After a little break, it is time to reintroduce the passion blog! This blog focuses on different TV shows or movies to give an overall summary, as well as some key themes and elements that make the film unique, and a recommendation on if I enjoyed the show or if I thought others would enjoy the show. This blog takes a look into the hit show Shameless which spanned eleven seasons and has been nominated and won multiple awards.
Today’s Show is Shameless!
The show follows the Gallaghers, a working-class family trying to navigate life on the South Side of Chicago. Frank, the alcoholic father, lives with his six children and seems to bounce from different homes and pastimes rather than find a job. This leaves Fiona, the eldest child to run the household and care for the other children. She tries to do her best in raising the children to be good people and tries to keep them from some of the harshness she had to face when she was little. Each character in the show receives ample show time to provide character development and establish a unique personality that has its positive and negative traits. The level of characterization is one of the defining factors this show is known for, since the audience gets to both root for and question each character at some point.
The show illustrates the harshness of lower class living and the struggles the family faces on an everyday basis, even for things many take for granted such as getting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads. Yet, the show manages to enthrall the audience through the use of humor nearly every step of the way. Through this representation the show also includes the circular nature of poverty, as seen with Fiona who cannot solely focus on her career when she has a family to care for. Family dynamics and relationship drama is another key element to the show, which many can relate to. Many of the kids see how their reactions resemble that of their parents at time, which causes them to take a step back to redefine themselves, showing how children are not defined by their parents or their actions.
One thing to note is the level of representation and diversity in the show. The South Side of Chicago is 93% black families, yet the show does not represent that instead focusing on a white family, as well as many other characters being white.
Overall, it is an entertaining show to watch, that has its fair share of highs and lows to keep the audience invested in each character’s story. With eleven seasons it is a show good for people looking for a complete show to binge watch.
I absolutely love Shameless, it is one of my favorite shows of all time! I loved your description of the show and found it very accurate to what it actually is. The topics throughout the show are so dark and deep, however the writers somehow manage to add such rich humor and comedy to any of them. My favorite character has always been Carl, he has had such huge character development, starting from a young child who was a bully in school, to a drug dealer, to a convict, to a military prospect, to a fast food worker, and finally to a police officer. Great work on the post and I am excited to see what the next show is!
Hey Katie!
I really enjoyed reading your passion blog this week about the TV show, Shameless. I have never seen the show before, however your description made the show sound very interesting. Moreover, your writing was extremely easy to follow, therefore making the show come to life for me as the reader. What I enjoyed most about your blog was your attention to detail when discussing/summarizing the show. When most people watch TV, they aren’t thinking about the things that you talked about such as characterization. For me personally, I value a TV show that is more character based then event/action based. That being said, I believe that this is a show that I would enjoy watching… and it’s all because of your blog! Anyway, I truly enjoyed reading about Shameless, its interesting characters, and its seemingly engaging plot line. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
Jake