Shameless US (* US Pace *)

JP Liz V1

Showtime has ordered 12 episodes of the William H. Macy-led drama Shameless, Variety reports.
Based on a long-running British drama, it stars the 60-year-old actor as the alcoholic patriarch of a big blue-collar family in Chicago.
Created by Paul Abbott (State of Play), Shameless is executive-produced by Abbott and John Wells. The series is expected to begin production in late summer; a premiere date has not been announced, the trade paper reports.

I cant see how the show will work over there tbh

D1976

Good god that sounds like it will be rubbish, it will never be a patch on the original. No doubt it will be based it some hick trailer park.

gonnaplayrugby

this mite be good, i hate the original...british people arent funny lol

Caveat

It sounds like an awful idea but then again so did the US version of The Office - which I believe turned out kind of OK? I dunno, have never watched it.

Anyway, Shameless is crap these days. Used to be great (up to series 3 maybe) but it's just become this parody of itself now.

Minstrel27

I will give it a go. At least Showtime can be more risky than the networks.

Caveat

Big blue collar family in Chicago?

Probably Irish again.

Go on the scumbags!!

Basq

Alison Janney (CJ from 'The West Wing') will also be a recurring guest star. Promo shot:

KerranJast

Showtime are up there with HBO and AMC for producing top notch drama in the States and Macy is a very good actor so I'd have decent hopes for this. "Rescue Me" on FX has covered some of this ground already though.

pickarooney

Macey rarely disappoints but remakes rarely succeed... might watch the pilot.

JP Liz V1

I assume Alison Janney is playing Sheila

jill_valentine

Caveat wrote: »

It sounds like an awful idea but then again so did the US version of The Office - which I believe turned out kind of OK? I dunno, have never watched it.

IMHO, significantly better than the original and with a watchability that it's predecessor lacked for me. It's built on the original idea, but at the same time it's developed it's own identity and gone in it's own direction. That's a tricky balance to strike, but I think they've shown it's very possible, and with a bit of luck this will do the same.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

They all look very young in that promotional photo - much younger than the uk bunch...

Liam O

CaptainNegative wrote: »

They all look very young in that promotional photo - much younger than the uk bunch...

go back and watch season 1

punkindrublic

jill_valentine wrote: »

IMHO, significantly better than the original and with a watchability that it's predecessor lacked for me. It's built on the original idea, but at the same time it's developed it's own identity and gone in it's own direction. That's a tricky balance to strike, but I think they've shown it's very possible, and with a bit of luck this will do the same.

ditto on this! The past couple of seasons although great lacked something season 2 had, it's starting to pick up again though. It's my favorite tv show

On the subject of a US version of shameless, I doubt it will work. I mean it will probably just end up similar to that trailer park boys show. The USA re-made kath and kim too which was just awful

JonathanAnon

basquille wrote: »

that's emmy rossum on the far right. If she's in it I'm watching. Her from Poseidon, Phantom Of the Opera . etc etc.

Mike Litoris

It will work if they mix the Trailer Park Boys with Family Guy.

Ricky from TPB Lol. That was a funny fcuking program!:D

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Liam O wrote: »

go back and watch season 1

I guess the Carl character is the one that makes all the rest look young, as he's older than Debbie in the uk series, but judging by that photo, he's a good bit younger than her...
The Fiona character also looks really young...

Basq

CaptainNegative wrote: »

The Fiona character also looks really young...

Yep, Emmy Rossum is 24, whereas Anne-Marie Duff was 34 when Shameless started.

PS - I should really catch up with the UK version (am 3 or 4 episodes into Season 1! )!

anotherlostie

basquille wrote: »

Yep, Emmy Rossum is 24, whereas Anne-Marie Duff was 34 when Shameless started.

PS - I should really catch up with the UK version (am 3 or 4 episodes into Season 1! )!

I can't believe Ann Marie Duff is 40 this year. Almost as shocking as Orla Brady being 48 :eek:

Is John Wells the guy who ran ER? I too find it hard to see how Americans will react to this type of humour.

amacachi

basquille wrote: »

Yep, Emmy Rossum is 24, whereas Anne-Marie Duff was 34 when Shameless started.

PS - I should really catch up with the UK version (am 3 or 4 episodes into Season 1! )!

Stop after Season 5, even then you'll probably wish you stopped after 4.

Basq

anotherlostie wrote: »

Is John Wells the guy who ran ER?

Yep.. same guy!

anotherlostie wrote: »

I too find it hard to see how Americans will react to this type of humour.

What we need to remember is this will air on Showtime.. it's not appealing to the masses!

Two Showtime series that are currently airing and have been renewed are 'Nurse Jackie' and 'United States of Tara' - both are getting 500K - 700K viewers a week.

I think if Shameless finds it's niche.. it could do very well!

amacachi wrote: »

Stop after Season 5, even then you'll probably wish you stopped after 4.

Funny enough, I've had people tell me to stop after

Fiona and Steve leave

.. that's what..

end of season 2

?

amacachi

basquille wrote: »

Funny enough, I've had people tell me to stop after

Fiona and Steve leave

.. that's what..

end of season 2

?

I enjoyed the following season a lot and the next less so. You may be less discerning than me though and enjoy it for longer. :P

KrazeeEyezKilla

Is it just the main family members that's the same or will there be neighbours based on Kev & Veronica or the Maguires.

basquille wrote: »

Funny enough, I've had people tell me to stop after

Fiona and Steve leave

.. that's what..

end of season 2

?

Season Three was fine. I didn't notice any big drop in quality. The turning point was the start of Season Four. It's had it's moments since then but it's been a bit of a mess a lot of the time.

JP Liz V1

I wonder who is playing Kev and Veronica

Also Starring LeVar Burton

It's still worth watching after season 4 - while I agree the quality dropped back in the day its still good fun and even season 7 (the current season) is way better than the majority of the crap on tv these days...

FreudianSlippers

Sounds like a bad remake of Rosanne to me tbh. Never really liked Shameless to begin with anyway now that I think about it.
emmy rossum is pretty good looking tho. hmmm

Hank_Jones

Don't know how they will transform this format into an American show.
The characters are distinctly British in Shameless,
I don't really know how you could make Frank Gallagher American...

I really dislike this whole thing America has regarding remakes.
Remakes of Films, TV Shows etc.

Basically anything that has any success all over the world is taken by America and made into a poorer version.
Really irritating.

JP Liz V1

Would "a pint and two vowels" be funny for an American audience :rolleyes:

Rachel Griffiths would make a good Veronica

Hank_Jones

I think the fact that the drug culture is different in America will be a bit of a problem for the characters.

The way Frank is mad for the E's and him going into the pub and asking for a few E's with his pint.
How do you make that work in America?

Even the culture of spliff culture is different.
In American culture it is all about stupid teenage stoners,
while that certainly isn't the case here and never was on Shameless with Lip, Ian etc.

FreudianSlippers

Hank_Jones wrote: »

I think the fact that the drug culture is different in America will be a bit of a problem for the characters.

The way Frank is mad for the E's and him going into the pub and asking for a few E's with his pint.
How do you make that work in America?

Even the culture of spliff culture is different.
In American culture it is all about stupid teenage stoners,
while that certainly isn't the case here and never was on Shameless with Lip, Ian etc.

They go to the bar and ask for some meth with their coors light?! lol

Hank_Jones

OisinT wrote: »

They go to the bar and ask for some meth with their coors light?! lol

What can I get ya Frank?


Yeah I'll have a beer (can't say pint) and some crack.
Oh and give me some of that PCP as well....

It will be like the Hindenburg all over again.

HavingCrack

http://www.sho.com/site/announcements/view.do?articleid=841

So the pilot of the US version of Shameless has been made and the network Showtime are aiming to have a full series airing by Januray 2011. What does everyone think of this?? Will it work? They have a great cast by the looks of things with William Macy playing Frank but I just can't see the show transferring to America without a significant overhaul.

The council estate doesn't really exist in the US in the same way as the UK. There are the 'projects' in places like the South Bronx in New York and Palo Alto in San Francisco but they're not really the same sort of thing as the British council flats. I can imagine the show ending up being set in a trailer park or something along those lines. That all said I feel the US Office is actually quite a good programme if it differs a lot of its British original so US Shameless could work.

Whats everyone else thoughts on how it'll pan out?

Richard Dower

"meh" is my generic/scripted response.

JP Liz V1

Showtime has announced premiere date for Shameless.

The cable network will debut the US version of Shameless from producer John Wells and starring William H. Macy on January 10.

Basq

Shameless US threads merged!

pickarooney

Truly shameless promotion

ScumLord

I'm always surprised by how much alcoholism is in some American shows. I can see them making shows about an alcoholic that uses weed but don't know if they'd go any further than that.

Minstrel27

HavingCrack wrote: »

Whats everyone else thoughts on how it'll pan out?

I look forward to it. I would only be worried if it was being made by one of the networks (NBC, FOX, CBS etc.)

Forest Master

Caveat wrote: »

It sounds like an awful idea but then again so did the US version of The Office - which I believe turned out kind of OK? I dunno, have never watched it.

I watched it - it's sh*t - slapstick sitcom.

HavingCrack

basquille wrote: »

Shameless US threads merged!

How come I can never seem to find the threads I want :mad:

Barname

its been done

It was called Roseanne

Barname

Caveat wrote: »

Big blue collar family in Chicago?

Probably Irish again.

Go on the scumbags!!

yes, it wouldnt be PC to have a real Chicago welfare family .......

JP Liz V1

HavingCrack wrote: »

How come I can never seem to find the threads I want :mad:

Try the search function

paddyismaddy

macy and janney are great actors and the fact its on showtime it could work

the uk version is very explicit in language and nudity so this will be too no doubt considering its showtime

Richard Dower

HavingCrack wrote: »

How come I can never seem to find the threads I want :mad:

Yup, and i get scolded for a shoddy search engine :mad: -

JP Liz V1

Alison Janney is no longer part of the cast

Basq

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Alison Janney is no longer part of the cast

Allisson Janney was never a dedicated cast-member - she's been listed as guest-star (or a "recurring guest star") in all press releases.

paddyismaddy

who was janney playing anyways?

JP Liz V1

paddyismaddy wrote: »

who was janney playing anyways?

From the picture I thought it was Sheila

Basq

Yep, her IMDb confirms she's playing Sheila alright!

# "Shameless" .... Sheila (1 episode, 2010)
- Pilot (2010) TV episode .... Sheila

JP Liz V1

Sheila was a major character in the UK show so I assume she would be in the US show also so I doubt she'd be a guest star or recurring