In a Manchester housing estate, the six kids in the Gallagher family try to cope with the fact that their mother left and their father is a drunk.

CRITIQUE

Shameless is a British TV series, that manages a difficult feat very well, meshing dark comedy, some raunchy behavior (including foul language and occasional nudity) with some well-realized family drama, which feels real without feeling forced or saccharine.  The result hits the right tone throughout, and this 7 episode first season (from 2004, with each episode running about 48 minutes) is one of the more enjoyable TV series that I have seen in a while.

The set-up here is rather dicey, and early on it seems unclear how they can pull it off.  The nominal head of the family is Frank, but he is a horrible drunk, who spends a lot of time passed out on the floor of the apartment.  Fiona, who is 20, really runs the family, taking care of her teenage brothers Lip and Ian and younger siblings Carl, Debbie and Liam.  Most of the kids have some problem or another, particularly Ian, who is hiding the fact that he is gay; he has also been having sex with his married male boss at the small market where he works.  They live in a “housing estate” in a poor section of Manchester, England, where everyone seems to drink a lot.

But somehow, this never gets depressing.  Creator Paul Abbott does a good job of balancing the unhappier things here, like Dad being such a lost cause, with a real sense of warmth among all the kids; there is also an ever-expanding roster of supporting characters, from the friendly, heavy-sexed neighbors, to the agoraphobic woman who Dad eventually moves in with, to the amiable car thief (James McAvoy, who went on to star in The Last King of Scotland) who woos Fiona. 

The plot also keeps spinning as well; rather than doing riffs on the same scenario that they set up in the first few episodes, everything is constantly shifting, so it’s really never clear where the show might be headed next.  The acting is strong among the whole cast, particularly David Threlfall, who manages to make Frank a horrible, self-centered alcoholic father, and yet finds the likable side to him as well.  The result is likely unlike anything you have seen, but for what it is, it’s a fun ride that somehow feels more real the more wild that it gets.

THE VIDEO

Shameless is in 16:9 enhanced aspect ratio.  The picture is clear throughout. 

THE AUDIO

Shameless is presented in Dolby Digital.  Dialogue, music and sound effects come through clear, though the British accents are often so thick that having the English subtitles on is actually the default setting. 

THE EXTRAS

There’s an 11-minute Meet The Cast featurette in which two of the younger stars wander around with a video camera, interviewing the older actors; it’s amiable enough.

There a solid 10-minute Interview With Creator Paul Abbott in which he talks about the show and the tone they are trying to achieve.

FINAL THOUGHT