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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.
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.
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Cast and Promo Pictures
Joan Cusack has joined the cast of Showtime's new dramedy "Shameless."
Cusack will appear in all 12 episodes of "Shameless," which will premiere on Sunday, Jan. 9.
"Shameless" is based on the adored British format and features original creator Paul Abbott as executive producer along with Emmy winner John Wells. The series features William H. Macy as the alcoholic patriarch of a working-class Chicago family, but truly stars Emmy Rossum as the eldest daughter who has to keep the family together.
Cusack will play Sheila, an agoraphobic housewife who strikes up a relationship with Macy's character.
The role was played by Allison Janney in the pilot, but with the "West Wing" star committed to ABC's midseason comedy "Mr. Sunshine" and producers determined to expand Sheila into a larger role, there wasn't enough Janney to go around.
Cusack has earned a pair of Oscar nominations for her performances in "Working Girl" and "In & Out." He TV credits include the short-lived "What About Joan" and a run on "Saturday Night Live."
Production on "Shameless" will begin in mid-September.
Emmy Rossum has revealed she has been banned from watching the British version of Shameless, despite starring in the American adaptation.
The Phantom Of The Opera star plays oldest Gallagher sister Fiona in the US version, the part played by Ann Marie Duff in the award-winning comedy drama about a chaotic family on a Manchester council estate.
Emmy revealed: "I've never seen it. Paul Abbott, the creator, has asked that I not see it just so I take a fresh take on the story and the character.
"There's a lot of pressure to live up to and also do something different than the British series because it is so great and has such a loyal fanbase that we're not trying to copy - we're just trying to do our own version of it. I think the stories will be somewhat similar - similar-ish.
"I play Fiona - she's kind of the pseudo-mother of the brood. She is feisty and loyal and outspoken and I really dig her a lot. She's awesome."
The 24-year-old actress, who was speaking as she arrived at the CNN Heroes awards, said she was really enjoying the show's British sense of humour.
She said: "I like how ballsy it is, how fresh and it's got a lot of punk, rock and roll energy to it, so it should be good.
"Just getting to deal with the material is so fun and exciting and it's raw, it's challenging and I get to be funny, hopefully, which is fun."
:: British viewers can see CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute on Friday November 26.
William H. Macy has claimed that Shameless is "a farce".
The actor, who plays Frank Gallagher in Showtime's remake of the UK series, told TV Squad that he had been surprised by the original show.
"When I first watched the British series, I thought 'This looks like a kitchen-sink drama'," he admitted. "But in fact, it's a farce. We go to some outrageous places."
He continued: "It's a testament to [creator] Paul Abbott that the world is so organic and real that it gives you licence to go insane with some of these plots."
Macy added that he was initially wary of poking fun at Frank's alcoholism.
"We've talked about it, [in terms of] how funny can addiction be?" he revealed. "But I think the magnificent thing that all these scripts have done so far is that, at the end, you get a warm feeling for the family."
He also claimed that the 12-part series will improve on the pilot episode, which aired as a special preview on December 12.
"I loved the pilot too, but we've done better," he suggested. "The second episode takes off. It gets a little brighter. There's more humour in the second one."
Shameless premieres this Sunday at 10/9c on Showtime.
Emmy Rossum has revealed that she is not worried about the controversial side of Shameless.
Rossum, who plays Fiona in the US remake of the show, told the New York Post that she has no problem with the sex scenes.
"People will either love this or be horribly offended, and I think all of those things are good challenges," she said.
"I definitely embrace [the sex scenes]. So much of people's inner workings and who you really are can be shown through a sexual experience. Apparently I didn't like wearing clothes until I was, like, seven, when I realised it was proper to wear clothes. I used to just take them off and run around naked. So clearly I'm comfortable that way."
Rossum also acknowledged that she was not an obvious choice to play Fiona.
"I don't think that given my past history of big budget movies and corset period dramas I was the logical choice for this kind of rough-around-the-edges character," she said. "So [in my audition] I went in jeans and a ripped tank top, no make-up and a Chicago accent. And I kind of convinced them that I could cuss with the best of them."
Shameless premieres on Sunday at 10pm on Showtime.
Anybody see it? was it any good?
It is coming to More4 in FebruaryQuote:
Originally Posted by Chris_2k11
The US adaptation of the hit comedy drama Shameless is coming to Irish screens this month.
The remake of the gritty show is being hailed as one of the biggest programme launches stateside, with an all-star cast.
While we normally have to wait several months before getting a new show from the US, RTE will be showing Shameless just weeks after its debut to critical acclaim.
Although it is believed to be a 'watered down' version of the no holds barred British original, the programme boasts a stellar cast full of award-winning actors.
Oscar-nominated William H. Macy leads the cast as Frank Gallagher, the alcoholic patriarch of a large, unconventional, blue-collar family in working class Chicago.
Playing the role of his oldest daughter Fiona is Golden Globe nominated Emmy Rossum, whose character tries to keep her five younger brothers and sisters on track.
In a recent interview, Macy who is married to Desperate Housewives star Felicity Huffman, describes Gallagher as being "very broadminded about his drug choices".
Smart
"He's a narcissist, an addict, he's smart, he's funny, he's strangely hard-working," he added.
"It occurred to me that he could just go out and get a job, it would be a lot easier than all the scams he does. You can't believe where they are taking this character over the first season; it is hysterical."
Although the original is still believed to outshine Macy and co's latest efforts, the remake is proving to be a massive hit stateside.
Shameless debuted on US network Showtime just last week, scoring the biggest ever show debut in the station's history, with more than eight million viewers tuning in.
Shameless airs on RTE Two, Thursday, January 27 at 9.55pm.
Chloe Webb is to make a guest appearance on Showtime's Shameless.
The comedy-drama, a remake of the British original, stars William H. Macy as unemployed alcoholic Frank Gallagher.
TV Squad reports that Webb will play Frank's estranged ex-wife in an episode later this season.
A similar character, Monica Gallagher, is played by Annabelle Apsion in the original version of Shameless.
Webb is best known for her role as Nancy Spungen in 1986 film biopic Sid and Nancy. Her recent television credits include roles in CSI, Two and a Half Men and House.
Shameless airs on Sundays at 10pm on Showtime.
liam from home and away is coming in as a new lover for Fiona