The best written show on British television in recent memory. That is a pretty bold statement but there’s no doubt the millions of Shameless fans would agree and so would most others if they managed to get past the gritty exterior. The show has become infamous for its in-your-face portrayal of crime, sex, and violence, for this the creators make no apologies and nor should they. Something which has bothered me for a while is the blanket labelling of the characters as “chavs”. Over the years these characters have grown and have much more to offer than the real-life wasters they are compared to in some sections of the media.

It’s incredible how much happened in this sixth series which could have so easily, and this is no bad thing, been named “the Maguire show”. Paddy goes through one horrific experience after another, Karen is up to her usual tricks, Jamie’s attempt to protect Mandy lands him in trouble, Mimi picks up the pieces as usual, Shane discovers that being business partners with Kelly can have terrible consequences, and Mickey is as Mickey does. It is hard to ignore that the Maguire family are very much at the centre of this series but at the same time there is so much going on around them. The Gallaghers still manage to provide a seemingly endless list of ups and downs but somehow manage to avoid oblivion and pull their lives together at the final moment. Yvonne, along with possibly the nicest Policeman on TV, Stan, see a ghost from Yvonne’s recent past and come close to taking measures they would surely regret.

With crime and violence mostly cornered by the Maguires it is little surprise that another Maguire, Karen, is once again forerunner when it comes to sexual activities although she’s certainly not alone when it comes to bedroom antics. Kelly is paid to have sex so there’s little surprises there but you know things will get a little frantic when you add Carl, Monica, Mickey, Frank, Chesney, and even Debbie to the mix.

This show seems to be all about a natural progression in the lives of its characters. Fans of the show have witnessed our favourite characters, especially in the case of the Gallagher children, grow up in front of our eyes. With each passing series the more keen-eyed observers will begin to notice patterns emerging and in another show the writers might be accused of running out of ideas but with Shameless there seems to be something else going on. A good example of this at the end of series six is that Debbie’s encounter in the kitchen is near identical to that of her older sister Fiona’s at the very beginning of the first series. It has also become clear to me that hanky panky with Karen, no matter how great it may seem in the heat of the moment, will lead to someone’s face being rearranged.

It’s only when you come to the end of the series that you realise how much has happened, characters new and old, relationships ending and new ones beginning, and the best part is that there’s so much life in the characters that the quality of the next series is never in doubt.

Make poverty history, cheaper drugs now!

9.5/10

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