It was quite a weekend for both the Gallagher family and fans of the Gallaghers' series, Showtime's Shameless, which ended its seventh season on a reflective note. Many went to sleep last night wondering if the show would indeed go on for at least one more year, and Showtime brightened our mornings with confirmation that Shameless was renewed for Season 8, presumably set for a 2017 debut.
Showtime is giving Shameless another twelve episodes with which to bring the awkwardly hilarious drama for Season 8. That's the same number as each of its previous seasons, and it seems to be one that works for all involved, since it's one of Showtime's longest-running series ever. Plus, it's actually performing as well now as it ever has, so if all things stay peachy when it comes to the stars and the execs, we might be watching Frank Gallagher's housing troubles for several more years to come.
Shameless' renewal probably wasn't a surprise to everybody, as anyone checking in on the behind-the-scenes shenanigans first got clued in on the show's future thanks to star Emmy Rossum's recent contract dispute with the network. She was vying for a deal equal to that of co-star William H. Macy, and when the deal went through, she tweeted out that she was going "back to work in May." As well, the Season 7 finale was capped off with a post-credits message for fans to return "next year." Sherlock Holmes wasn't needed, but there also wasn't any guarantee that Showtime wouldn't decide to pull the plug on another year for one reason or another.
Not that anyone involved would have much of a reason to. Shameless doesn't bring in the kind of ratings that most network comedies get, but it displays the same kind of remarkably consistent numbers that are often seen with Showtime's more favorable hits. While the live numbers this season are't quite as high as they've been in the past, the show does well in delayed viewing across the multiple platforms, which is the case for a lot of scripted Sunday night shows this time of year. Keep watching, people!
Showtime also got our attention today with a new teaser for its upcoming Twin Peaks limited series, which is set to hit next year as well. It's good to have new shows coming to the network, since this year alone saw the cancellations/endings of House of Lies, Masters of Sex, Penny Dreadful and Roadies; Episodes was also cancelled, though its final season hasn't aired yet. We'll need all the familiar faces we can get in 2017, and Shameless has a few of those.
Having just bid a temporary farewell to Fi, Frank and the rest of that highly talented ensemble, we won't be reconnecting with the dysfunctional bunch until 2017, possibly around the same mid-fall time Shameless premiered on Showtime this year. In the meantime, though, you can head to our midseason premiere schedule to see what else is hitting the small screen in the new year.
