Pilot (9 Jan. 2011)

Having her handbag stolen proves to be a blessing for Fiona when a handsome stranger named Steve comes to her rescue. Lip is shocked to discover Ian could be gay and decides his brother ... See full summary »

Director:

Mark Mylod

Writers:

Paul Abbott (original British series pilot written by), Paul Abbott (teleplay),

Stars:

William H. Macy, Emmy Rossum, Justin Chatwin

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
William H. Macy	...	Frank Gallagher
Emmy Rossum	...	Fiona Gallagher
Justin Chatwin	...	Steve
Ethan Cutkosky	...	Carl Gallagher
Shanola Hampton	...	Veronica Fisher
Steve Howey	...	Kevin Ball
Emma Kenney	...	Debbie Gallagher
Cameron Monaghan	...	Ian Gallagher
Jeremy Allen White	...	Lip Gallagher
Joan Cusack	...	Sheila Jackson
Marguerite Moreau	...	Linda
Joel Murray	...	Eddie Jackson
Pej Vahdat	...	Kash
Laura Wiggins	...	Karen Jackson (as Laura Slade Wiggins)
Noel Arthur	...	Bouncer

Storyline

Having her handbag stolen proves to be a blessing for Fiona when a handsome stranger named Steve comes to her rescue. Lip is shocked to discover Ian could be gay and decides his brother should pay a visit to the ever-accommodating Karen Jackson down the block. But the sudden arrival of her furious father Eddie ensures Ian's already-slim chances of happiness with Karen take a severe blow. Meanwhile, Steve buys Fiona a romantic gift, but for some reason she's less than impressed with it.

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Plot Keywords:

strap on dildo | male frontal nudity | washing machine | car theft | oral sex | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 January 2011 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bonanza Productions, John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

58 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Trivia

Both Emmy Rossum and Justin Chatwin starred in the live-action Dragon Ball Z movie.

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Quotes

Hockey customer: Think you would tap that ass?
Customer: Sure, if I double bagged it.
Hockey customer: Project girls. You know they are all whores.

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Connections

Remake of Shameless: Episode #1.1 (2004)

User Reviews

Natural lead actress, empathic protagonist, guilty pleasures, controversial topics, inspiring "Sinderella" story, neverending remake

Remakes repel me. Wouldn't it be more interesting and culture-friendly to just air the original in America ? There're reasons why the British series is successful after all and I question the decision to adapt a foreign recipe in order to make it more digestible for a specific audience. That's why it took me a while to decide either or not the show deserved my attention. Now that I have seen the pilot I absolutely not regret my change of heart. Moreover when you think about it the arguments in its favor are numerous enough. However when it comes to Showtime I tend to raise my eyebrows because despite some undeniable qualities productions like Californication and Weeds are definitely not my cup of tea. Otherwise they're just the tip of the iceberg because in my humble opinion Dexter is a masterpiece, at least until season 6, and The Borgias was enchainting.

But let's go back to Shameless. I instantly digged its concept, following a dysfunctional family, because we all have issues. Your mother is a Queen ? Your five years old sister demolished your tower defense highscore ? William H. Macy was the second thing that convinced me to give the show a chance. Indeed his dual performance in Umney's Last Case (Nightmares & Dreamscapes) was delightful so I highly anticipated his role as a drunken father. Sadly it's only a minor one but at least he did a good job and you should enjoy the small gathering scene. The other excuse I found, yes because it confused my senses, is Emmy Rossum. I've always been fascinated by performers breaking the barriers of their own cells to free their talent and shatter the audience. Does Christian Bale in The Machinist ring a bell ? Rossum's transformation is nothing jaw dropping but I really enjoyed that she just looked like the sad girl next door. Without make up, a messy haircut and none of the glamorous attributes that shine on her promotional photos. So considering I had never seen her before her empathic role as Fiona Gallagher confirmed that smoking beauty and real talent can mix on TV !

In the entertaining department we have the best of what Showtime has to offer. From shocking to sex-driven scenes there're plenty of guilty pleasures to appeal the network addicts. However shame on them for not promoting safe sex ! At least they had the decency of keeping Rossum's curves in the dark, making her even more charming and sexy. Anyway these are minor details compared to the story. Yes because in the end it's all about the characters and the obstacles they have to overcome in order to survive the harsh reality ! From addictions to sexuality many interesting and disturbing topics are covered. Add an immersive production with a slightly amateurish visuals and you have a winner ! The wicked minds behind the show also had the wise idea of enriching the story with a more conventional arc. Indeed Fiona can be seen as a modern Cinderella. She's actually inspiring because she takes care of everybody and the ongoing romance intrigued me. Moreover the writers twisted things a little, making an event very surprising. I just didn't see it coming !

In the end it seemed the remake had potential. Between two dramas there was even room for comedy but don't expect Shameless to be a dramedy ! However my fear is that the audience will probably never see the end of it. Indeed the original has already 10 seasons and in this installment I didn't really see a glimpse of hope. It actually reminded me of Hung because I fell in love with it during its first season but gave up on it during the second because it just seemed hopeless. When characters have issues, they have to solve them. Of course you can't become sober overnight nor improve your social condition in a few weeks but I just hate neverending series. Still I have read some raving reviews about Emmy Rossum's performance in later episodes and the preview revealed that the next installment should shock the audience even more !

Note : This review was first posted on Kritikenstein, my weblog.