This programme was 100% TV Gold when it first began. Series 1 & 2 were fabulous. It had it all - fabulous comedy, heartwarming family dynamics, strong characters - the works.
Unfortunately, that is where it should have ended. Shameless lost two of it's most integral characters during series 2 (Steve and Fiona) and I don't think it ever really recovered. I think it might just have coped without James McAvoy, but without Anne-Marie Duff it lost a lot of the much needed warmth and became a show purely about a slightly chavvy family living on a rough estate in Manchester.
It limped along through a third series which was just about OK thanks to excellent comedic performances from David Threlfall (Frank), Maxine Peake (Veronica) and Dean Lennox Kelly (Kev). However, it was a dying duck and the absolute final nail in the coffin for me was the return of the awful Monica into the family fold during series 4.
It was shortly after this that I switched off.
Shameless was truly excellent to begin with - I don't know anyone who didn't love it. But it's had its day now and I wish the producer had been brave enough to pull the plug after series 3 at the absolute most so it could have been remembered as a great show. At this rate it's going to end up another 'Bad Girls' - a quality show to begin with that descended into really, really crap pantomime because the production company was too greedy (or short of new ideas) to:
JUST. LET. IT. GO!!!!
Unfortunately, that is where it should have ended. Shameless lost two of it's most integral characters during series 2 (Steve and Fiona) and I don't think it ever really recovered. I think it might just have coped without James McAvoy, but without Anne-Marie Duff it lost a lot of the much needed warmth and became a show purely about a slightly chavvy family living on a rough estate in Manchester.
It limped along through a third series which was just about OK thanks to excellent comedic performances from David Threlfall (Frank), Maxine Peake (Veronica) and Dean Lennox Kelly (Kev). However, it was a dying duck and the absolute final nail in the coffin for me was the return of the awful Monica into the family fold during series 4.
It was shortly after this that I switched off.
Shameless was truly excellent to begin with - I don't know anyone who didn't love it. But it's had its day now and I wish the producer had been brave enough to pull the plug after series 3 at the absolute most so it could have been remembered as a great show. At this rate it's going to end up another 'Bad Girls' - a quality show to begin with that descended into really, really crap pantomime because the production company was too greedy (or short of new ideas) to:
JUST. LET. IT. GO!!!!