After over 5 years of being on the air, Showtime’s series Shameless finally makes its way to Netflix.
In it, a family of six siblings who live on the South Side of Chicago, straddling the poverty line. The Gallaghers “head” of the family includes an alcoholic father (Frank) and a mentally ill, run away mother (Monica); this leaves the sibling, consisting of Fiona, Phillip (Lip), Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam, that are alone to fend for themselves. Everyday brings new challenges for this Back of the Yards based family. Each of the four older siblings has their own strengths that they bring to the table in order to put food on the table, maintain a livable household, and keep their family together. But with those strengths, comes weaknesses in each sibling.
No spoilers though, you’ll have to watch to find out these character arcs and relationships with one another. The question now arises: why this widely popular 2011 series is just hitting Netflix?
According to IMDB, Shameless has received average ratings of between an 8 and a 9 out of 10. And from season 1 to season 4, the ratings have only exponentially increased.
According to tvseriesfinale.com, Shameless’s viewership drastically rose from 1.36 million to 1.65 million between its second and third season. By its fourth season, Shameless was at an all-time hight with a season average of 1.71 million viewers. This decreased in the series’ fifth and sixth season, with season average ratings between 1.56 and 1.58 million viewers.
However, this doesn’t dismiss the fact that this popular comedy/drama gains so much attention because it feels real. Shameless is filled with real and raw scenes that evokes a strong sense of emotion in both the characters and the audience. Whether you are laughing or crying, these characters come together to form a genuine depiction of striving and struggling. The Gallaghers show how this familial bond is stronger together than apart. Whether they are battling these endeavors personally or collectively, Shameless demonstrates to the audience what “family is everything” really means.
Shameless should have been available on Netflix long before 2016 for long-time fans to binge watch; but we are grateful that fans new and old can enjoy such a phenomenal, almost tangible television show.