In 2011, Showtime premiered their new cable series Shameless, an export of the UK hit from 2004. As usual, once a UK series hits it big, Hollywood cannot resist the urge to remake it for U.S. audiences and pass it off as an original form of entertainment. For every successful translation like The Office and Being Human, there are miserable failures such as Coupling, Free Agents and Teachers. Basically, the translations are usually more fail than pass or even never-will-be's like in the case of remaking Red Dwarf, Spaced and Absolutely Fabulous. However, Showtime invested into a concept that goes against every grain found in the usual family situational comedies found in the States, and the result is a smashing success. 

Shameless revolves around the everyday lives of the Gallagher clan, an extremely dysfunctional family residing in the poor South Side of Chicago. The family’s patriarch Frank (William H. Macy) is an absolute mess of a human being, who scrapes by in life using the most despicable methods. He is an alcoholic who does "shameless" things such as claiming cash social security from his deceased sister, borrowing money from gangster he has no intention of repaying and living off government checks for a bogus disability just to drink his life away. Making matters worse is that his eldest daughter Fiona (Emmy Rossum) is left to play mother and father to her siblings ever since Mom left town and Frank is a deadbeat…even though he still has a room at their home. 


Her sibling responsibilities include Lip (Jeremy Allen White), a genius who could be a very successful individual if he only applied himself; Ian (Cameron Monaghan), a closet homosexual who desperately yearns for a career in the military; Debs (Emma Kenney), the little girl with an old soul; Carl (Ethan Cutkosky), who is bound for juvy and jail when he reaches those respective ages to qualify; and little mixed baby Liam, who was not fathered by Frank. Then there are Kevin (Steve Howey) and Veronica (Shanola Hampton), neighbors and close friends who treat the Gallagher as part of their family.

While each of them has their own plights in life, Fiona is the most tragic because she is playing the role of a single parent and holding several crappy jobs when most girls her age are out enjoying their youth. Things change when she meets Steve (Justin Chatwin), a handsome car thief who is accepting of FionaΓÇÖs situation in life, but genuinely cares for her nonetheless. However, the good-natured Steve is hiding the fact that he hails from a wealthy family and wants no part of the lifestyle of his white-collared, well-to-do family tradition. Essentially, he is from the anti-Gallaghers in life and is insistent to hide his true identity from Fiona.