Shameless (USA) Series 1 review

Shameless, the US version, is a remake of the British award winning series that shares the same name. The series replaces Manchester with Chicago and follows the rather dysfunctional family of Frank Gallagher who is a single father of six children and most often spends his days drunk leaving the kids to fend for themselves.

Frank expects his six kids to raise themselves and one another which sometimes leads to rather absurd situations. For example, when nobody else can watch baby Liam, his sister Emma takes him to school for show and tell. The series offers numerous moments of joy. The kids may be poor, but they are smart and they believe in fun.

The series is far from a gloomy TV series and the series focuses primarily on the survival of the children. However, the series is carefully balanced, the sentimental streak in the show, illustrated by how the kids all rally together to pay the gas bill, is compensated by Frank’s coldness and the scrappy urban realism, translated so effectively from the British original.

Overall, a TV series worth watching for it is not just entertaining but also has a slightly deeper meaning than usual – team work helps you survive.