Shameless: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)

I am one who is late to the game when it comes to this show. I have, of course, heard of it for years, but did not get around to running it until very late in its run. For those who have not seen it, it is an American version of a British show, and much like was the case with The Office, in the first few episodes it mirrored the British version almost as a carbon copy, then started to find its own legs. It was created for US TV by the co-creator of ER, John Wells, as well as the creators of the original British show. The series is centered around the Gallaghers, a poor, trashy, and borderline to all-out criminal family. It is "headed" by Frank Gallagher, played by ER alum William H. Macy, in a role that is 180 degrees from his role on ER. Frank is a blackout drunk with 6 kids who manages to still be (somewhat) functional, running scam after scam to keep the drinking money flowing in. The family is led by the eldest of the children, Fiona, played wonderfully by Emmy Rossum, who had to drop out of high school during her junior year to take care of the family when their mother took off and Frank became totally unable to care for any of them. She is torn between wanting to be a young, carefree young adult in her early 20s, with being a parent to kids ranging from 2 to 17. I will not go into too much of the storylines for the few that, like me, are coming into the series cold. I will say that it is a very raw show, with all of its themes, drinking, drug use, sex, etc. It will hit home with anyone that has a dysfunctional family, or like me, is a generation removed from a dysfunctional family, and still has even some tangential contact with the older members of the family. While the Gallaghers are a very over-the-top case of a poor, almost "trailer trash" dysfunctional family (although there are families that certainly act the way the family members do, to greater or lesser degrees), it also shows that dysfunction can occur not only in poor families but rich ones as well. For those who get the blu-ray set, the show looks and sounds great. There are great exterior shots of Chicago that looks great in the high definition format, The extras include commentary tracks on a couple of episodes, deleted scenes, and about 45 minutes of behind the scenes and making-of material. Overall, the series is well-written and very well acted. The show is perfectly cast with everyone including the supporting cast knocking their roles out of the park. Joan Cusak steals nearly every scene she is in, as a clueless housewife with agoraphobia. It does not sugar coat any of its themes, and has a lot of drinking, drug use, sex and nudity, etc., by both the adults and teens on the show. The humor is very dark and manages to find humor in a lot of situations that would not normally be funny. It is definitely not a show that is for everyone, so if any of the above would turn you off to a show, then you definitely should skip this one. But, if you can accept those things and are looking for a good dramedy, then this is definitely worth checking out.

Shameless Season 1 is a wild, emotional rollercoaster that perfectly sets the tone for the series. From the very first episode, it draws you into the chaotic life of the Gallagher family in the South Side of Chicago. The season introduces us to Frank Gallagher, the unreliable, often drunk father of six. While Frank spends his days in a haze, his eldest daughter, Fiona, takes on the role of caretaker for her siblings. Each character brings their own unique challenges and personalities, creating a complex family dynamic. The show is full of Gritty Realism and doesn't shy away from portraying the harsh realities of poverty and addiction, making it an authentic experience. Thru Dark Humor the show manages to balance heavy themes with sharp, dark humor, providing relief and making the characters even more relatable. The cast delivers great performances, bringing each character to life in a memorable way. Warning: The show is full of explicit content and is not for the faint-hearted, with strong language, violence, and mature themes throughout.

When I first saw Shameless, I was almost disgusted. The stuff that goes on in the family - the dad inparticular - was just so.. terrible, unbelievable..but then.. I was hooked because of the realness and honest grit. This is definitely a show unlike any other. Although some of it you just shake your head at in disbelief, most of it is relatable in one way or another and just so very real. I am totally hooked on it now. There are so many different story lines and types of drama within it, that it stays interesting and attention grabbing. There are also many tear jerking moments, and not because of cheesey/corny moments, but because a lot of the situations are so seemingly real and/or sad or just emotional in general. (The second season gets more into the emotional aspect). I actually bought this first season set for my mom as a Christmas present. She had never seen Shameless yet and it is such a great series on so many levels, that I thought she would like it. It is one of those shows where you watch and say O M G, about 10 different times throughout the episode. Definitely give it a try. Watch a few complete episodes before giving up on it! I gaurantee you will be hooked too! It truly is a series that EVERYONE can get something out of.

I remember waiting for the first season of Shameless to start. I was so completely excited about it: Great cast playing compelling, unique characters on a channel that has run several shows that I've loved. And thankfully, I wasn't disappointed. The premise of the show is that the Gallagher family is struggling to make ends meet. Fiona—the oldest Gallagher and caretaker to her numerous siblings—is played by Emmy Rossum with applomb. William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher, the alcoholic who's more than willing to throw his family under the bus if it gets him another beer, is another standout; he personifies the character that you love to hate. Each of the other Gallagher children are compelling in their own ways, from Lip the prodigy to Ian with his secret same-sex trysts to Debbie as a Fiona-in-training, even Carl and Liam earn and deserve their screentime. Justin Chatwin's Steve/Jimmy is a nice balance to Fiona's neuroticism and isn't bad to look at either. My favorite character might be Sheila, the agoraphobia and unlikely girlfriend to Frank played by Joan Cusack. Of course, Kev and V—the mixed-race couple who lives next door to the Gallagher clan—are also very entertaining. By now, the show has several seasons under its belt, but I maintain that the first season was the best. It gives you a great introduction to the characters, their personalities, and the atmosphere of the show. I've not seen the original UK version of the show, but the US version has to at least give it a run for its money. If you like comedy and drama, like the idea of watching underdogs trying to rise above, and appreciate great acting and writing, then Shameless is for you. At the very least, you'll be entertained and feel proud of your own life and accomplishments.

I watched my first Shameless episode several weeks ago when Showtime ran a weekend marathon showing of a Shameless season 1-3 episodes before Season 4 premiered. After watching just a few minutes of a random episode, I WAS HOOKED!! Unfortunately, it was a busy weekend, so I couldn't drop everything and watch all episodes back-to-back as I desperately wanted to! Anytime I had a few spare minutes, I'd quickly turn it on! I didn't know the characters, didn't know the storyline, but it didn't matter! The series is so well-written! It's funny, dramatic, shocking, happy, sad...it keeps you on your toes and longing for MORE!! The show deals with real life social problems of families in the lower economic class trying to thrive & survive! Although the Gallagher clan is one of the most dysfunctional families ever, they all love one-another so much. Their strong bond is what holds them together and gives them hope for a better tomorrow! I love this family! I'm currently watching Season 4 on Showtime, while catching up with seasons 1-3! I knew that the Shameless series would be one that I watched over and over; therefore, I knew I must own each season on DVD! My Prime membership enabled me to receive the DVD's in two days! Included on each DVD is deleted scenes and interesting commentaries! Thanks, Amazon!!

Had this series strongly recommended to me by family and decided to pull the trigger. Decided I'd watch the series by slowly being the physical copies instead of streaming it. Really enjoyed this first season, great casting, great writing, amazing performances all around. Can't wait to see what's next.

Great show. Just got through watching season 1 twice. Just ordered season 2, can't wait to see it. Frank is a jerk but a great one. Fiona she holds them together. Carl, the deviant little guy. Debbie, she's trying to be normal but she has her times. Liam, he's Liam. That brings me to Lip and Ian. You can tall that they both love everyone in their family (Fank mite be the exception) but there's that bound between the two of them. I loved the scene of the two of them in the van talking talking about Ian being being Ian. (Don't want to give it away) Lip going to van told Ian that they we're cool after the fight the night before. If you want to know, Ian and Lip are my two favorites, but I love them all. Ian struggles about who he is reminds me of me. And I think it's great how Lip sticks with him. It is not for the prude to watch so if you are one don't watch. A great show like I said. As soon as I finish season two I'll order season three. Wish I could put my thoughts about how much I love this show in the words of one of Franks rance, but it would get censored. If you don't know what I'm talking about and Ian being Ian, buy the first season and find out.

I love this show. The story lines are well written, often extremely funny and very inventive compared to most other shows out there. All the central characters comes across as real human beings that you care about and love - and sometimes hate.... At times the show can get pretty outrageous, in fact pretty (ahem) shameless, but rarely goes too far in my opinion. The writers have managed to find a balance between humor / seriousness that works really well. And Emmy Rossum is fantastic - and gorgeous - in her role as Fiona Gallagher, for me her character is the true heart of "Shameless". The Gallagher family is like no other family on TV! I highly recommend "Shameless". Seasons 1-4 have all been very, very good. Looking forward to season 5 :)

Postman has tried to deliver this item to me, I was not at home but left a card stating there is a £11.02 customs charge to pay before they re deliver just making you aware

Fantastically written and very well played and directed!psychologically sound and very intriguing!arrived crashed with DVD 2 cracked but Washington swiftly substituted.deserves any effort to get and see it...if only you can understand english spiken or in subtitles!

De la serie no diré nada. porque a los que somos fans de ella nos encanta! Decir que la caja viene de Francia, pero cuenta tanto con con una versión original en inglés con subtítulos en español y con una versión doblada en español. Todo a un precio excelente

N'ayant pas vu la série originale (la version anglaise), je ne peux pas comparer celle-ci (version us) avec l'originale. Tout ce que je peux dire, c'est que la version us est une belle surprise. Cette série fait désormais partie de mes séries préférées. Le sujet : un père alcoolique élève seul ses six enfants. Enfin, « élève » c'est vite dit! Il laisse l'aînée s'occuper de ses cinq frères et sœurs! C'est une famille modeste qui se débrouille pour survivre. Au départ, je n'étais pas convaincue mais il m'a fallu regarder un seul épisode pour devenir immédiatement accro à Shameless ! Du premier épisode au dernier, cette série est sans temps mort. Durant les 50 min que dure un épisode, on ne voit pas le temps passer. Il y a des rebondissements, des faux-semblants. C'est une série très drôle (les derniers épisodes prennent néanmoins une tournure plus dramatique) et délicieusement cynique. Tout est tourné en dérision. Les dialogues sont croustillants (parfois grossiers mais c'est pour la bonne cause !) et les situations sont parfois choquantes (à réserver à un public adulte). Le fond est pourtant très moral car c'est une famille très unie et bien entourée par des voisins très solidaires, toujours prêts à rendre service et à aider. Les personnages sont tous très attachants. Les acteurs sont très bien choisis et « collent parfaitement à leur peau » ; du patriarche, Frank Gallagher en passant par Sheila Jackson. Ils ont tous une faille, un secret. Le jeu des acteurs est impeccable. A commencer par Justin Chatwin et Emmy Rossum (incarnant respectivement Steve et Fiona), deux acteurs en parfaite alchimie.

I ran across an episode of this show on TV in the middle of season three and was instantly hooked. It's all about six children who raise themselves while shifting their dead drunk lying on the floor alcoholic father around the room and dealing with his antics and crises. Acting is terrific, the plot is fast-moving and always surprising, and it has quite a bit of humor in a dark way. I love it and am eager to start season two when I finish.