Showtime Gets ‘Shameless'

Showtime has greenlit a new series starring William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum and guest starring Allison Janney.

Shameless, an adaptation of writer Paul Abbott (State of Play)'s original British series that aired on BBC America and Sundance Channel, is about an unconventional working-class family.
Abbott is an executive producer, as is John Wells, of ER and The West Wing.

The original was set in the projects in Manchester, England; the new series will be set in Chicago. Abbott co-wrote the pilot.
Macy is known for performances in movies such as Fargo and Pleasantville. Rossum was in Phantom of the Opera and Janney starred in The West Wing.
Showtime ordered 12 one-hour episodes of the drama produced by Bonanza Productions in association with John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television.
Production starts at the end of summer. No airdate has been scheduled as yet.