Netflix viewers can’t get enough of fan-favourite series with A-list cast

Finding a TV series that you can watch again and again is akin to owning a favourite jumper or jeans. It’s comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, and you know it’s going to fit. However, it can be said more easily than done these days. Some shows that were hits when they were first released haven’t been able to stand the test of time (we’re looking at you, How I Met Your Mother), while others, like The Wire, Malcolm in the Middle and Arrested Development are as good now as ever.

When you do stumble across one of these rare television gems, it’s understandable that fans want to shout it from the rooftops. And this is exactly what viewers of the US series Shameless have been doing on the Facebook group Netflix Bangers. Subscribers to the streaming platform have been raving about the show, which stars William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher, and first hit screens almost 15 years ago.

An American adaptation of writing legend Paul Abbott’s original UK series, which was set in Manchester on the fictional Chatsworth estate, it stars acting talent Jeremy Allen White, Joan Cusack, Steve Howey, Emmy Rossum, and Cameron Monaghan. Looking for reviews, one member asked for people’s opinions on the show and was immediately inundated with gushing praise. One fan replied: "[It’s] Flipping fantastic.”

Another person added: “It gets hectic at times, but definitely worth watching." A third user raved: "So fun! Absolutely brilliant." And a fourth user branded the series “the best show ever”. And a fourth person revealed: "Think I've watched the whole series at least 3 times now."

If you haven’t watched the UK or US version of Shameless, it tells the story of a poor, dysfunctional family, headed up by patriarch Frank Gallagher. He’s a neglectful, narcissistic, substance-dependent single father of six children – Fiona, Phillip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam – and spends his days getting high and drunk. Struggling to survive, the family gets involved with scams, affairs, and crime throughout Chicago.

The show went on for 11 seasons over 10 years, and was nominated for 68 awards, winning 17. American actor and director William H. Macy starred as maladjusted Frank, while the multi-award-winning Jeremy Allen White played his son, Phillip ‘Lip’ Gallagher. The show has been on Netflix since 2018, but it has now been revealed that it will leave the streaming service in September 2025.