Shameless: Season 1 (2011)
Average Rating: 6.5/10
Reviews Counted: 31
Fresh: 23 | Rotten: 8
Shameless is a dark, urban dramedy that overcomes its leaps of logic thanks to fantastic casting, intriguing ambiance, and shock value.
Average Rating: 6.5/10
Critic Reviews: 17
Fresh: 11 | Rotten: 6
Shameless is a dark, urban dramedy that overcomes its leaps of logic thanks to fantastic casting, intriguing ambiance, and shock value.
liked it
Average Rating: 4.4/5
User Ratings: 83
Season Info
From producers John Wells and Paul Abbott, this outrageous family drama is based on the long-running hit UK series and stars Emmy winner William H. Macy (Fargo) as a working class patriarch of an unconventional Chicago brood of six kids headed by the eldest sibling (Golden Globe nominee Emmy Rossum - Mystic River) who keep the home afloat while their dad is out drinking and carousing.
Genre: Drama
Network: Showtime
Cast
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William H. Macy
Frank Gallagher -
Emmy Rossum
Fiona Gallagher -
Steve Howey
Kevin -
Laura Slade Wiggins
Karen -
Emma Kenney
Debbie Gallagher -
Justin Chatwin
Steve -
Shanola Hampton
Veronica -
Ethan Cutkosky
Carl Gallagher -
Cameron Monaghan
Ian Gallagher -
Jeremy Allen White
Lip Gallagher -
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Charlene Amoia
Aubrey -
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Stephen Hopkins
Sheila Jackson -
Joan Cusack
Sheila Jackson -
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Alex Borstein
Sheila Jackson -
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Zach McGowan
Jody Silverman -
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Stephanie Fantauzzi
Estefania
Latest News on Shameless
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Episodes
Pilot
In the series premiere, we meet the fabulously dysfunctional Gallagher family. Dad's a drunk, Mom split long ago, and eldest daughter Fiona tries to hold the family together.
Frank the Plank
When Frank is nowhere to be found on the day his disability check arrives, the family starts a manhunt and panic sets in.
Aunt Ginger
When a government official suspects that someone might be cashing Aunt Ginger's social security checks, the Gallagher's set out to find her before the government does.
Casey Casden
After a lonely Debbie steals a little boy from a birthday party, the family hatches a plan to return the toddler safe and sound without attracting attention from the Chicago Police.
Three Boys
Even though Kevin is already married, the Gallaghers help to pull off the fake wedding of the year when Veronica's mother offers a cash gift for her wedding day.
Killer Carl
When a letter from Carl's teacher arrives at the Gallagher home, Fiona is thrown into action to prove it's a suitable domicile for rehabilitating a delinquent.
Frank Gallagher: Loving Husband, Devoted Father
Desperate to come up with a plan to pay two goons looking for the $6000 that he owes, Frank stumbles onto a risky solution that might work -- if his family goes along with it.
It's Time to Kill the Turtle
When Frank gives up drinking, Carl and Debbie enjoy having their dad back despite Lip's warning it won't last. Meanwhile, Fiona scrambles to find a better job.
But at Last Came a Knock
Frank has some settlement money coming his way. The only catch -- he needs his ex-wife Monica's signature on the documents.
Nana Gallagher Had an Affair
Monica's return to the family wreaks havoc on the Gallagher clan -- leaving the children determined to find out if Frank is their real father. Fiona moves in with Steve next door.
Daddyz Girl
Debbie convinces Fiona to get involved with her Classroom Moms where Fiona finds a new friend in the alluring Jasmine (guest star AMY SMART).
Father Frank, Full of Grace
Steve tries to convince Fiona to leave town with him after Tony discovers his true livelihood and threatens him with jail if he doesn't leave. Frank & Karen's secret is discovered.
Friend Ratings
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All Critics (31) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (23) | Rotten (8)
Despite all the booze, illegal activity, open sexuality, and adult narcissism, the kids are all right.
Once you get past the shock value of seeing an elementary-schooler swilling a beer in plain sight of his family, who only seem mildly annoyed that he's drinking it: You find yourself rooting for the Gallagher kids.
Based on opening night, it looks like Shameless fun.
This one's not bad - nothing that follows the original so closely could be bad.
If your first encounter with the Gallaghers doesn't drive you screaming into the streets, prepare to fall in love.
Shameless is what you might expect of a no-holds-barred family drama on pay cable: reckless, raw and always a bit much.
Whether audiences will coalesce around a show in which the characters have few overt ambitions remains to be seen, but the promising Shameless is a terrific showcase for Macy, Emmy Rossum and Joan Cusack.
An inexplicable misfire.
It's best not to think of Shameless as a deep, important show. Tune in for the character drama and recognize the characters' anti-social behavior for what it is. There's no shame in that.
The performances are so strong that I want to give Shameless a while to see if it can establish its own voice.
Because its milieu doesn't quite ring true, neither yet does the original's daring mix of dark subject matter and comedy.
The writing definitely apes the original, but it doesn't do too bad of a job of updating the references and colloquialisms to make the show feel as if it's taking place in Chicago.
The one-hour show has as much comedy as drama, providing a satisfying and unusual viewing experience.
Shameless tries too hard to milk weighty drama from generally dull characters.
The most subversive aspect of Shameless? Its unabashed moments of joy. The kids may be poor, but they're smart and they believe in fun.
Macy seems to be having a ball, playing against type as a rough, bitter, angry guy who is completely disassociated from any sort of civilized conduct.
Although Shameless attempts to jam a lot into one hour, the show's tremendous cast, smart pacing and fresh storyline keep it engaging.
In some regards, watching Shameless is reminiscent of watching Springer's show, in that we might be fascinated by the dysfunction and illogic.
It's clear that Wells has nothing but respect for the original material; if only he felt the same for American viewers.
Shameless is excellent, compelling television from the first moment.
The last dysfunctional family drama I can recall getting off to such a good start was Six Feet Under, with which Shameless shares a certain vibe.
If Shameless lives up to its pilot, it could fit nicely among cable's many have-it-both-ways dramas, the ones that wink at rock bottom while making you crave a drink.
In its own, yes, quirky way, Shameless is irresistibly heartwarming. It's also great television.
But as fine an actor as [William H. Macy] is, Frank just comes across as loud and empty.
Shameless will sorely test any prospective viewers' compassion fatigue
Shameless may be a near-miss to start but it features such a strong cast along with one of the best TV showrunners out there in Wells that it could rise to the ranks of the Showtime greats before the end of the season.
It's never better than when it's showing the collective organism of family sustaining itself.
At a time when TV drama is so flush with riches, Shameless plays like a poor relative.
It's occasionally heartbreaking and hugely rewarding to watch the Gallaghers make their way through the life they've been dealt.
Shameless is deftly adapted and surprisingly appealing, crude, funny and also touching - a bleak urban update of The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew.
There is a quality at the show's core that pulls you in and makes you care very much about this weird, tight-knit, problem-filled family just enough to see where they'll go next.
Audience Reviews for Shameless: Season 1
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