OI CHEZ !!! . Shameless is back tonight

[FatFreddysCat]

Channel 4 10pm . Definately not for the easily offended if you haven't seen it.

[White Noise]

I know US re-makes almost never work, but I am looking forward to seeing the brilliant Willam H Macy as Frank in this apparently very faithful version the Yanks are doing -


http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2011/jan/07/shameless-remake-us-tv-debut


Shameless remake set for US TV debut

Remarkably faithful US version of Shameless transplants action to downtrodden Chicago suburb, but changes little else


Daniel Martin

guardian.co.uk, Friday 7 January 2011 17.29 GMT Article history


Allison Janney, William H Macy and Emmy Rossum in the US Shameless. Photograph: Showtime/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar

With its lurid tales of petty crime, sexual deviance and a local pub that sells ecstasy over the counter, Shameless is among the hits of modern British television.

But before the Channel 4 drama begins what is, for the broadcaster, an unprecedented eighth run on Monday, the question of whether an American audience can make sense of this peculiarly British show will be answered with Sunday night's debut of the US remake – also called Shameless – on the US cable channel Showtime.

Developed under the guidance of Paul Abbott, who created the original based on his own upbringing in Manchester, the remarkably faithful new version transplants the action to a downtrodden Chicago suburb, but changes little else.

Eldest sister Fiona still acts as mother to her siblings, brother Lip still trades homework sessions for sexual favours, Ian is still engaged in a gay relationship with his married employer, and little sister Debbie still enacts charity scams to pay the family bills. William H Macy takes the lead as the alcoholic patriarch Frank Gallagher, the role made infamous by David Threlfall.

The invasion of the British formats is fast becoming one of the great TV traditions of our age. Reality shows such as Dancing With The Stars and American Idol have their roots in their British counterparts, and it was the soaraway success of The Office that encouraged US networks to take the risk on remaking more expensive drama and comedy formats.

This year will also see US versions of the teen drama Skins and the supernatural comedy Being Human, and the cross-pollination does not end there. Shameless will debut alongside Episodes, a co-production between Showtime and the BBC starring Matt LeBlanc and Tamsin Greig. The fourth series of the sci-fi hit Torchwood will be a three-way production between BBC Wales, BBC Worldwide and the US channel Starz, and will take the action global.

Still, Shameless remains something of a special case. As a premium-cable channel, Showtime can take more risks than a mainstream network, and has already successfully adapted another controversial Manchester drama, Queer As Folk.

Macy believes that the timing is critical. "It is to a certain extent groundbreaking material, and I can understand the networks would have some trepidation about doing something like this," he told the Los Angeles Times. "But this seems perfect now with the economic meltdown. It seems completely timely. And it's not, by any stretch of the imagination, traditional television."

Early reviews suggest producers have got it right – to a point. Reviewing the pilot episode in the New York Times, Alessandra Stanley concluded that the remake was only able to be as faithful as convention allowed. "One reason British scripts stand out is that they are brutally candid and callous about sex, race and class," she wrote. "American television is more squeamish about stereotypes – the Chicago Gallaghers are blind to prejudice as opposed to inured, and the Showtime version, while raunchy and impious even by premium-cable standards, is still less cruel than the original."

It has become a January tradition for TV critics to bemoan that the UK's Shameless has become tired, but audience figures remain high and for Channel 4 it remains a priority, screening every night next week. A successful Stateside reboot would give the show another shot in the arm.

[FatFreddysCat]

Has that been shown in the US of A yet? Any of you septics seen it and is it any good?

[chez]

OI FAT FRED

Cheers ears, your know what i'll be doing at 10pm tonight then  :yay:

[CincyFulham1]

Has that been shown in the US of A yet? Any of you septics seen it and is it any good?

Hey Fred, I've not seen the new show, but I''ve seen seen the original Shameless.  Without major script changes I doubt it will connect with anerican viewers.  I had friends who watched the Shameless dvds and I don't they got it.  I am considering getting showtime just see how good these new shows are,  but I am skeptical about american remakes of english shows.

[FatFreddysCat]

Has that been shown in the US of A yet? Any of you septics seen it and is it any good?

Hey Fred, I've not seen the new show, but I''ve seen seen the original Shameless.  Without major script changes I doubt it will connect with anerican viewers.  I had friends who watched the Shameless dvds and I don't they got it.  I am considering getting showtime just see how good these new shows are,  but I am skeptical about american remakes of english shows.

I'd say you was more SEPTICAL  :015: . Watched it last night and thought it was very poor, perhaps it's run it's course.

[CincyFulham1]

 
Has that been shown in the US of A yet? Any of you septics seen it and is it any good?

Hey Fred, I've not seen the new show, but I''ve seen seen the original Shameless.  Without major script changes I doubt it will connect with anerican viewers.  I had friends who watched the Shameless dvds and I don't they got it.  I am considering getting showtime just see how good these new shows are,  but I am skeptical about american remakes of english shows.

I'd say you was more SEPTICAL  :015: . Watched it last night and thought it was very poor, perhaps it's run it's course.

To bad, but maybe it's just a bad episode.