Shameless (season 1)

The first season of Shameless, an American comedy-drama television series based on the British series of the same name by Paul Abbott, premiered on January 9, 2011, at Sunday 10:00 p.m. EST on the Showtime television network. Executive producers are John Wells, Paul Abbott and Andrew Stearn, with producer Michael Hissrich. The season concluded after 12 episodes on March 27, 2011. The show's season premiere was watched by 982,000 viewers, making it the network's biggest turnout for a series premiere since Dead Like Me in 2003. The episode airing January 30, "Casey Casden", received 1.45 million total viewers, making Shameless the best performing first-year drama on Showtime. The season finale scored 1.16 million viewers.

Shameless
Season 1
DVD Cover
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes12
Release
Original networkShowtime
Original releaseJanuary 9 (2011-01-09) –
March 27, 2011 (2011-03-27)
Season chronology

Plot

The first season of Shameless depicts the dysfunctional family of Frank Gallagher, a single, alcoholic, trashy father of six children in Chicago. With their bipolar mother, Monica, running away from Frank a few years prior, the family has been run by Frank's worn out and eldest daughter Fiona, who raises her five other siblings: the extraordinary intelligent Lip, goofy and strong-hearted Ian, the mature and grounded Debbie, the troublemaking and slightly "off" child Carl, and Liam, who is mysteriously black. Often involved in the Gallagher's lives are their neighbors, Kevin and Veronica, who fake a marriage mid-season to obtain a substantial dowry.

The season's core story revolves around Steve Wilton, a wealthy man whom Fiona and Veronica meet at a dance club. Fiona pursues a relationship with Steve and, to her surprise, finds out that Steve is a high end car thief. A local cop, Tony Markovich, also has a thing for Fiona, though Fiona is not as interested in dating him. When Steve's random and prolonged disappearances lead Fiona to believe Steve is cheating on her, it is revealed that Steve's real name is actually Jimmy Lishman; Steve is hiding from his parents that believe he is attending medical school in the city. When a suspicious Debbie discovers Steve's secret, she agrees to keep it a secret from Fiona, but does notify Steve's real mother about his double life.

The subsidiary plot throughout the season involves Ian, who is a closeted gay, his sexual orientation kept a secret from the family except for Lip and his friend, Mandy, who poses as his girlfriend. Ian is in an affair with Kash, the adult owner of a convenience store that Ian works at. A father of two, Kash is unhappily married to his wife, Linda, who discovers the affair after installing security cameras; as a result, Linda blackmails Kash into giving her a baby. Mandy's brother, Mickey Milkovich, a serious and violent thug, openly shoplifts from the store and regularly insults Kash. When Ian confronts Mickey for stealing, they unexpectedly have sex, and begin a casual sexual relationship. When Kash finds out, he angrily shoots Mickey in the leg for attempting to shoplift. Mickey is arrested for attempted shoplifting and Kash is praised for his efforts. In the final episode, Ian comes out to Fiona.

Frank's eldest son, Lip, is in an open relationship with the promiscuous Karen Jackson, though Lip wants to pursue their relationship more than just a casual fling. Karen's mother, Sheila, is a nice but kooky housewife diagnosed with agoraphobia, and is separated from her religious husband, Eddie. Frank becomes romantic with Sheila and moves in, though he's mainly there to freeload, to Karen's dismay. Eddie attempts to reconcile with his daughter with a purity ball, an event for girls to pledge their chastity, but this fails when Karen is forced to dwell into a detailed list of her sexual history; Eddie angrily calls Karen a whore. Sheila furiously kicks Eddie out of her house, overcoming her agoraphobia in the process. In a cruder turn of events, Karen wants to get back at her father and rapes Frank, showcasing the incident on a video blog that she sends to Eddie and his co-workers. Beaten over the video and past events, Eddie commits suicide by jumping in a frozen lake. Consequently, a guilt stricken Karen breaks up with Lip. Both Frank and Karen separately apologize to Lip for the video.

In the final episodes, Lip and Ian are arrested after being caught driving one of Steve's stolen cars, further straining Fiona and Steve's relationship; though Fiona, conflicted, admits that she may be falling in love with him. Tony, who is still in love with Fiona, finds about Steve's illegal jobs and beats Steve up, before giving him an ultimatum - to turn himself in and be arrested, or to disappear without a trace. Though Steve tries to convince Fiona to leave the country with him to Costa Rica, Fiona declines his offer and takes up an office job from a new friend, Jasmine, to further care for her family. Under obligation, Steve is forced to run off without the girl he expected to be with.

Cast and characters
See also: List of Shameless (American TV series) characters

Main

Special guest stars

Recurring

Episodes
See also: List of Shameless (American TV series) episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		US viewers
(millions)
11"Pilot"Mark MylodTeleplay by: Paul Abbott and John Wells
British Episode by: Paul Abbott		January 9, 2011 (2011-01-09)2967690.98[1]
Fiona's (Emmy Rossum) purse is stolen, but a handsome stranger named Steve (Justin Chatwin) helps her. Lip (Jeremy Allen White) has suspicions about Ian's (Cameron Monaghan) sexuality, and decides he should take him to Karen Jackson (Laura Slade Wiggins) to confirm his suspicions.
22"Frank the Plank"John WellsTeleplay by: Paul Abbott and John Wells
British Episode by: Paul Abbott		January 16, 2011 (2011-01-16)2J54020.81[2]
Frank (William H. Macy), heavily intoxicated from the previous night, wakes up in Toronto, Canada, with no memory of how he arrived there. The kids and friends search for him, but one may be hiding something.
33"Aunt Ginger"Stephen HopkinsNancy M. PimentalJanuary 23, 2011 (2011-01-23)2J54030.90[3]
Fiona, having dumped Steve, decides to date Tony (Tyler Jacob Moore), a local cop who has had feelings for her since childhood. A woman from the Office of the Inspector General knocks on the Gallagher door looking for Aunt Ginger, the owner of the family house, who has supposedly been living in a Wisconsin nursing home for 12 years.
44"Casey Casden"Todd HollandTeleplay and Television Story by: Cindy Caponera
British Episode by: Paul Abbott		January 30, 2011 (2011-01-30)2J54041.11[4]
Debbie (Emma Kenney) steals a toddler from a birthday party while depressed from Aunt Ginger's departure. The family creates a plan that will return the boy to his family while avoiding the increased police presence in the area.
55"Three Boys"Mimi LederTeleplay by: Alex Borstein
British Episode by: Danny Brocklehurst		February 6, 2011 (2011-02-06)2J54050.95[5]
Frank has an interesting appointment with his disability doctor, who demands a biopsy of a strange third lump in his scrotum. Kev (Steve Howey) and Veronica (Shanola Hampton) fake a wedding to earn a lump sum of cash from Veronica's deceased father, to be given to her on her wedding day.
66"Killer Carl"John DahlMike O'MalleyFebruary 13, 2011 (2011-02-13)2J54061.01[6]
Lip gets busted taking the SAT's for a number of other students. Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) gets in trouble at school and the principal demands to see one of Carl's parents, or he will face expulsion.
77"Frank Gallagher: Loving Husband, Devoted Father"David NutterEtan FrankelFebruary 20, 2011 (2011-02-20)2J54071.14[7]
Frank is hunted by two ruthless thugs after he fails to follow through with an illegal money-making scheme, and he must repay them $6000. The Gallagher family helps Frank fake his own death to convince the thugs to leave town. Steve takes Fiona to an expensive hotel to get away from her family and work stress. Mickey (Noel Fisher) steals Kash's (Pej Vahdat) gun and Linda (Marguerite Moreau) has the cameras at the Kash-n-Grab fixed, which has implications on Ian's affair with Kash. Ian tries to get the gun back from Mickey and discovers an unexpected secret while doing this. There is a surprise for Sheila (Joan Cusack) as she does something she hasn't done in years.
88"It's Time to Kill the Turtle"Scott FrankNathan Jackson and Nancy M. PimentalFebruary 27, 2011 (2011-02-27)2J54080.92[8]
In the hospital, Frank is offered $3000 if he can stop drinking for two weeks. This pleases Fiona, Carl, and Debbie but Lip doesn't believe Frank can stay sober for even two weeks. Lip also reveals he was hopeful when Frank did it in the past but was dejected it ended. In the end, Frank starts to wreck the Gallagher's home, so Lip tasers him and forces liquor down his throat, ending the experiment. Ian continues his sexual relationship with Mickey. Fiona scrambles to find a better-paying job, while Steve's past starts catching up with him. Lip tours the University of Chicago campus and is offered an interesting opportunity. Veronica and Kev's new foster daughter Ethel (Madison Davenport) is 13 years old and a little different than expected, having come from a polygamous sect where she and four other women were married to a 65-year-old man.
99"But At Last Came a Knock"Mark MylodTeleplay by: Alex Borstein
British Episode by: Paul Abbott		March 6, 2011 (2011-03-06)2J54091.14[9]
Frank is in line for some settlement money but there's a catch: he needs his ex-wife, Monica, (Chloe Webb) to sign the paperwork, and there may be more to Monica than meets the eye. Debbie discovers a secret about Steve, and extorts him to keep it a secret. Ian has an eventful day at work, and Lip does some work for Steve to buy concert tickets for Karen.
1010"Nana Gallagher Had an Affair"Adam BernsteinTeleplay and Television Story by: Cindy Caponera
British Episode by: Paul Abbott		March 13, 2011 (2011-03-13)2J54101.12[10]
Liam's paternity test reveals different results than expected, as does another member of the Gallagher family. Karen attends the Purity Ball with her father, Eddie (Joel Murray), on the promise that if she "rededicates herself as a virgin", she can have the car. Fiona and Steve move in next door so Fiona can keep an eye on the kids while Monica tries (and fails) to be their mom again.
1111"Daddyz Girl"Sanaa HamriNancy M. PimentalMarch 20, 2011 (2011-03-20)2J54111.10[11]
Amy Smart guest stars as a school mother in Debbie's class whose take on friendship leaves Fiona a little confused. Steve's "business" finally leads Tony to investigate what he's up to. Lip and Ian go on a search for Ian's real dad. Karen has sex with Frank and broadcasts it on her blog Daddyz Girl to get back at Eddie for embarrassing her at the Purity Ball. Frank's worker's compensation is terminated and he searches for a new job at which to get hurt.
1212"Father Frank, Full of Grace"Mark MylodJohn WellsMarch 27, 2011 (2011-03-27)2J54121.16[12]
Lip and Ian spend the night in jail on grand theft auto charges. Fiona tries to find out the truth of the stolen car from Ian, who also admits to being gay. Lip visits a depressed Karen and tells her that he loves her, which results them breaking up for the time being. When Eddie finds out about Frank and Karen he goes in search of revenge. Lip and Frank have a violent showdown until Kev comes and stops Lip. Steve asks Fiona to run away with him to Costa Rica. Broken about past events, Eddie Jackson digs up a big ice fishing hole, ties a concrete block to his feet, and jumps in the frozen lake.

Development and casting

HBO began developing an American version of Shameless after striking a deal with John Wells in January 2009.[13] By October 2009 the development had moved to Showtime. John Wells Productions filmed a pilot episode for the cable network in December 2009.[14] William H. Macy stars in the lead role as Frank Gallagher. Also joining the cast were former Dragonball Evolution co-stars Emmy Rossum as Fiona and Justin Chatwin as Steve.[15][16] Paul Abbott, whose semi-autobiographical telescript became the pilot episode for the original UK version, is credited as an executive producer on the U.S. version. In April 2010, Showtime green-lit the series with a twelve-episode order.[17] In late August Joan Cusack was cast as Sheila, a romantic interest for Frank, replacing Allison Janney, who portrayed the role in the pilot.[18] A preview of the pilot aired on December 12, 2010, after the Season 5 finale of Dexter. The first season officially began airing on Showtime on Sunday, January 9, 2011.

Production

Production began in mid-September 2010.[18] It is filmed in the North Lawndale[19] community area of Chicago[20] and Burbank, California, at Warner Bros. Studios.

Reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the first season a 'Certified Fresh' rating of 70% based on 37 reviews, with the critical consensus "Shameless is a dark, urban dramedy that overcomes its leaps of logic thanks to fantastic casting, intriguing ambiance, and shock value."[21]

DVD release
The Complete First Season
Set details[22] Special features[23]
  • 12 episodes
  • 595 minutes (Region 1); 940 minutes (Region 2); 925 minutes (Region 4)
  • 3-disc set
  • 1.33:1 aspect ratio
  • Languages:
    • English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
  • Subtitles:
    • English, and French (Region 1)
    • English, Spanish, Danish, French, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, English and German for the Hearing Impaired (Regions 2 and 4)
  • Bringing Shameless to America – A look at the process of reworking and repurposing a successful UK television series for an American premium cable audience.
  • Bringing the Fun to Dysfunctional – Go behind-the-scenes of the show with key members of the cast and crew in this much-too-brief making-the-series featurette.
  • A Shameless Discussion About Sex – Rossum and co-stars Steve Howey, Justin Chatwin and Shanola Hampton have a candid chat about the sex in Shameless.
  • Audio Commentaries – Two commentaries are available:
    • "Pilot," which features a broad overview of the series courtesy of writer/director John Wells, executive producer Andrew Stern and actress Emmy Rossum
    • "Frank Gallagher: Loving Husband, Devoted Father," a more episode-centric track with writer Etan Frankel, director David Nutter, and actors Cameron Monaghan and Jeremy Allen White.
  • Deleted Scenes – A small selection of deleted scenes of the series.
    • Episodes: 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 13, 14, 16, 19
  • Season 2 Sneak Peek – A look into season 2 of Shameless
Release dates
 United States  United Kingdom  Australia

December 27, 2011 (2011-12-27)[24]

 June 25, 2012 (2012-06-25)[25] April 4, 2012 (2012-04-04)[26]
gollark: I'm just saying that you do not actually have utter freedom.
gollark: The space of projects you can get funded substantially for is much smaller than the space of all projects ever, or the space of interesting to work on ones.
gollark: Sure, but he is not free to do *anything* with it.
gollark: Thus, nonfree.
gollark: If Zig's creator suddenly started adding a garbage collector and making it compile to bytecode and such, they would likely lose money.

References
  1. Seidman, Robert (January 10, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: Real Housewives, Hannah Montana, Shake It Up, Sarah Palin's Alaska, Californication and Much More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
  2. Gorman, Bill (January 19, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Hannah Montana' Finale, 'Real Housewives,' 'Top Gear,' 'Big Love' Final Season Premiere & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  3. Seidman, Robert (January 25, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Real Housewives,' Kardashians, 'Holly's World' Lead Night + 'Shameless' & Much More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 26, 2011.
  4. Gorman, Bill (February 1, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Holly's World,' 'Real Housewives' Finale Up; Plus 'Kardashians,' 'Shameless' & Much More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  5. Seidman, Robert (February 8, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Big Love,' 'Californication,' 'Episodes' and 'Shameless' Tackled by Super Bowl". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  6. Gorman, Bill (February 15, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Real Housewives,' 'Ax Men,' 'Grammy's Red Carpet,' Lead Night + 'Shameless' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  7. Seidman, Robert (February 23, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: NBA All Stars, Housewives, Worst Cooks and Kardashians Lead Night + 'Shameless' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  8. Gorman, Bill (March 1, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: Knicks/Heat Scores; 'E's Red Carpet,' 'Ax Men,' 'Shameless' & More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  9. Seidman, Robert (March 8, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: Tosh Leads Night + More 'Breakout Kings;' 'Shameless' Up & MUCH More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
  10. Gorman, Bill (March 15, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Chopped' Rises, Leads Night; 'Breakout Kings;' 'Army Wives' Down & MUCH More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  11. Seidman, Robert (March 22, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Army Wives' Up 30%; 'Breakout Kings,' 'Sister Wives' Dip; 'Big Love' Inches Up for Finale; 'Shameless' Steady + Much More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 22, 2011.
  12. Gorman, Bill (March 29, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'Army Wives' Takes The Crown; 'Breakout Kings,' Rises; 'Shameless' Finale Steady + Much More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  13. Leigh Holmwood (January 5, 2009). "HBO cues up US version of Shameless". The Guardian. London.
  14. Moody, Mike (April 8, 2010). "Showtime picks up 'Shameless' remake". Digital Spy. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  15. "Allison Janney, Emmy Rossum and Justin Chatwin Join US Shameless Remake – Sky TV". Tv.sky.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2009. Retrieved January 26, 2010.
  16. Martin, Daniel (January 7, 2011). "Shameless remake set for US TV debut". guardian.co.uk. London. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  17. "Showtime Greenlights Shameless to Series". The Futon Critic. April 8, 2010. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  18. Andreeva, Nellie (August 31, 2010). "Joan Cusack Joins Showtime's 'Shameless'". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  19. Cora, Casey (January 11, 2013). "'Shameless' in Canaryville? Not Exactly". Archived from the original on January 14, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013.
  20. Anonymous. "Shameless". filming.90210locations.info. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
  21. "Shameless S01". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  22. "Shameless (USA) – Season 1 [DVD + UV Copy] [2012]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  23. Kenneth Brown. "Shameless: The Complete First Season Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  24. Lambert, David (August 29, 2011). "Shameless – DVDs, BDs for 'The Complete 1st Season' of Showtime's Series with William H. Macy". TV Shows on DVD. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  25. "Shameless (USA) – Season 1 [DVD + UV Copy] [2012]". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  26. "Shameless – Season 1 (U.S) (Blu-ray)". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
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