Shameless (US)

Abbott makes sure the quirkiness of the Gallaghers is firmly rooted in three-dimensional, credible characterization. You never feel a bit of inauthenticity here.

While there's a little something lost in translation, the show retains enough of the core of the original that--bolstered by strong performances from top to bottom--it's as good a remake as any import since "The Office."

[The] sentimental streak in the show is compensated by Frank's coldness and the scrappy urban realism, translated so effectively from the British original.

The charm of the show--and of the Gallagher family--is in its anarchy.

Shameless also has a rough and original charisma of its own, emphasizing as it does the freedom and not merely the deprivation of its family of quasi orphans.

Don't let all this make the show sound complicated. Based on opening night, it looks like Shameless fun.

That's Shameless in 30 seconds or less: messy, overcrowded, unapologetically frank and, at times, darkly funny.

The one-hour show has as much comedy as drama, providing a satisfying and unusual viewing experience.

Shameless is deftly adapted and surprisingly appealing, crude, funny and also touching.

In Showtime's seemingly unwatered-down version, William H. Macy plays the drunken dad, Frank Gallagher, convincingly enough that you can almost smell the alcohol (along with less-pleasant scents) seeping from every pore. (Other highlights include Joan Cusack as an agoraphobic homemaker whose life's about to change and Emmy Rossum as Fiona, the oldest of Frank's daughters.)

It's best not to think of Shameless as a deep, important show. Tune in for the character drama and recognize the characters' anti-social behavior for what it is. There's no shame in that.