The Gallagher family wreaked havoc on Chicago, but for viewers, it was always a good time. Now that Showtime’s Shameless is over, you definitely need a new family drama (albeit with a solid dollop of dark humor) to start watching. But because the Gallaghers were such a memorable family, shows like Shameless might feel impossible to find. That’s where we come in, though, with plenty of picks to fill that Frank- and Fiona-shaped hole in your TV-loving heart.
While it had a good run, Shameless was really on its way out when Emmy Rossum, who played Fiona, left the show. Upon her exit, she said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, “It’s been a long, wonderful journey, and I’m so close to my Gallagher family that to walk away is quite bittersweet, but it did feel like it was time for the character to spread her wings and that there was less need for her. I never want something to just feel like a job, and so I’m leaving while I still love it.” Similarly, the show also ended while fans were still loving it.
The Showtime version of Shameless, which ran for 11 seasons, was based on a UK show of the same name. So, though they differed in many ways, that’s not a bad place to start if you’re looking for similar series. Still, all of the following shows are also worth checking out when you need a new dysfunctional family to follow.
More Shows Like Shameless to Add to Your Queue
1. Good Girls (2018-2021)
They might not be as dysfunctional as the Gallagher family, but these four women have issues. Fed up and in dire need of cash for various reasons, three friends and sisters team up to rob a grocery store. While they get away with it, they quickly realize that someone else owns that money: a drug cartel. From then on, it’s one misadventure after the next as they try to repay the money and save their own lives.
2. Weeds (2005-2012)
An oldie but a goodie, this show is about a suburban, single mom who starts selling weed to support her family after her husband dies. Things go swimmingly until her empire starts to grow, leading to her making mistakes in all aspects of her life — with her kids, their uncle, and the rival drug dealers in town.
3. Six Feet Under (2001-2005)
You have to have more of a sense of dark humor for this drama about a family that runs a funeral home. While that alone should be compelling enough, each of the characters is still struggling to mourn the loss of their dad and fight about how to best move the family business forward. If at all.
4. Succession (2018- )
The Roys and the Gallaghers couldn’t be more different, though they all have mouths like sailors and know just what to say to tear each other down. Don’t get too caught up in the inner workings of the business and its subsequent fall from grace — just sit down and enjoy how the siblings tear each other down. Oh, wouldn’t you love to see Logan Roy and Frank Gallagher sit down to lunch together? A crossover we all need.
5. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2004- )
If what you loved about Shameless was just how grimy and depraved some of the characters were, the gang in It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia will endear you from the bat. These people are awful — they will literally do anything just to pass the time of day (while drinking no less) and get into as much trouble as any of the Gallagher kids ever could.
6. Sex Education (2019- )
Sex can be a sticky subject, especially when you’re a teenager and even more so when your mother is a sex therapist. For Otis, he knows what it’s like to have sexual feelings you aren’t sure how to express, and thanks to his mother’s extensive knowledge on the subject, he is an unusual wealth of sex education. He and his friends decide to monetize his advice, and it ends up being one of the best things for the high school and… a complete disaster.
7. Californication (2007-2014)
Hank is not a perfect father, but he tries his best for his kid daughter, who’s growing up in the midst of his chaotic life. After screwing things up with his ex-wife, he wants her and his family back. In between sleeping with beautiful women as a coping mechanism, he is also an alcoholic and a novelist who is struggling to write his next best thing.
More Dysfunctional Family Dramas
- Euphoria (2019- )
- Maid (2021)
- The Chi (2018- )
- Parenthood (2010-2015)
- Less Than Kind (2008-2013)
- Animal Kingdom (2016-2022)
- The Fosters (2013-2018)
- Little Fires Everywhere (2020)
- Divorce (2016-2019)
- United States of Tara (2009-2011)
- Casual (2015-2018)
- The Detour (2016-2019)
- Raising Hope (2010-2014)
- We Are Who We Are (2020)
- Married… with Children (1987-1997)
- I Am Not Okay With This (2020)
- Jane the Virgin (2014-2019)
- Ginny & Georgia (2021- )
- Nurse Jackie (2009-2015)
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This article was originally published on 1.24.2022
