I’ve been gorging for the past week on season after season of a UK series called “Shameless“.  There is a US version with William H. Macy that didn’t get very far with me, despite a number of seasons…simply not the same caliber.  The original Brit series is a consistently superb and entertaining show with incredible writing and even better acting.  Not one of the characters drags the show down.

A seriously dysfunctional “family” living on the estates in Manchester shows us the stark reality of living the wrong side of the tracks, mixed with amazingly appropriate Shakespeare quotes, classic bits and other surprising ephemera.

The actors, each of them, deliver an amazing performance every show, no disappointment there.  But special mention has to go to Frank Gallagher, played by David Threlfall…one amazing versatile actor.  With the cast that supports the show, and the brilliance of the writing, Shameless offers entertainment, realism, and lots of laughs.   The series may have concluded in 2013, but the messages in it are timeless.

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