'Shameless' and 'Shameless': two very different shows with the same name

'Shameless' originally was a British show set on a council estate in Manchester.  It ran for many seasons and won BAFTA awards.  Like many British shows, its success appealed to entrepreneurs who decided to import it to the U.S.  Unfortunately, they created an entirely new and I feel inferior show in the process of attempting to be even more shameless than the original.

I watched a few episodes of the original British show a few years ago when it aired on BBC America.  Watching it very late at night, my concentration was haphazard and although I enjoyed it, the show did not grab me to the point where I had to watch every episode.

When the American version was released, I watched that, but have become increasingly disillusioned with a cast of characters and plots that are completely over the top and constantly seek to be more outrageous than anything in the original British series.  I found myself utterly indifferent to the characters finally as they became more caricature than believable human beings.  Despite the fact that the acting is good and there are some amusing moments, I no longer care whether or not there are any new episodes.

I then found the original British series on the internet and began to watch it.  I became completely addicted to it, despite the fact that I had to wade through multiple, identical advertisement in order to watch even one episode.  I am in the middle of the seventh season now and its allure has not decreased one iota.  I miss the characters who have gone but become involved with the new characters as they are developed.  Yes, they are 'shameless' in every sense of the word, but they all possess an essential humanity that allows the viewer to become committed to them, to care whether they live or die.

Frank Gallagher is at the very centre of the show, more anti-hero than hero but however much one may despise him at times, he does have some redeeming moments.  He is the ultimate rebel against the rules and regulations of society, quite open in his willingness to take what he can from a government and system that he believes lacks any real validity.   He stumbles through life in a constant haze of drunkenness and drug-induced euphoria, considering his children to be responsible for his welfare and well-being rather than assuming any parental duties himself.  He is utterly free and that perhaps is enviable, despite the fact that his brand of freedom is that of the vagrant who is as much at home sleeping in a ditch as he is in a bed.  He does have the various forms of government aid at his disposal which is why he is not homeless and has money for drugs and alcohol. 

'Shameless' in a sense is a manifesto of the counterculture, the same defiant revolutionary stance enshrined in the original punk rock movement in Britain where adolescents who came from the estates and who never would be able to afford gold or silver jewelry used safety pins as an alternative form of adornment.  It has a strong political message beneath the often dark comedy and the 'human interest' plots.  Like rats in a scientist's labyrinth, the inhabitants of the fictitious Chatsworth Estates find it almost impossible to escape their allotted position in society and yet, they still ive and love, in Frank's own words, 'know how to party' and generally thumb their noses at a society that considers them the useless dregs.

What happened when 'Shameless' was importated to the States?  Sadly, despite the talents of William Macy as a character actor, the series degenerated into burlesque very quickly.  The romance between Steve and Fiona in the British series was poignant.  In the States, a double identity coupled with a bizarre relationship with an illegal alien muddied the waters unnecessarily and finally capsized any interest viewers may have had in the romance. 

In the British series, Kevin and Veronica were vibrant characters whose relationship and desire for a child evoked sympathy.   In the American version, the introduction of sex between Kev and Veronica's mother in order to manufacture a baby either disgusted or left the viewer indifferent to the outcome. 

In the same way, in the States, Frank was defined more by his outrageous antics than any philosophical views or flashes of humanity.  In the British version, Frank Gallagher, despite his often vile actions, would demonstrate a quirky philosophical nature from time to time that made his ability to 'pull birds' believable.  He could quote Byron and indeed, had knowledge of Latin, however immured the gems of his knowledge were in the muck of a misspent life.  Frank Gallagher in the U.S. simply ranted and schemed, almost on autopilot.

Many British shows have been adapted or remade by American producers.  The new version can be as good as the original.  'The Office' in an example of a series that can be enjoyed both in its original version and in the American version.  The fact that Ricky Gervais was involved in both may be a factor.  The U.S. version is not simply a carbon copy of the original and indeed had a far longer run.  Through the years, the American characters developed their own unique qualitites.  Dwight Schrute has become a classic in his own right, quite independent of Gareth Keenan.   I only mention this to demonstrate that my view of the American version of 'Shameless' is not coloured by an essential prejudice against American knock-offs. 

I very much wish that the original series of 'Shameless' would be aired by one of the cable networks in the States so that people could appreciate its brilliance.