and Goku in Dragonball Evolution...
as a car thief who falls for her. Showtime's
Shameless cast includes Steve Howey, Shanola Hampton, Jeremy White, Laura Slade Wiggins, Joel Murray, Cameron Monaghan, Emma Kinney, and Ethan Cutkosky. The first episode of the series aired on Showtime on 9 January 2011.
DVD releases
| Shameless: Series One |
| |
Set Details |
Special Features |
- 7 Episodes
- 2 Disc Set
- 16:9 Aspect Ratio
- Subtitles: yes (English)
- English (Stereo)
|
Meet the Cast
An interview with Paul Abbott |
| Release Dates |
United Kingdom,
Ireland |
Australia |
United States |
| 27 December 2004 |
22 September 2005 |
24 April 2007 |
| Shameless: Series Two Plus Christmas Special |
| |
Set Details |
Special Features |
- 11 Episodes
- 3 Disc Set
- 16:9 Aspect Ratio
- Subtitles: yes (English)
- English (Stereo)
|
Feature Length Christmas Special
Audio Commentary (Episode 4) Featuring Paul Abbott, Dearbhla Walsh & Matt Jones |
| Release Dates |
| United Kingdom, Ireland |
Australia |
| 31 October 2005 |
7 October 2010 |
| Shameless: Series Two |
|
Set Details |
Special Features |
|
10 Episodes
3 Disc Set
16:9 Aspect ratio
Subtitles: yes (English)
English (Stereo) |
Audio Commentary (Episode 4) Featuring Paul Abbott, Dearbhla Walsh & Matt Jones |
| Release Dates |
| United Kingdom, Ireland |
| 16 January 2006 |
| Shameless: Series Three Plus New Year Special |
| |
Set Details |
Special Features |
|
8 Episodes
3 Disc Set
16:9 Aspect Ratio
Subtitles: yes (English)
English (Stereo) |
Feature Length New Year Special
Mockumentary: Being Alice Barry (Lillian Unpeeled) |
| Release Dates |
| United Kingdom. Ireland |
| 30 October 2006 |
| Shameless: Series One, Two and Three Boxset |
| |
Set Details |
Special Features |
|
26 Episodes
8 Disc Set
16:9 Aspect Ratio
Subtitles: yes (English)
English (Stereo) |
Meet the Cast
An interview with Paul Abbott
Feature Length Christmas Special
Audio Commentary (Episode 4) Featuring Paul Abbott, Dearbhla Walsh & Matt Jones
Feature Length New Year Special
Mockumentary: Being Alice Barry (Lillian Unpeeled) |
| Release Dates |
| United Kingdom, Ireland |
| 30 October 2006 |
| Shameless: Series Four |
| |
Set Details |
Special Features |
|
8 Episodes
3 Disc Set
16:9 Aspect Ratio
Subtitles: yes (English)
English (Stereo) |
Take That Sequence Directors Cut
The Missing Scenes
Full Unedited Frank Rant
Outtakes |
| Release Dates |
| United Kingdom, Ireland |
| 29 October 2007 |
| Shameless: Series One, Two, Three and Four Boxset |
| |
Set Details |
Special Features |
|
34 Episodes
11 Disc Set
16:9 Aspect Ratio
Subtitles: yes (English)
English (Stereo) |
Meet the Cast
An interview with Paul Abbott
Feature Length Christmas Special
Audio Commentary (Episode 4) Featuring Paul Abbott, Dearbhla Walsh & Matt Jones
Feature Length New Year Special
Mockumentary: Being Alice Barry (Lillian Unpeeled)
Take That Sequence Directors Cut
The Missing Scenes
Full Unedited Frank Rant
Outtakes |
| Release Dates |
| United Kingdom, Ireland |
| 29 October 2007 |
| Shameless: Series Five |
| |
Set Details |
Special Features |
|
16 Episodes
5 Disc Set
16:9 Aspect Ratio
Subtitles: yes (English)
English (Stereo) |
Behind-The Scenes
Exclusives Audio Commentaries on Episode 9 & 11
Building The Set
Outtakes
Deleted Scenes |
| Release Dates |
| United Kingdom, Ireland |
| 21 April 2008 |
| Shameless: Series One, Two, Three, Four and Five Boxset |
| |
Set Details |
Special Features |
|
50 Episodes
16 Disc Set
16:9 Aspect Ratio
Subtitles: yes (English)
English (Stereo) |
Meet the Cast
An interview with Paul Abbott
Feature Length Christmas Special
Audio Commentary (Episode 4) Featuring Paul Abbott, Dearbhla Walsh & Matt Jones
Feature Length New Year Special
Mockumentary: Being Alice Barry (Lillian Unpeeled)
Take That Sequence Directors Cut
The Missing Scenes
Full Unedited Frank Rant
Outtakes From Series 4 And 5
Behind-The Scenes Exclusives
Audio Commentaries
Building The Set |
| Release Dates |
| United Kingdom, Ireland |
| 21 April 2008 |
| Shameless: Series Six |
| |
Set Details |
Special Features |
|
16 Episodes
5 Disc Set
16:9 Aspect Ratio
Subtitles: yes (English)
English (Stereo) |
Meeting Danny
Meeting Carl & Maxine
Frank's Alternative Titles
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Outtakes
Audio Commentary - Episodes 7&12
Her name was Maxine his name was Carl
Jockey Drinking Game (Alphabet Males) |
| Release Dates |
| United Kingdom, Ireland |
| 18 May 2009 |
| Shameless: Series One, Two, Three, Four, Five and Six Boxset |
| |
Set Details |
Special Features |
|
66 Episodes
21 Disc Set
16:9 Aspect Ratio
Subtitles: yes (English)
English (Stereo) |
Meet the Cast
An interview with Paul Abbott
Feature Length Christmas Special
Audio Commentary (Episode 4) Featuring Paul Abbott, Dearbhla Walsh & Matt Jones
Feature Length New Year Special
Mockumentary: Being Alice Barry (Lillian Unpeeled)
Take That Sequence Directors Cut
The Missing Scenes
Full Unedited Frank Rant
Outtakes From Series 4-6
Behind-The Scenes Exclusives
Audio Commentaries
Building The Set
Meeting Danny
Meeting Carl & Maxine
Frank's Alternative Titles
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Audio Commentary - Episodes 7&12
Her name was Maxine his name was Carl
Jockey Drinking Game (Alphabet Males) |
| Release Dates |
| United Kingdom, Ireland |
| 18 May 2009 |
| Shameless: Series Seven |
| |
Set Details |
Special Features |
|
16 Episodes
4 Disc Set
16:9 Aspect Ratio
Subtitles: yes (English)
English (Stereo) |
|
| Release Dates |
| United Kingdom, Ireland |
| 17 May 2010 |
| Shameless: Series One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six and 7 Boxset |
| |
Set Details |
Special Features |
|
82 Episodes
25 Disc Set
16:9 Aspect Ratio
Subtitles: yes (English)
English (Stereo) |
Special Features To Be Confirmed |
| Release Dates |
| United Kingdom, Ireland |
| TBC |
External links