What: I freely admit to being a devotee of television writer Paul Abbott. Touching Evil, Reckless, Clocking Off, State of Play, Alibi --- I love all of it. Right now, though, I'm thinking a lot about Shameless, his semi-autobiographical creation. The first episode of the U.S. remake aired this past weekend, and I am fiercely protective of the original series. The depressing-sounding premise: The six Gallagher siblings fend for themselves because their mum's run off and their dad's worse than useless. In creator Abbott's hands, though, the show is clever, authentic, unsentimental, and delightfully filthy.
Comparable to: Paul Abbott has a knack for writing completely according to himself. Not only does he avoid expected tropes, he doesn't smugly react against them either.
You might not like it if: You have a low tolerance for British swearing, or underage drinking, or nine-year-old kidnappers, or complacent car thieves, or agoraphobic nymphomaniacs.
How to get it: In the U.S., this first season is available on DVD. If you want a taste, search YouTube for the original title sequence, which briefly introduces each of the Gallaghers. (If you see William H. Macy, you've got the wrong version.)
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