Shameless
Shameless ran for eleven seasons on Showtime from 2011 through 2021. The show starred William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher, an alcoholic no-good father of six living on the south side of Chicago, and Emmy Rossum as Fiona, his eldest daughter who took over raising her younger siblings. The show was very funny, although 2020s standards may look unfavorably on the laughs that came from dysfunctional families, alcoholism and poverty. Emmy Rossum left the show after season 9 and the show’s quality and ratings dropped significantly. It probably should have ended at season 9. These are dysfunctional shows like Shameless we think you may like if you liked Shameless.
Shows Like Shameless – Californication
Californication ran for seven seasons on Showtime from 2007 to 2014. It starred David Duchovny as womanizer Hank Moody, a writer whose life was consumed with sex, alcohol and drugs. Like Shameless, Californication was a dramedy with laughs stemming mainly from Moody messing up his life with his vices and inability to control himself. Duchovny himself came out in real life as a sex addict in the middle of the show’s run.
Like Shameless, Californication was very entertaining, although the entertainment came from laughing at people’s misery, even if (mostly) fictional. Also like Shameless, it should have ended sooner. By the sixth season, the main storyline of Hank’s relationship with an ex (mother to his daughter) was played out and a bunch of new characters in season seven did not revive the series.
If you liked Shameless, Californication is the best recommendation for another show you may like.
See streaming options at Californication.
Shows Like Shameless – Married with Children
Married with Children ran for eleven seasons on Fox from 1987 to 1997. It put the new Fox network on the map. Like Shameless, Married with Children featured a dysfunctional family, The Bundys, this time with a poor (but not in poverty) nuclear family of father, mother, son and daughter. Three of the four main actors have gone on to very successful television and movie careers, Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal and Christina Applegate.
There is some irony in Married with Children’s legacy. The show was designed to be “The Anti-Cosby Show.” The Cosby Show ran on NBC from 1984 to 1992 and was the number one show on television for five years. Cosby represented the ideal family and the loving perfect father “America’s Dad” Bill Cosby. Little did we know.
If you liked Shameless, you may like Married with Children. Just remember it was a network television show, not cable or streaming, and was limited in what it could say and show.
See streaming options at Married with Children.
Shows Like Shameless – You’re the Worst
You’re the Worst ran for five seasons on FX and FXX from 2014 to 2019. The show starred Chris Geere as Jimmy, a British writer living in Los Angeles, and his relationship with Aya Cash as Gretchen, a PR executive with clinical depression. Like Shameless and Californication, many storylines involved a lot of alcohol. Unlike Shameless and Californication, the show had only five seasons and did not run out of storylines. Reviews improved from season one to season two and held steady through the rest of the show’s run.
If you liked Shameless, we think you will like You’re the Worst.
See streaming options at You’re the Worst.
Casual
Casual ran for four seasons on Hulu from 2015 through 2018. Its focus was the dating lives of Valerie, played by Michaela Watkins, a divorced single mother, her brother and her daughter Laura. The show received critical acclaim, and with only four seasons, did not drop off in quality. Jason Reitman directed and co-produced the show.
See streaming options at Casual.
These are four dysfunctional shows like Shameless we think you will like.
Want to see shows like Suits? See our post at Suits.
