We know how to throw a PARTY. (Shameless)

Member Name: loise007

Product:	Shameless
Date:	03/03/09 (236 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great acting, great cast, full of humour

Disadvantages: Prefer older characters to newer ones, but thats down to preference .

This is a review on Shameless, series 1-5 boxset.

For Christmas of 2008 I recieved the Shameless series 1-5 box set, hence this review. I started watching Shameless from series 2 onwards, and always throughly enjoyed each series made, so was chuffed by this present as i was able to watch series one, which i hadn't seen and then work my way through each of the series in order. I am currently on series 3, trying to work my way through them all before (hopefully) series 6 is made.

What is Shameless about?
Well Shamless is a comedy drama made for Channel 4, written by Paul Abbott. It tells the lives of an unconventional family. Frank Gallagher, an unemployed loveable drunk drug using waster of a dad and his kids, Fiona, Lip, Ian, Carl, Debbie and Liam. The kids are pretty much abandoned by their parents, their mum has left to live with her new lesbian lover, and Frank doesn't want to know, although if you asked him, he would protest he does everything for his kids, so the kids are forced to fend for themselves, with Fiona (the oldest) looking after them all.
Shameless in set on a council estate in Manchester, and by watching the programme you get a real feel of a tight-knit community. There are plenty of ups and downs along the way, with each episode packing in lots of drama and humour, but at the same time there can be moments when you want to reach for the kleenex.

*THE BOX SET*
All of the DVD's come in a box set, and they are in kind of a flip book of DVD's (if you understand what i mean), they are not in their own individual case, which i prefer as it takes up less room.
The box set contains 16 discs, spread over 5 series.

Series 1: 2 disc - 7 episodes
Series 2: 3 disc - 10 episodes + Christmas special
Series 3: 3 disc - 8 episodes + New Year special
Series 4: 3 disc - 8 episodes
Series 5: 5 disc - 16 episodes
*CHARACTERS*

Frank (David Threlfall) - the model father - unemployed, drug user, hardly seen without a can/pint in his hand. He is hilarious but irritating at times, love his scenes where it's just Frank walking around talking to himself, he's a waster but deep down we know he loves his kids.
Ian (Gerard Kearns) - Frank's son - closet homosexual

Debbie (Rebecca Ryan) - Frank's daughter - looks after them all
Carl (Elliott Tittensor) - Frank's son

Liam (Johnny Bennett ) - Frank's son
Lip (Jody Latham) - Frank's son

Monica (Annabelle Apsion) - Frank's ex-wife, the mum
Norma (Dystin Johnson) - the lesbian lover of Monica

The Maguires (appear later on in the series)
Patrick - Sean Gilder
Mimi - Tina Malone
Shane - Nicky Evans
Mickey - Ciaran Griffiths
Mandy - Samantha Siddall
Jamie - Aaron McCusker
*OLDER CHARACTERS*

Sheila (Maggie O'Neill) - Frank's partner, totally loopy
Veronica (Maxine Peake) - Kev's partner, the Gallaghers neighbour

Kev (Dean Lennox Kelly) - Veronicas partner, the Gallaghers neighbour
Fiona (Anne-Marie Duff) - the oldest of the kids, always there to help, would do anything for them all

Steve (James McAvoy) - Fiona's partner
*OTHER CHARACTERS*

Carol (Marjorie Yates) - Veronicas mum
Marty (Jack Deam) - Veronicas brother - loves setting fire to things
Karen (Rebecca Atkinson) - Sheila's daughter, married to Jamie
Lillian (Alice Barry)
Yvonne (Kelli Hollis)
Kash (Chris Bisson)
As the series go on, old loved characters leave, and new ones appear, which you either love or don't. Personally i miss the old characters, like Veronica, Kev, Steve, Fiona and Sheila, but i suppose like any other show, and real life, people move on all the time.
The Maguires are a good introduction to the show, they're fiesty and aren't to be messed with, but i can't help feeling that the first few series were better, don't get me wrong the writing is great in all the series, but i do prefer the older characters.

Shamless has won BAFTAS, and is loved by many people up and down the country. It's very rude, but extremly funny, with great acting, brilliant scripts and a loveable talented cast.
It's a very true to life show (in some places), everyone always helping out, mucking in, a real sense of community on the Chatsworth estate, it leaves a very warm feeling. They break the law, but there are plenty of bent coppers to help them out, a real good watch and i would highly recommend it.
The episodes run in sequence, they don't just jump from one thing to another, and i am particulary enjoying watching from series one, to jog my memory and to understand why things have happened in later series, one of those 'ahhh so that's why' moments. Shameless is rated 18, but i started watching before 18 and i'm not scarred, but it's up to you.

*EXTRAS*
Series 1:
Meet the cast & and interview with Paul Abbott

Series 2:
Feature length Christmas special
Audio commentary (episode 4)
Series 3:
Feature length New Year special
Mockumentary: Being Alice Barry (Lillian unpeeled)

Series 4:
Take that sequence directors cut
The missing scenes
Outtakes
Audio Description
Series 5:
Behind the scenes with David Threlfall (Frank)
Audio commentaries (episode 9 + 11)
Building the Shamless estate
Outtakes
Deleted scenes

So Shameless, BAFTA award winning, and a very touching, humourous drama. Paul Abbott's brilliant writing, along the with great acting and storylines makes Shameless the fantastic drama of what it is today, highly recommended.
Give it a go if you haven't already, you might just love it.

Thanks for reading.

Summary: Make poverty history, cheaper drugs now.