shameless

Shameless from Sarofsky Corp on Vimeo.


I recently discovered the brilliant dysfunctional-ness of Showtime's Shameless (on TMN in Canada) upon the recommendation of my self-proclaimed television and film expert extraordinaire brother. In his own words, he explained it as "a fucked up Party of Five". Right on the money, brother dear.


And let's just say I became as addicted to this show as the family patriarch of the Gallagher clan (William H. Macy) is to his booze. Basically, there are 12 episodes at one hour each and the hubby and I watched them in about 2 days. ADDICTION, I think so.


In short, the Gallagher's are a "hood" family of 6 children with an alcoholic father and m.i.a. mother. Frank Gallagher is a loveable selfish piece of shit and the family is left to pretty much fend for themselves under the helm of the eldest daughter Fiona. After that there's Lip (bad ass yet academic genius), Ian (gay military teen sleeping with his muslim convenience store boss), Debbie (angelic weirdo baby thief), Carl (pyro-freak sociopath who lobotomizes his action figures), and Liam (black baby in an otherwise all white family).


Other supporting characters that surround the Gallagher clan are Veronica and Kev (next door neighbours and close friends who wildly sex it up, while exercising their parental instincts and taking in a foster child from a polygamist cult), Steve (well-bred socialite boyfriend to Fiona, and med school drop-out, who makes all his cash from being a high end car thief rather than from his well-to-do family), Sheila (played by the ever amazing Joan Cusack, an agoraphobic dominatrix type who "befriends" Frank and hasn't left the house in over 5 years), and her sexed up teenage daughter Karen (neighbourhood slut who goes slightly loco after being called out as a whore by her church-going father).


This show is just so all over the place and unexpected in the most wonderfully twisted kind of way. Yet still makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.


If you have TMN, all 12 episodes of Season 1 are there for your viewing pleasure. Just make sure you got some time set aside, because you will become hopelessly addicted.