Emmy Rossum
William H. Macy
Shanola Hampton
Steve Howey
Jeremy Allen White
Cameron Monaghan
Joan Cusack
Noel Fisher
Justin Chatwin
Emily Bergl
Dermot Mulroney

Developed by:
John Wells

2011-
Comedy, Drama
Showtime
TV-MA

Yes, “Shameless” is irreverent, completely so. Yes, it’s offensive and outlandish. If you’re going to watch this, you need to be able to appreciate humor from the darkest and frankest of places, especially in the beginning. (The first season is its weakest, by far.) But underneath all of that is a show with heart. It’s a surprising combination, and an effective one.

As “Shameless” progresses, it keeps deepening and getting better. By the end of each season, it finds a way to get to the humanity of all of its characters. The fourth season did this even better than the previous ones.

You may start watching “Shameless” with the expectation that William H. Macy will dominate. While he’s certainly excellent, as usual, this show doesn’t rest on his shoulders. Most of the credit goes to the actors who play his kids, especially Emmy Rossum; she’s surprisingly strong as a young woman, on the South Side of Chicago, who has to take care of her younger siblings because her (and their) mother and father are addicts. The rest of the cast is equally great, by the way.

“Shameless” is a show that knows what it is and has the guts to be nothing more than that. It has guts, because it’s not afraid to go wherever it needs to or wants to, and because it knows that it can go from being ridiculous to being warm and authentic all in the same episode.

I’m starting to really love this. I hope that they keep growing; the writers and the actors are to be commended.

Verdict: Very Good Overall (With Very, Very Good Moments)

About: (Source: shameless)

Oscar®-nominated William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum star in this fiercely engaging and fearlessly twisted series. Chicagoan Frank Gallagher is the proud single dad of six smart, industrious, independent kids, who without him would be… perhaps better off. When Frank’s not at the bar spending what little money they have, he’s passed out on the floor. But the kids have found ways to grow up in spite of him. They may not be like any family you know, but they make no apologies for being exactly who they are.