It’s a good, if not predictable, week for both new Showtime offerings. Shameless and Episodes have each been renewed for sophomore campaigns, little surprise considering each was pulling between seven hundred and fifty thousand and a million viewers per new episode. No official announcements have been made, but it’s widely assumed all the major cast members will return for shoots likely to begin late this year with an eye on premiering early next.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Shameless has been given a season order of twelve, but the final numbers for Episodes won’t be known for another few weeks. That’s likely due partly to popularity and format. It’s much easier to put in a few filler episodes of a show like Shameless than stretch out a comedy needlessly. The bottle episode works in a sitcom, but not quite as well in a thoughtful half hour dramedy. Plus, Shameless averaged almost two hundred thousand more viewers than Episodes. No offense, Matt LeBlanc, but you’re no William H. Macy.
Have you guys been watching Shameless? I caught part of the pilot, but that was hardly enough to make a judgment call. Different sources have told me either best show on television or not as good as expected. Is it worth my time?
