Shameless

One of my absolute favorite shows on TV is Shameless. While watching the show I often catch myself with my mouth open and am continually shocked and delighted by the vulgarity of it. Just take a look at the intro.

So what's it about.

The series is set in Chicago's South Side Canaryville neighborhood, and showcases the fabulously dysfunctional Gallagher family. Dad's a drunk, Mom split long ago, eldest daughter Fiona tries to hold the family together. Eldest son Philip (Lip) trades his physics tutoring skills for sexual favors from neighborhood girls. Middle son Ian is gay. Youngest daughter Debbie is stealing money from her UNICEF collection. Ten-year-old Carl is a budding sociopath and an arsonist, and toddler Liam is - well, he might actually be black, but nobody has a clue how. On top of that their neighbor Sheila, (Joan Cusack) who is one of my favorite characters on the show plays an agoraphobic germophobe, and Frank's (the Dad's) main love interest. While it's difficult for her to even think about leaving the house, she invites Frank into her home with open arms to take advantage of her cooking, disability checks and bedroom hospitality.

According to Wiki, the show's producers sought to distinguish it from previous American working-class shows by highlighting how Frank's alcoholism affects his family. Paul Abbott, creator of the original, said, "It's not My Name Is Earl or Roseanne. It's got a much graver level of poverty attached to it. It's not blue collar; it's no collar." When John Wells, the showrunner, began pitching the show, he had to fight efforts to place the show in the South or in a trailer park. He explained, "We have a comedic tradition of making fun of the people in those worlds. The reality is that these people aren't 'the other' — they're people who live four blocks down from you and two blocks over". 

Plus Steve Howey is mega eye-candy!

If you haven't seen Shameless yet, check it out! It airs Sunday nights at 9 on Showtime. It's a few weeks in on the second season, but you can catch up on the 1st season as well as the 2nd on Demand. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!