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Dom Robinson reviews
VCI
- Cert:
- Cat.no: VCD 0421
- Running time: 342 minutes
- Year: 2004
- Pressing: 2004
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 56 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English
- Widescreen: 1.78:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: No
- Disc Format: 2 * DVD 9
- Price: £19.99
- Extras: Meet the Cast, Interview with Paul Abbott
Director:
- Jonny Campbell, Mary Mylod and Dearbhla Walsh
Producer:
- Emma Burge
Creator:
- Paul Abbott
Writing credits:
- Paul Abbott, Daniel Brockelhurst, Carmel Morgan and Julie Rutterford
Music:
- Alfonso Vilallonga and Gino Paoli
Cast:
- Frank Gallagher: David Threlfall
Fiona Gallagher: Anne-Marie Duff
Steve: James McAvoy
Lip Gallagher: Jody Latham
Ian Gallagher: Gerard Kearns
Carl Gallagher: Elliot & Luke Tittensor
Liam Gallagher: Joseph Furnace
Kev: Dean Lennox Kelly
Veronica: Maxine Peake
Sheila Jackson: Maggie O’Neill
Karen Jackson: Rebecca Atkinson
Monica: Annabelle Apsion
Kash: Chris Bisson
Eddie Jackson: Steve Pemberton
When it first began on Channel 4 last year, I didn’t watch Shamelesssince, living in Manchester, I’ve seen enough of the type of people in that showand felt enough was enough.
Encouraged to take a look by a relative when it was surprisingly re-run fromthe start the very week after the series had ended, I still couldn’t get intoit but, I often do like to give new shows a fair crack of the whip and so thesecond episode becomes the one that makes or breaks it. It did so in its favour.
The programme’s centred around the Gallagher family, headed by man of thehouse, Frank (David Threlfall), although since he spends most of his time downthe pub and the rest of the time passed out in a drunken stupor (and whoeverdoes the actor’s make-up causes him to often look like a pantomime dame!),most of the household duties are carried out by eldest daughter Fiona(Anne-Marie Duff), but as the first episode begins and she ends up falling inlove with Steve – middle-class-lad-cum-wideboy (James McAvoy, who’s made hisname previously in State of Play and Early Doors).
Other family members include sons, Carl (played by both Elliott & Luke Tittensor),the mouthy Lip (Jody Latham), who used to be called ‘Philip’ until hischaracter made this more appropriate – as Frank’s opening voiceover tells us,Ian (Gerard Kearns) who’s trying – and failing – to hide the fact fromhis family that he’s gay, and baby of the family Liam (Joseph Furnace)who never has much of a storyline but is just brought into the scenario soFrank can enthuse about his youngest son’s poltential “as soon as we can getthe fits under control”. Frank also refers to daughter Debbie (RebeccaRyan) as his “little angel” but that doesn’t stop her inadvertentlykidnapping someone’s baby in one episode…
What’s the reason for such a dysfunctional family? Prior to the series beginning, the mother of the household,Monica (Annabelle Apsion), became a lesbian and ran off with her lover. However, they’re ably supported bytheir neighbours Kev (Dean Lennox Kelly), who works in the pub, sells anything dodgy going and helpsout by hiding Frank when someone’s after him, and Veronica (Maxine Peake) who does her ironing topless so asto provide an eyeful for anyone who’ll pay on the internet!
Frank soon becomes more interested in neighbour and agrophobic, Sheila (Maggie O’Neill, who puts the ‘Mmmm’in MILF) and then finds himself in a quandry when her schoolgirl daughter, Karen (the stunning RebeccaAtkinson) takes rather more than a shine to him.
Created and co-written by Paul Abbott (BBC1’s excellent State of Play, plus a number of things thatI haven’t seen because they appealed even less than Shameless did, initially), full marks go to both him andthe cast for creating an atmosphere of a team that pulls together, and needs to pull each other apart when thescript requires them to be at each other’s throats.
Following the Xmas special, Series 2 of Shameless started Tuesday Jan4th 2005, and runs for 10 episodes.
Since the programme was only broadcast last year you’d expect a top-notch picture, but we don’t get that allthe time. The reason for this is that it looks like it was shot on mini-DV cameras some of the time, which isonly where the quality can occasionally suffer, but it does bring a closeness to the programme. There’s no soundproblems whatsoever, but it only has chance to shine when music breaks in to denote a scene or set the mood.
With the first four episodes on disc 1 and the last three on the second disc, the extras are few and far betweenwith just two brief supplementary items. Meet the cast with Debbie and Carl (11 mins) sees the two actors,of the three possible since there’s two playing the latter, cross between different parts of the set interviewingthe actors as they film their scenes.
The Interview with Paul Abbott (10 mins) gives clips from the show and we’re told why he brought thetopics into the show, such as Lip and Ian talking about the latter being gay, Frank finding out Sheila hasunusual tastes in bed and the paedophile story in episode 4.
The menus have short sections of animation and music which are repeated, there are English subtitles – whichgo awry in the first of the extras when they interpret Lindsey Dawson‘s (Jez, the barmaid at The Jockey)“joking” as “choking”, but only 8 chapters per episode which is a bit lazy considering theycould’ve gone to town and added extra ones for opening/closing credits, the “Next time” sections and thepost-credits gags.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.