Parents' Guide to Shameless

Not all viewers have seen the original, critically acclaimed series that inspired this remake. But like its British counterpart, this Shameless is a complex, often harrowing, family drama with comedic elements, which casts Macy as a generally unlikable "alcoholic" father who leaves his six children to fend for themselves.

The U.S. version starts as a sexed-up, in-your-face shocker that throws any of the original series' subtleties out the window. But a strange thing happens a few episodes in, once you get past seeing an elementary schooler swilling a beer in plain sight of his family members, who only seem mildly annoyed that he's drinking it. You find yourself rooting for the Gallagher kids (admirably anchored by Rossum and Jeremy Allen White and Cameron Monaghan, who play her two younger brothers), even though they'd probably try to rip you off if you met them in person. The series cleverly explores the lives of those living at the margins of American society, as is the case of the Gallaghers, who experience poverty and try their best to lead satisfying lives.