Shameless
Opening credits for series 1-4
Format	Dramedy
Created by	Paul Abbott
Starring	David Threlfall Jody Latham Gerard Kearns Rebecca Ryan Elliott Tittensor Rebecca Atkinson.
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	5
No. of episodes	50 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Paul Abbott
Running time	approx. 50 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Channel 4
Original run	13 January 2004 – present
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Shameless is a BAFTA award-winning British comedy drama television series set in the fictional Chatsworth Estate in Manchester, United Kingdom. Produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4, the first seven-episode series aired weekly on Tuesday nights at 10pm from 13 January 2004. The drama has been accorded critical acclaim by various sections of the British media, including The Sun newspaper and Newsnight Review on BBC Two. Dramedy, a portmanteau of drama and comedy, is a genre of movies and television in which the lines between these very different genres were blurred. ... Paul Abbott (born February 22, 1960 in Burnley, Lancashire) is an English television scriptwriter, who has worked on many popular series, including Coronation Street, Cracker and Shameless, the latter of which he created. ... David Threlfall (born 12 October 1953, Manchester) is a British actor known for his role as Frank Gallagher in the Channel 4 comedy-drama series Shameless. ... Jody Lee Latham (born 1 January 1982) is a British actor best known for playing Phillip Lip Gallagher on the Channel 4 comedic drama Shameless. ... Gerard Kearns (born October 4, 1984 in Lancashire, England) is a British actor best known for his role as Ian Gallagher in the Channel 4 television series Shameless. ... Rebecca Ryan was born on the 27th of April 1991 in Manchester, England. ... Elliott Tittensor (November 3, 1989) is a young British actor. ... Rebecca is a british actress who plays the part of Karen Jackson in Channel 4s Shameless. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Spoiler warning: Category: ... Paul Abbott (born February 22, 1960 in Burnley, Lancashire) is an English television scriptwriter, who has worked on many popular series, including Coronation Street, Cracker and Shameless, the latter of which he created. ... This article is about the British television station. ... is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs or, to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards, are the most prestigious awards given in the British television industry, analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... Company Pictures is an independent British television production company, who have produced drama programming for many broadcasters. ... This article is about the British television station. ... is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about a British tabloid. ... For the CNN programme see NewsNight with Aaron Brown Newsnight is a British daily news analysis, current affairs and politics programme broadcast on weekdays at 10. ... For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 2. ...

The programme was created and, at least initially, mainly written by Paul Abbott, who is also the programme's Executive Producer. Much of the series is based on Abbott's own experiences growing up in a similar situation to the Gallagher children in Burnley. Paul Abbott (born February 22, 1960 in Burnley, Lancashire) is an English television scriptwriter, who has worked on many popular series, including Coronation Street, Cracker and Shameless, the latter of which he created. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other meanings see Burnley (disambiguation) , Burnley is a large town in the borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a population of about 73,021. ...

The first series was co-written with Danny Brocklehurst and Carmel Morgan. In subsequent series, Abbott and Brocklehurst shared the main writing duties. Danny Brocklehurst is a British screenwriter, born in 1971. ...

For the fifth series a 6,100 m² (66,000 sq. ft) exterior and interior set was built on an industrial estate in Wythenshawe, Manchester.^[1] An industrial park is an area of land set aside for industrial development. ... , Wythenshawe is a district in the south of the City of Manchester, in North West England. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ...

Plot

The opening credits have always featured a monologue from what could arguably be called the central character of the series, Frank Gallagher. The series charts the lives of the dysfunctional Gallagher family, comprising the father, Frank Gallagher and his seven children, widening the scope to other occupants of the estate as the series progresses. Central characters include: // The following is a list of characters for the British sitcom, Shameless, created by Paul Abbott and broadcast by Channel 4. ...

• Fiona (series 1–2),
• Lip (Phillip) (series 1–4, guest series 5),
• Ian,
• Carl,
• Debbie,
• Liam,
• Stella (born at the end of series 5. Frank denied that he named her after the beer)

Other characters featured in earlier series included Fiona's boyfriend Steve, a middle-class car thief (series 1-2); Kev and Veronica (series 1-3, guests in series 4), the Gallagher's neighbours; Kash, the owner of the local shop, and his wife Yvonne; agoraphobic Sheila (series 1-4) 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 3, Mandy's family, led by her drug-dealing mother Mimi Maguire and Paddy Maguire, became key characters. In series 4 we also meet three of the Maguire parents' sons: Shane Maguire, who is determined to show his parents and the estate that he is a hard man and a good worker, and Mickey Maguire, who is gay and similarly determined to prove himself. We also meet Jamie Maguire, who has been in prison for 10 years for murder. The estate are initially scared of him in case he turns against anyone, but as we find out he is a partially reformed character, and wants to get on with his life. He eventually marries Karen Jackson. // The following is a list of characters for the British sitcom, Shameless, created by Paul Abbott and broadcast by Channel 4. ... // The following is a list of characters for the British sitcom, Shameless, created by Paul Abbott and broadcast by Channel 4. ... // The following is a list of characters for the British sitcom, Shameless, created by Paul Abbott and broadcast by Channel 4. ... // The following is a list of characters for the British sitcom, Shameless, created by Paul Abbott and broadcast by Channel 4. ... // The following is a list of characters for the British sitcom, Shameless, created by Paul Abbott and broadcast by Channel 4. ... // The following is a list of characters for the British sitcom, Shameless, created by Paul Abbott and broadcast by Channel 4. ... Stella Artois logo A Common 330 ml Bottle of Stella Artois Stella Artois brewery in Leuven This article is about Stella Artois lager. ... Steve McBride is a character in Channel 4s Shameless. ... Kevin Kev Ball was a fictional character in the Channel 4 drama Shameless. ... Veronica Fisher is a character in Channel 4s Shameless. ... Kash Karib is a fictional character in the Channel 4 drama Shameless, in which he is played by Chris Bisson. ... Yvonne Karib is a fictional character in the Channel 4 drama Shameless, in which she is played by Kelli Hollis. ... Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder precipitated by the fear of having a symptom attack or panic attack in a setting from which there is no easy means of escape. ... Sheila Gallagher (previously Jackson) is a fictional character in the Channel 4 drama Shameless, played by Maggie ONeill. ... Karen Jackson is a fictional character in the Channel 4 drama Shameless, played by Rebecca Atkinson. ... Mandy Maguire is a character in Channel 4s Shameless. ... Martin Fisher (born 26 December 1945 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian singer, pianist and songwriter best known for playing in Peter Quaifes post-Kinks band, Mapleoak. ... Shameless is an offbeat British comedic drama television series set in the fictional Chatsworth Estate in Manchester, England. ... Patrick Paddy Maguire is a fictional character in the Channel 4 drama series Shameless. ...

The Gallagher family reside on the fictional Chatsworth Estate, a council estate in Stretford, Greater Manchester, although is actually filmed on location in Gorton, East Manchester. The scenes in the local pub, The Jockey, are filmed on a set in Salford although the exterior shots are of a real pub named The Wellington which is located in West Gorton.^[2] Also in proximity are other landmarks including Yvonne's shop and the Gallagher household which is located on the corner of Clowes Street and Wenlock Way. Public housing describes a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. ... , Stretford (pop. ... Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England which has a population of 2. ... , Gorton is a district of the City of Manchester in North West England. ... The Jockey is a fictional location on the Channel 4 series Shameless. ... For other uses, see Salford (disambiguation). ...

As from series 5 there has been a purpose built set for the show on the Roundthorn Industrial Estate in South Manchester on the site of the old Umbro factory. Umbro (LSE: UMB) is an internationally recognised football brand based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. ...

Critical acclaim

In April 2005, the programme's first series won the Best Drama Series category at the British Academy Television Awards, the most prestigious awards given in the British television industry. It was also nominated for 'Best British Drama' at the 'National Television Awards 2007', but lost out to 'Doctor Who'. Also 'Shameless' has won two awards at the 'Royal Television Awards Society North West Awards 2007' where it beat 'Coronation Street' to the 'Best Continuing Drama Award' and Gerard Kearns (Ian Gallagher), won the 'Best Performance In A Drama Award' for his role in Channel 4's 'Mark Of Cain'. The year 2005 in television involved some significant events. ... The British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series is one of the major categories of the British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs), the primary awards ceremony of the British television industry. ... The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs or, to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards, are the most prestigious awards given in the British television industry, analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States. ...

The programme has been sold overseas, where it airs on channels such as SBS (Australia), Showcase Television (Canada), Nederland 3 (The Netherlands), YLE FST5 (Finland), SIC Radical (Portugal), RTÉ Two (Ireland), Sundance Channel and BBC America (Which only aired the first series (United States)), yes+ (Israel), and Jimmy (Italy) The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is one of two government funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television networks, the other being the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). ... Showcase Television, often known as Showcase, is a Canadian cable television specialty channel owned by Alliance Atlantis Communications. ... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Beatrix  - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War   - Declared July 26, 1581   - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain... YLE FST5 (Finlands Svenska Television) is YLEs Swedish digital television channel which provides television programmes in the Swedish language in Finland. ... SIC Radical is a cable TV channel in Portugal owned by SIC, which owns SIC Radical, SIC Comedia, SIC Noticias and SIC Mulher. ... RTÉ Two (Irish: RTÉ a Dó) (known from 1988 to 2004 as Network 2, RTÉ Network Two, RTÉ2 or N2) is Irelands second-oldest television channel, operated by Irish state broadcaster Radio Telefís Éireann. ... Sundance Channel logo used from 1996 to 2002. ... BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, which was launched on March 29, 1998, available on both cable and satellite. ... Yes TV (formally incorporated as D.B.S. Satellite Services (1998) Ltd) founded in 1998, is the sole satellite television provider (DBS) in Israel. ... Jimmy is an Italian digital television channel, part of the Sky Italia range of channels. ...

Style

Shameless is noted for having a style very different from other British comedies. A "moving camera" shooting technique (employing few masks or filters) is employed, reminiscent of the BBC2 drama This Life. The show’s interiors are filmed on staged sets and occasionally on location. The soundtrack is part naturalistic, but occasionally uses music and voiceovers. The music is by composer Murray Gold. British Comedy, in film, radio and television, is known for its consistently quirky characters, plots and settings, and has produced some of the most famous and memorable comic actors and characters in the last fifty years. ... This Life was a BBC television drama, produced by World Productions and screened on BBC Two, running for two series in 1996 and 1997 and a reunion special in 2007. ... Murray Gold (born 1969, Portsmouth, England) is a British composer for stage, film, and television and a dramatist for both theatre and radio. ...

Each episode begins and ends with a narrative voice-over by one of the characters highlighting the themes of the episode. The opening and closing voiceovers are often humorous in nature, as the point of the episode has already been shown. The commentator of each episode is normally the one on whom the plot focuses. This was much more prominent in the first two series, where a plot revolving around one character would normally prevent any other prominent sub-plots involving other characters; in series three, co-abiding plots revolving around different characters are more common. However, unlike many shows, these plots are not entirely separate and the plots always support each other to the episode's conclusion.^{[citation needed]}

The show is characterized by Paul Abbott’s extensive use of Manchester dialect and slang - and considerable profanity - and is a humorous but warmly realistic portrait of working-class life on council estates where petty crime and violence loom large and authority figures are the antagonists. (Whilst the two policemen, Stan and Tony, are likeable individuals, the police force as a whole is portrayed as antagonistic). An underlying tenet of the show is the strong underlying bonds of blood and loyalty which bind the Gallaghers and by extension families, in the face of any vicissitudes. Parental figures are largely absent or feckless, the cohabiting siblings often left to fend for themselves or forced into a reversal of the parent/child relationship (as made evident by Frank Gallagher's admission "kids who are convinced I'm actually theirs" in the revamped opening credits for season 5), ever wary of the authorities becoming aware of their living situation and separating them; indeed, many episodes’ plots involve evading the authorities. There is some idealisation of this living manner, making poverty and criminality become the norm while somewhat antagonising other classes.^{[citation needed]} (In Series 1, Steve’s middle-class status was often the subject of adverse comment.) Paul Abbott (born February 22, 1960 in Burnley, Lancashire) is an English television scriptwriter, who has worked on many popular series, including Coronation Street, Cracker and Shameless, the latter of which he created. ...

Episodes

Main article: List of Shameless episodes

Series one of Shameless included seven episodes, and aired between 13 January and 24 February 2004. Such was the popularity of the first series that the third was commissioned at the same time as the second. A Christmas special aired December 23, 2004. The second series began January 4, 2005, and finished March 8, after ten episodes. A New Year Special aired January 3, 2006. The third series began the following week on January 10 and concluded on February 21, after airing 7 episodes. With effect from the second episode onwards, each episode was premiered on the partner channel to Channel 4, E4, each Tuesday evening following the Channel 4 episode. Shameless returned for a fourth series on January 9, 2007 and aired until February 27, with a total of eight episodes. The fifth series began on January 1, 2008, and ran for sixteen episodes, airing through to April 15, 2008. Spoiler warning: Category: ... is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... E4 is a British digital television channel launched as a pay-tv companion to Channel 4 on 18 January 2001. ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

In March 2008 Rebecca Ryan who plays Debbie Gallagher in the show announced filming on a sixth series would begin in April.^[3] Rebecca Ryan was born on the 27th of April 1991 in Manchester, England. ...

Cast

Main article: List of characters from Shameless

The role of Frank was originally given to Sean Gallagher, but then it was thought he was too young to play the character. It cost makers, Company Pictures, £100,000 to re-shoot the scenes already filmed with David Threlfall as a replacement. In 2007, it was revealed that Matt Lucas and Bill Nighy asked for cameo parts in Shameless, but creator, Paul Abbott said the show would lose its realistic charms if they brought in celebrities to play parts. // The following is a list of characters for the British sitcom, Shameless, created by Paul Abbott and broadcast by Channel 4. ... Sean Gallagher (born 1967 in Kent) is an English actor. ... Company Pictures is an independent British television production company, who have produced drama programming for many broadcasters. ... Matthew Richard Lucas (born March 5, 1974) is an English comedy actor. ... Bill Nighy (IPA: ; born December 12, 1949) is a Golden Globe and BAFTA-award winning English actor. ... Paul Abbott (born February 22, 1960 in Burnley, Lancashire) is an English television scriptwriter, who has worked on many popular series, including Coronation Street, Cracker and Shameless, the latter of which he created. ...

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	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
	31 October 2005

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
	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
	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
	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
	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
	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 Building The Set Outtakes Deleted Scenes
	Release Dates
	United Kingdom
	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
	21 April 2008

Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (362nd in leap years). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... is the 111th day of the year (112th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• List of characters from Shameless

// The following is a list of characters for the British sitcom, Shameless, created by Paul Abbott and broadcast by Channel 4. ...

Further reading

• Walters, James (2006). "Saving Face: Inflections of Character Role-play in Shameless". Journal of British Cinema and Television 3 (1): 95-106. Edinburgh University Press. 

References

External links

• Shameless at Channel4.com
• Shameless at the Internet Movie Database