The Underbelly Strikes Back

8 December 2011

"I don't believe in government; I don't believe in Society; I just believe in me" - Frank Gallagher.

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 Redux; Shameless Rebooted; Shameless Revolutionary - Shameless is back.

Shameless is written by a host of established and emerging writing talent 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 and David Threlfall.   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.