Shameless

The Duchess of Cambridge has paid a visit to the estate where Shameless was filmed.

Kate Middleton visited The Willows Primary School in Wythenshawe, Manchester this week to help launch a new school counselling programme to help combat the effects of drug and alcohol addiction.

Despite the fact the show was set on the fictional Chatsworth council estate, parts of the Channel 4 comedy-drama were filmed in Wythenshawe. Continue reading »

Shameless’s David Threlfall and Being Human’s Russell Tovey will feature in the new BBC whodunit What Remains.

The four-part series will be Threlfall’s first role since Shameless, where he featured as Frank Gallagher.

The Tony Basgallop-written series centres on the discovery of the remains of a young woman in the loft of an apartment now rented by a couple (Tovey and Amber Rose Rivah).

Threlfall’s character, Detective Inspector Len Harper, is called into investigate the death. Continue reading »

The final ever episode of Shameless is currently shooting on the Chatsworth Estate and in true Shameless fashion some much loved characters turn up to sort out Frank in a suitably Shameless finale for the blisteringly funny and offbeat drama series.

Returning from “buying a loaf of bread”, Monica (Annabelle Apsion) is back in the Gallagher nest – and Frank (David Threlfall)… well, Frank, as ever, is in a spot of bother…

In a state of emergency the Gallagher off-spring are summoned to show solidarity and Fiona (Anne-Marie Duff), Lip (Jody Latham), and Carl (Elliott Tittensor) come running – family will always be at the core of Shameless. Continue reading »

10:00pm Wednesday, October 24 on C4

When Dom receives a cryptic text from an ex in desperation it prompts a crisis of faith and he turns to Frank for some major help. Lillian bids farewell to another happy old man at the brothel, but he turns out to be the local magistrate who’s been claiming the visits on expenses. Now in hot water, Lillian must convince a judge that she’s actually a life coach. And the pressure is on for Letitia to lose her V plates, but she wants her first time to be special, so who will be the lucky recipient? Contact: Deborah Goodwin; publicity@dgpr.co.uk

Paul Abbott, Company Pictures and Channel 4 today announced that they are calling time in the Jockey and bringing multi award-winning and iconic Channel 4 drama series Shameless to an end, with one final series – its eleventh, to be broadcast in early 2013.

One last series with fourteen brand new episodes, Shameless 11 is currently filming in Manchester. Creator Paul Abbott is story-lining the full series and is planning a suitably Shameless finale for this blisteringly funny and offbeat drama series.

Paul Abbott says: “Its 10th anniversary seems a fitting time to shut the book on Shameless. We’ve had an absolute ball making this stuff up for a living. We’ve given back in spades and got away with absolute murder, on behalf of such a fantastically outspoken audience. Continue reading »

10:00pm Tuesday, September 25 on C4

Billy discovers a used pregnancy test after Mimi, Karen and Gloria spend the night boozing. He turns to Jamie for advice, and both of them set out to discover who’s the daddy. Jackson is suspicious because Avril and Calum are always together after hours, but when he sneers at an invitation to go clubbing, Avril leaves him behind and makes it a night to remember. Aiden and Chesney collect meat for a raffle and manage to get stuck with a live cow, and a guilt-ridden Shane starts watching the family of the man he’s killed. (The next episode follows on E4.)

10:00pm Wednesday, September 12 on C4

Shameless kicks off series 10 with two brand new episodes shown over consecutive nights. The unthinkable has happened… the Department of Work and Pensions has finally caught up with job dodger Frank. A nightmare fantasy emerges of Frank on death row with the Chatsworth characters appearing as cell mates, prison governor, guards and last supper servers. Frank is a ‘dead man walking’ to… a job!

New and rebooted Shameless returns in January 2012 with an initial run of eleven episodes, kicked off by an extended two-part story to be screened over two consecutive nights (week 2). Welcome to ‘The Chatsworth Spring’.

This series is the Chatsworth in times of Austerity: The Underbelly Strikes Back! Shameless back to its best – funny, sexy, dark, political, pushing the envelope in every which way.

The opening two part story sees the Gallaghers (and half the Chatsworth Estate) evicted, as part of a Multi-Agency crackdown on housing estates and benefits culture. As ever, Shameless is ahead of the zeitgeist – but will Chatsworth take it lying down?

The rolling herd of suited officials led by the ruthless project consultant Carmen Kenaway (Morwenna Banks) and her toxic side kick Feeney (Judy Flynn) hit on the estate, embarking on a long term strategy to make the Chatsworth an urban wasteland. The refugees pour into The Jockey for sanctuary and look to the Maguire clan as their guardian angels, but can they be saved?

War is declared against the Task Force and the battle to save life as the Chatworthians know it begins…..

Across this first run of eleven episodes, the Chatsworth Buccaneers endure the pillaging of babies, euthanasia Shameless-style, queer-bashing, love in a wheel-chair, rape, whole-sale theft of prescription drugs, and auditions for hookers in Lillian’s brothel – not to mention shocking infidelity, Freeganomics, heart attacks amongst the young, a Dangerous Liaisons-style sex-bet, and the arrival of three new central characters: a defrocked priest (Stephen Lord), his tough but sought-after sister (Angeline Ball) and a Maguire niece (Kari Corbett) – a Regular joins the Boys in Blue, open relationships, funeral crashers, a Bad Lieutenant who comes back to haunt Jamie, a life-or-death bad trip for Kelly, an internet sensation….and the rest.

Shameless is currently filming its ninth series in the not so green and pleasant pasture that is the rebooted Chatsworth Estate.

Returning with 22 episodes in the New Year on Channel 4, 2012 sees all the regular Chatsworthians return plus a few new faces; post banking crisis, mid-recession, abandoned by Council and Government alike; this is the Rise of the Underbelly – this is Shameless seceding from Society. You are now entering Free Chatsworth.

Some sexy new characters are found living in the close knit community: feisty siblings Gloria (Angeline Ball – The Commitments, Any Time Now, Bloom, EastEnders) and Dominic Meak (Stephen Lord – Route Irish, Phone Shop, Casualty, EastEnders ). She’s a hairdresser working out of her front room on the Chatsworth and he’s a very lapsed Catholic priest on “sabbatical” – they cause moral mayhem as well as bringing their own pretty damaged past to the estate. Then there’s 21 year old Ruby Hepburn (Kari Corbett – feature film You Instead,The Royal, Monarch of the Glen) – a post Lads Mag ball of trouble, a Maguire niece and a fiery Celt, joining the Maguire household. Not to mention the smiling face of Frank’s (David Threlfall) new running mate Terry, a little terrapin, who lives in his pocket.

The series starts with a multi agency swoop on the Estate, when ruthless project consultant Carmen Kenaway (Morwenna Banks – Skins, Peppa Pig) and her toxic side kick Feeney (Judy Flynn – The Brittas Empire, Peppa Pig ) hit on the estate, embarking on a long term strategy to make the Chatsworth an urban wasteland.

The Gallaghers (and half the estate) are evicted from their homes. But the Chatsworthians continue to be comrades-in-arms, socially irresponsible and outrageous in their everyday roller coaster lives. The Maguires embrace freeganism, and make money from what corporate bodies discard. Avril Powell (Karen Bryson) uses her new job in a pharmacy to become the local supplier of prescription drugs. Micky Maguire (Ciaran Griffiths) is gay bashed. Shane Maguire (Nicky Evans) develops a taste for smoking Kanda (addictive dried cow shit). The marriage of Karen and Jamie Maguire (Rebecca Atkinson and Aaron McCusker) is put under pressure when they are both tempted to stray and when Jamie is stabbed by corrupt copper Brooksy (Steve Evets – Looking For Eric). Young Aidan Croker (Robbie Conway) is a horrified bystander when his teacher is raped. Kelly (Sally Carman) and Marty (Jack Deam) are expecting but their life takes a very dark turn. Mimi Maguire (Tina Malone) and her new husband Billy (Michael Taylor) embark on an open relationship. Lillian Tyler (Alice Barry) fluffs and smothers clients in a unique take on euthanasia. And Carl Gallagher (Elliott Tittensor) grows up, becomes a policeman and meets a girl (Amy Beth Hayes – Sirens, Case Sensitive ) who finally, properly steals his heart…….

The world of Shameless is warm, compelling, mischievous and celebratory; it’s dark, it’s sexy and always gut achingly funny.

Shameless is written by a talented pool of writers including; Ed McCardie, Kevin Erlis, Tom Higgins, Ian Kershaw, Jonathan Harvey, Jimmy Dowdall and Mark Brotherhood. The series is filmed in Manchester and made by Company Pictures. Executive Producers are George Faber, Charles Pattinson, Paul Abbott, David Threlfall and Claire Ingham. Series Producer is Jean Holdsworth, with Producer Ed McCardie. Directors include: John Henderson, Luke Watson, Andy McDonnell, David Threlfall, Tim Whitby, Justin Molotnikov and Gordon Anderson.

11:05pm Tuesday, February 22 on E4

Mimi is surprised when her brother Bobbi turns up to announce he’s soon to become her sister!