Shameless: Complete First Season [DVD] [2004] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

I noticed that the only negative reviews of Shameless were from Americans and I felt the need to disagree with my countrymen. I saw this on BBC America and instantly fell for this program. I'm a very hard sell when it comes to the writing on television but Shameless is definitely in my top 10. I can't say enough about the show, I really, really enjoy it. The characters are very real and the plots are original. So, in case any BBC America watchers stumble across this review, please give Shameless a chance: funny, honest, brilliant. Love it.

Loved this programme but don’t recall buying this dvd

Bought for my husband. Said was a really good watch and funny in parts. Would watch again and again.

Having never watched the series before but having heard lots about the 'shameless' antics in my office, I thought I'd give it a go, and was pleasantly surprised! I expected the storylines to revolve solely around sex, swearing and smutty jokes, and although there are of course elements of this (hence the title 'shameless') there is surprisingly real depth to the characters which makes the program very watchable and believable - you just can't wait to see what mischief they get up to next - child stealing, fake marriage, girlfriend sleeping with dad on the sly, gay affairs, insurance fraud, faking own death... you get the idea! Personal favourites are the first episode which I could watch again and again (love the way that Steve falls for Fiona because of she embraces her own situation, and you can almost taste the real-life chemistry between the actors), the episode where Frank wakes up somewhere unexpectedly after one of his regular blow-outs - won't spoil it for you, and the saucy neighbours Kev and Veronica who surprisingly don't seem to mind living next door to this unruly herd. I'd definitely recommend to anyone unsure about watching this to give it a go, whatever background you come from there will be something you can relate to. I picked it up for around five pounds and am now well into series 3, a wise investment! A++++++++++++++++++++

Very funny great choice to buy.

Just what I wanted

If you're a fan of shameless, without question this dvd is a necessity. I myself had forgotten just how good the first series was, quite simply the first series is what shameless is all about. If you've not experienced shameless before i recommend you buy this dvd, you will definitely not be disappointed. however be ready for some proper Laugh Out Loud moments as this series has some seriously funny moments :)

I have been a fan of the U.S. series and wanted to view the original, after purchasing a PAL dvd player this was my first purchase and I wasn't disappointed, Fans of the new X-men movies will recognize the leading man in an earlier role as Fiona's boyfriend, after viewing the first season I liked so much I went ahead and order the full series set.

I ordered this DVD without having seen or heard anything about the series, and I was more than pleasantly surprised. It was thoughtful, funny, and generous, even while maintaining a gritty realism. Whenever an episode or storyline started to drift into the ridiculous or melodramatic it was quickly intercepted by a brutal but honest (and hopeful) reality. And even when their characters were at their most unlikable, the actors brought to them a warmth and passion that kept you involved. (In my opinion episode six is one of TVs best examples of the diversity of emotion that can be explored in under an hour.) Basic plot: Single father Frank Gallagher [David Threlfall], whose wife disappeared about three years ago, lives (sometimes) on a council estate in Manchester (England) with his six children (Fiona, Lip, Ian, Carl, Debbie, and Liam), aged 20-3, respectively. Other central characters include the children's neighbors, a young couple named Kevin and Veronica, and Fiona's well-to-do boyfriend Steve [James McAvoy]. Together they deal with relationships, poverty, abandonment, their father's alcoholism, debt collectors, and the local police. It's not an easy life, but the family is determined to enjoy it whenever and however they can. There *is* some violence (fist fights), nudity, drinking, lots of swearing, and even one extremely inappropriate, even illegal, sexual relationship, but it is addressed and responded to reasonably (though definitely not in the PBS-broadcast sort of way). The younger children/characters really seem to peak in the second half of the season, as they become more integral to the plot. Their additional screen time is well-deserved, as they are all exceptionally talented actors. As for the DVD itself, it is, of course, Season 1. Although Season 4 recently finished airing, this is the first installment to be released on DVD in the US. Disc 1 consists of episodes 1-4 (45 min. each) and Disc 2 contains episodes 5-7 and two bonus features: a brief "Meet the Cast" and an interview with Paul Abbott. Suffice to say this is a bare-bones DVD release for this day and age, but the show's quality warrants the purchase. Also note, subtitles are on by default for anyone who has trouble with the accent.

Der Dialekt ist kaum zu verstehen, aber wenn man die Untertitel mitlaufen lässt, dann gehts. Ausserdem ist diese Serie nichts für zarte Menschen. Da gehts zur Sache! Das pralle Leben eben! Kann manchmal grenzwertig sein :-) Uns gefällt diese Serie sehr gut, weil sie eben nicht glatt ist und man meistens nicht vorhersehen kann, was diese Familie als nächstes wieder anstellt...Köstlich!!! Definitiv kein mainstream! Gott sei Dank!

Lingua Inglese, non c'è italiano

Imagine Charles Dickens in Manchester, UK, alive and well and madly drunk, writing a brilliantly insightful and hilarious riposte to Coronation Street. Shameless is such a thing. It is a comedy full of lovably amoral villains and ne'er-do-wells in the finest Dickensian tradition. Shameless, is a poke in the eye to anyone who thinks that being penniless and living on the wrong side of the tracks is quaint. It's characters are as strange as visitors from another planet and resourceful in a way that would have won a wink of admiration from the Artful Dodger. Shameless is at once stranger than Coronation Street and strangely more real, more honest and far and away more hilarious. It's a gem. "Massive!"

Les anglais semblent particulièrement en forme côté série : Misfits, Survivors, Skins, Torchwood et Shameless : que du bon ! Le point commun entre toutes ces séries et plus généralement dans les productions britaniques c'est la critique sociale permanente (les virtuoses, Billy Elliot...). Shameless ne fait pas exception à la règle, bien au contraire. Avec beaucoup d'humour, les producteurs nous montrent une réalité sociale catastrophique mais sans jamais tomber dans un côté partisan ou moraliste. Dans Shameless personne ne se plaint de son milieu social, tout le monde fait avec ! Cette série est remarquablement réussie, elle est très plaisante à suivre car les acteurs sont excellents, la réalisation rythmée et l'humour omniprésent. Seul reproche : la saison est trop courte !