Is it possibly one of the most crude and profane series’ on Netflix? Yes. But, the raw vibe that comes from this show is one of the reasons that it is so popular.
Shameless is an American comedy and drama television series that first aired on January 9, 2011. It’s about the family of Frank Gallagher, an alcoholic and single parent of 6 children who have to learn to take care of themselves, while dealing with their fathers constant stream of bad situations. The shows creator, Paul Abbott in an article from the New York Times, prides himself on creating a show that portrays alcoholism and poverty in a different light: “We have a comedic tradition of making fun of the people in those world’s. The reality is that these people aren’t ‘the other’ — they’re people who live four blocks down from you and two blocks over.”
In the first 5 seasons of the show, the Gallagher’s struggled with keeping their house, controlling Frank, Monica (Frank’s wife), and money was a huge problem. All of these issues combined tested the family to see if they could stay together and many times they were split up, but in the end they were always together. In season 6 and 7 though, a new problem was introduced. Gentrification, which is the upbringing of a poor neighborhood by the wealthy, consequently kicking out the old community.
Fiona, his oldest daughter is played by Emmy Rossum, has to clean up after her father because their mother is also an alcoholic who left them and rarely appears. Justin Chatwin plays “Jimmy” Steve, one of Fiona’s many boyfriends but like their mother, he disappears pretty often. Jeremy Allen White plays Phillip “Lip,” Frank’s oldest son who later in the series struggles with being a drunk like his father.
Cameron Monaghan plays Ian, Lips younger brother, who is gay and bipolar like his mother. Emma Kenney plays Debbie “Deb,” Frank’s youngest daughter who in season 6 has a baby against Fiona’s wishes. Ethan Cutkosky plays Carl, the second youngest sibling and Liam is Frank’s youngest son, who is surprisingly black. Shanola Hampton plays Veronica “Vee,” Fiona’s best friend and neighbor, she is also married to Kevin “Kev” played by Steve Howey.
Shameless is one of the best, and definitely most memorable, shows on Netflix but only seasons 1-6 are available through that platform. To watch season 7, you can make a Showtime account which normally costs $11 a month, but first time users get a 7-day free trial! A week may seem like short amount of time to watch an entire season of a show, but once you get started, I promise you won’t be able to stop.
TV-MA (17+)