Shameless (season 1)

The series depicts the dysfunctional family of Frank Gallagher, a single, alcoholic, trashy father of six children in Chicago. With their bipolar mother, Monica, running away from Frank a few years prior, the family has been run by Frank's worn out and eldest daughter Fiona, who raises her five other siblings: the extraordinary intelligent Lip, goofy and strong-hearted Ian, the mature and grounded Debbie, the troublemaking and slightly "off" child Carl, and Liam, who is mysteriously black. Often involved in the Gallagher's lives are their neighbors, Kevin and Veronica, who more than often take part in the family's crazy mishaps.

The season's core story revolves around Steve Wilton, a wealthy man whom Fiona and Veronica meet at a dance club, after he had attempted to save Fiona's purse from a thief. With Steve describing Fiona as his dream girl, Fiona pursues a relationship with Steve and finds out that he's a high end car thief, him winning her over by providing countless things for her: a new washer, a new phone, and moving into the empty house next door. A local cop, Tony Markovich, also has a thing for Fiona, though Fiona is not as interested in him. When Steve's random and prolonged disappearances lead Fiona to believe Steve is cheating on her, it is revealed that Steve is actually a wealthy man named Jimmy Lishman, who is hiding from his parents that believe he is attending medical school in the city. When Debbie discovers Steve's secret, she agrees to keep it a secret from Fiona, but does notify Steve's real mother about his double life.

The subsidiary plot throughout the season involves Ian, who is a closeted gay, his sexual orientation kept a secret from the family except for Lip. Ian is in an affair with Kash, the owner of a convenience store that Ian works at. Kash is a father of two, unhappily married to his controlling wife, Linda, who discovers the affair after installing security cameras; Linda blackmails Kash into giving her a baby. Meanwhile, Mickey Milkovich, a threatening bully, often wrecks havoc on the store, causing problems financially for Kash and Linda. Ian confronts Mickey for stealing from the store; they end up having sex and begin a sexual relationship. When Kash finds out, he angrily shoots Mickey in the leg when Mickey tries to shoplift. Mickey is arrested for attempted shoplifting and Kash is praised for his efforts. In the final episode, Ian comes out to Fiona.

Frank's eldest son, Lip, is in an open relationship with his promiscuous girlfriend, Karen, though Lip wants to pursue their relationship more than just a casual fling. Karen's mother, Sheila Jackson, is a nice but kooky housewife with a serious case of agoraphobia. When Frank is kicked out of the house for swinging Ian, he welcomes himself into Sheila's home after Sheila's husband, Eddie, separates himself from the family. Though Karen resents Frank and his obvious freeloading, she attempts to seduce him in order to get back at Eddie, who attempts to reconcile with his daughter despite her loose behavior. When Eddie lashes out and calls Karen a whore during a purity ball, Karen breaks down and cries to Sheila, who furiously kicks Eddie out, overcoming her agoraphobia in the process. In a more cruder turn of events, Karen spirals out of control and rapes a drugged Frank, showcasing the incident on a video blog that she sends to Eddie and his co-workers. Furious but beaten, Eddie secretly kills himself by drowning in a frozen lake. Consequently, a guilt stricken Karen breaks up with Lip. Both Frank and Karen separately apologize to Lip for the video.

In the final episodes, Lip and Ian are arrested for borrowing one of Steve's stolen cars, further straining Fiona and Steve's relationship, though a conflicted Fiona confesses that she may be falling in love for him. On the other end of Steve's life is Tony, who finds out about his illegal jobs and arrests Steve. Under a grudge for Fiona's beau, he gives Steve an ultimatum - to turn himself and be arrested, or to disappear without a trace. When Steve tries to convince Fiona to leave the country with him to Costa Rica, Fiona declines him and takes an office job from a new friend, Jasmine, to further care for her family. Upset but with no choice, Steve is forced to run off without the girl he expected to be with.

HBO began developing an American version of Shameless after striking a deal with John Wells in January 2009.[13] By October 2009 the development had moved to Showtime. John Wells Productions filmed a pilot episode for the cable network in December 2009.[14] William H. Macy stars in the lead role as Frank Gallagher. Also joining the cast were former Dragonball Evolution co-stars Emmy Rossum as Fiona and Justin Chatwin as Steve.[15][16] Paul Abbott, whose semi-autobiographical telescript became the pilot episode for the original UK version, is credited as an executive producer on the U.S. version. In April 2010, Showtime green-lit the series with a twelve-episode order.[17] In late August Joan Cusack was cast as Sheila, a romantic interest for Frank, replacing Allison Janney, who portrayed the role in the pilot.[18] A preview of the pilot aired on December 12, 2010, after the Season 5 finale of Dexter. The first season officially began airing on Showtime on Sunday, January 9, 2011.

Production began in mid-September 2010.[18] It is filmed in the North Lawndale[19] community area of Chicago[20] and Burbank, California, at Warner Bros. Studios.

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the first season a 'Certified Fresh' rating of 70% based on 37 reviews, with the critical consensus "Shameless is a dark, urban dramedy that overcomes its leaps of logic thanks to fantastic casting, intriguing ambiance, and shock value."[21]

• Official website
• Shameless – list of episodes on IMDb