Everyone’s family is dysfunctional, but no family is as dysfunctional as the Gallaghers. A family of six with an absent mother and an alcoholic father, the family is a train wreck waiting to happen. They may not be like any family you know, but they are not ashamed of being exactly who they are.
Showtime’s “Shameless” is derived from an United Kingdom show of the same name, which ran for 11 seasons between 2004-2013. Created by Paul Abbott, the original series focused on those who lived on the fictional Chatsworth estate in Manchester. Thanks to the success of the U.K. version of the show, John Wells was able to bring the show to America. “Shameless” first aired on February 9th, 2011 to positive reviews from both critics and viewers.
“Shameless” follows the adventures of the Gallagher family as they navigate life in the South Side of Chicago. Frank, played by William H. Macy, is an alcoholic who does nothing to take care of his kids, leaving it all on his oldest daughter, Fiona, portrayed by Emmy Rossum. As Fiona is only one person, she relies heavily on her two younger brothers, Philip “Lip” and Ian, played by Jeremy Allen White and Cameron Monaghan respectively. Lip is extremely smart, and uses his brain to run many schemes, most of them being illegal. Ian on the other hand is a JROTC member with a dangerous secret. Together, they take care of their younger siblings, caring Debbie, played by Emma Kenney, the budding sociopath, Carl, portrayed by Ethan Cutkosky, and baby Liam, played by twins Brennan Kane and Blake Alexander Johnson. Together, the siblings get into many hilarious situations.
Because of the location of the show, the Southside of Chicago, the show has many mature themes. There’s a lot of sex, drugs, violence and criminal activity.
There are a lot of reasons “Shameless” is such an amazing show. Firstly, the show has the perfect mix of drama and comedy. The Gallaghers get into many dramatic situations, covering topics such as alcoholism, poverty and homophobia. However, the show is able to add a humorous light to these darker topics. Between witty one-liners, sarcastic teenagers and drunk rants, the show has plenty of comedic moments. Proving this is the fact that the Primetime Emmy’s named “Shameless” a drama when it was released in 2011, but switched the show’s category to comedy in 2014.
Secondly, the relationship between the siblings is heartwarming. In the years before and during the show, the siblings have had no one to rely on other then each other, leading to a close bond between all of them. There is nothing the siblings won’t do for each other, whether it’s beating someone up or taking a beating for them. To me, the relationship between Lip and Ian is the most heartwarming. As the two oldest boys, they often lean on each other for emotional support when something goes wrong in their life, and trust each other unconditionally.
While the sibling relationships in the show are amazing and heartwarming, the romantic relationships are even better. The two main relationships are Kevin and Veronica, played by Steve Howey and Shanola Hampton respectively, and Fiona and Steve, portrayed by Justin Chatwin. Kevin and Veronica are that couple that everyone knows and is jealous of. They are deeply in love and can’t keep their hands off of each other. On the other hand, Fiona and Steve have a more flawed relationship. Steve comes from a rich family, and Fiona comes from a poor one. This class difference causes a lot of tension between the two.
Also, “Shameless” is an amazing show because it focuses on the characters, all of which are perfectly imperfect. As you watch, you can see the character development of each and every character, from Frank to Ian to little Debbie. Each character grows into their identity while navigating the craziness of their lives. The fact that the majority of the actors are child actors actually aids in this. While the audience watch the characters develop, the children actually begin looking more mature. Fiona’s character in particular has the most interesting character arch. As the oldest child, she has cared for her siblings for the majority of her life. Now, in her early 20’s, she struggles between her responsibilities and wanting to be a normal 20 year old. However, every character has interesting, unique plot lines.
While the show focuses on the characters, it does not make the cardinal sin of making the plot lines uninteresting and/or unrealistic. “Shameless” is one of those few shows that is able to connect events from one seasons to another, and doing it well. Usually, when a show focuses on the characters, the actual plot of the show gets lost . But with “Shameless,” the character stories actually add to the plot of the show, always leading to interesting, surprise connections by the end of the season.
“Shameless” is one of the most well written and underappreciated shows on television. In the wake of winning an Emmy, being nominated for two People’s Choice Awards and season 6 premiering in January, it’s time for the show to get the audience it deserves. “Shameless” is one of the few shows that is better then the show it is based on, and gets better and better with time. While the years go on, and the Gallaghers get into more and more ridiculous situations, they truly remain shameless in everything they do.