Shameless...do you watch it?

[Guest tomcal]

This is the 5th season, I have watched since the 2nd season, kinda out there, but has funny moments, Last week's show they went to a gay bar to find their brother Ian. the name of the bar was "White Swallow"

In the photo below he is second from right and is the gay brother.

[Guest EXPAT]

No. I hated the first season so I never went back. I think the family is a bit too unrealistically dysfunctional.

[Guest PasadenaCA]

Love the British version. The family is just nuts, but once I got into the characters, all was forgiven. The British version is on Netflix.

[wayout]

Love the British version. The family is just nuts, but once I got into the characters, all was forgiven. The British version is on Netflix.

I wasn't aware that there is a British version and will definitely check it out so thanks PasadenaCA for that bit of info.

I watched the first couple of seasons of the one on Showtime and had a love/hate relationship with it. Loved some of the characters but hated some of the situations and attitudes. To be totally honest, without Ian on the show I probably would have stopped watching earlier than I did. He is one cute ginger Stopped watching it when I realized it was the only thing on Showtime I was watching after Weeds finished (where I drooled over Hunter Parrish) and got tired of paying for the premium channel package.

I hope one day to catch up on all the season's I've missed. I am curious to see how Ian's character develops

[Guest PasadenaCA]

I wasn't aware that there is a British version and will definitely check it out so thanks PasadenaCA for that bit of info.

I watched the first couple of seasons of the one on Showtime and had a love/hate relationship with it. Loved some of the characters but hated some of the situations and attitudes. To be totally honest, without Ian on the show I probably would have stopped watching earlier than I did. He is one cute ginger Stopped watching it when I realized it was the only thing on Showtime I was watching after Weeds finished (where I drooled over Hunter Parrish) and got tired of paying for the premium channel package.

I hope one day to catch up on all the season's I've missed. I am curious to see how Ian's character develops

The show originated in the UK in 2004; the last season was last year.

The characters are very textured and they develop really nicely, which is the appeal for me. It's well written and extremely gritty. The language is disgusting, but it is a reflection of working class Manchester. It's a world about which I know nothing and recoiled at some of the personalities at the start, but I really warmed to them over time--and not much time.

The families are "Irish" in that they're from emigrant stock and keep many of the cultural connections with Ireland--the central role of alcohol being one. I tell people that if you watch Downton Abbey and have observed the decline in British social mores from 1912 to 1922, just extrapolate 500 years into the future (or perhaps into the past) and you reach working class Manchester in 2004.

I really enjoyed the Gallagher family--the center-of-gravity for the first three seasons; then the Maguire's arrived on the scene. I find that family simply hysterical and have bent over double laughing at some of the absurd situations they've created. Some of the jokes involve cultural references, so they're easy to miss, but all-in-all it's a very impressive program.

I have cautioned people that there is an appreciation curve to work through to really enjoy this program; Shameless didn't grab me completely until the second or third episode. Now, I watch the show whenever I can and am at season eight or so.

So I'd say if you're into good drama, try the British version of Shameless. I am in the opposite situation of you, in that I stumbled on the original series and then found out that Showtime had Paul Abbott adapt it for the US. I don't subscribe to Showtime, but once I am finished with the original Shameless I will. I hear that the first few episodes are very similar to the UK version--well, not the accents.

If you watch it, let me know what you think.