Before the Americans copied Skins (which I watched for 3 min to see that the copy-paste from UK’s Skins made American Skins so bad that I didn’t even want to torture myself all the way through), just weeks before, a new USA version of a show called Shamless premiered. And this show is a whole different story since I haven’t seen the original. I have no idea if the storyline is copy-paste or not and honestly, I don’t want to find out because I like the USA version.
It is about everything that people, especially kids, aren’t aloud to do: drinking, smoking, having sex, stealing, cheating etc etc. They have everything there and everything in the most craziest amounts that seem to be just enough to enjoy it. William H. Macy gives a performance of a lifetime as a drunken dad who lives with his oldest son’s girlfriend’s mom (Joan Cusack) – who apparently can’t leave the house and enjoys to stick things in her husbands/new boyfriend’s butt. That aside, he has all together 5 kids + his (ex?)wife’s mixed-raced baby. He drinks a lot, gets into trouble a lot and kind of steals money from the government. He definitely loves his kids but has a hard time showing it considering he is mostly in the bar, cashing his check, sleeping in the house or better yet, sleeping in a bush somewhere.
The other lead is the oldest daughter, played by Emmy Rossum, she is basically the caretaker of all of those kids and the house, the bills. She has a car-stealing boyfriend, played by Justin Chatwin. Meanwhile the oldest son, portrayed by Jeremy Allen White, is talented in studies and earns extra money by doing other people’s tests and exams etc. The next son, Cameron Monagham, who works in a store and is partly? in a military school, is also gay but nobody except his older brother knows that – and his fake girlfriend of course. The youngest daughter (Emma Kenney) is good with money, her younger brothers are mostly just either trouble makers or just trouble with all those diapers. Besides the family, they mingle with this couple who live in the same house (apparently there are 2 appartements in it) – bar owner who is played by Steve Howey and a nurse portrayed by Shanola Hampton. They are a very interesting mix, they just got fake married because he is already married, and she knows it – they are so in love! Anyway, this is a short summary of the family which definitely isn’t a typical TV family.. Remember 7th Heaven? Well, Shameless is the exact opposite to that and quite entertaining. I recommend it, and if you don’t trust me, trust the 8,8 score in IMD while getting mixed reviews from critics (this I think is mostly involved with the fact that if the critic’s beliefs and morals, cause this show hasn’t got any which might make it unpleasant for many people).
The storylines involve all the family, there is a lot to write and a lot to watch so I have no idea where the show might end up in the end of the season but one thing is sure, they are shameless to the core and I love it!
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