Paul Abbott

Paul Abbott interview

As Channel 4's Shameless starts its final series, creator Paul Abbott talks to Ben Lawrence about his own family history, his bipolar disorder and writing something that 'smelled like it smelled on the inside'.

Ironically, Shameless comes to an end just as the BBC's latest fly-on-the-wall ­documentary People Like Us causes the residents of another Manchester suburb to complain they're being made to look like a bunch of criminals, alcoholics and benefits scroungers.

But as the eleventh and final series begins tonight, Frank Gallagher (David Threlfall) kicks off proceedings with a brand new poem in which he dares to compare himself to Her Majesty the Queen. And the residents of Chatsworth have strung out the bunting to celebrate their estate being presented with one of the Olympic rings.

But local pride soon turns into a riot when the icon that's unveiled turns out to be a more accurate symbol of Chatsworth's value than locals had bargained for.

While Frank and the Jockey pub remain the only links to the first series, when Shameless still smelled fresh, many viewers will agree that Paul Abbott's creation is now past its sell-by date.

But it still has some surprises up its sleeve. The biggest of these tonight is reserved for Jamie Maguire (Aaron McCusker) when mum Mimi (Tina Malone) drops a bombshell that will cast a magic mushroom-shaped cloud over his entire life.

Paul Abbott: 'People are desperate to be scared'

The writer/producer behind Shameless, State of Play and Hit & Miss on TV politics and how writing saved his life.

The comedy drama celebrates its 100th episode tonight. It's become standard to say Chatsworth Estate isn't the place it used to be. Its survival however is down to outlandish but inventive storylines and crackpot characters that compel. Creator Paul Abbott pens this birthday outing. Elderly barmaid Cynthia (Beatrice Kelley) strikes gold on a scratch card and is promptly assaulted. Evidence points to Frank (David Threlfall) who looks set for a spell inside. Things look up when Kev (Dean Lennox Kelly) returns to take charge.

Seven years after the Chatsworth Estate became a byword for the skanky English underclass, Shameless notches up its 100th episode, written by Paul Abbott.

It's a 90-minute saga that sees Frank Gallagher (David Threlfall) banged up and demonised by his neighbours for a terrible crime he didn't commit.

Or at least he's pretty sure that he didn't: his memory of what actually happened on the night in question is, as ever, a bit on the hazy side.

With Abbott at the controls, Shameless's uniquely picturesque dialogue ­practically qualifies as a regional dialect in its own right - shot through with lashings of swearing, of course, as well as colourful metaphors, in jokes, shorthand and slang that you only half understand, plus some hilariously unlikely insults: "You ginger- haired hanging basket," being one of the few that's actually fit to print.

With his dad in the frame, it's left to Carl Gallagher (Elliott Tittensor) to man up and try to seize control of the situation. But he's going to need some help. His old neighbour Kev (Dean Lennox Kelly) fits in like he's never been away.

Shameless, Channel 4, review

James Walton reviews Paul Abbott's Manchester-set drama which returned for the second half of its eighth series.

The half million or so viewers currently enjoying Shameless US get the chance to compare it with the original, and frankly better, version of Paul Abbott's rip-roaring drama. There's delight to be had watching nascent stars Anne-Marie Duff and James McAvoy blossom in their roles of proud matriarch Fiona Gallagher and her car-stealing suitor, Steve. Their cat-and-mouse romancing is instantly believable - perhaps because it was real; Duff and McAvoy married shortly after leaving the series. While we can praise the youngsters, there is only really one star of the show. David Threlfall's Frank Gallagher is a shambling whirlwind of a character; a barely coherent pub philosopher, you almost catch the reek of stale beer, smoke, vomit and urine each time he stumbles on screen. Which is a good thing, by the way.

The eighth series [of Shameless], which began brilliantly last night, is to run for 22 episodes (the first five on consecutive evenings), which is much more them than us, and an indication of Channel 4's enduring faith in Paul Abbott's extraordinary gallery of grotesques, headed by Frank Gallagher (the peerless David Threlfall). Last night, Frank tried to come to terms with the terrible news that his daughter Debbie had been killed while serving in Afghanistan, and then with the terrible news that his ex-wife Monica had faked the news of Debbie's death, with the help of her gay partner, posing as a military policewoman. I wonder if the Americans are ready for a family as dysfunctional as the Gallaghers, who make the Simpsons look like the Obamas.

Paul Abbott's ribald comedy-drama about the Gallagher family has been a breeding ground for strong British acting - James McAvoy, Maxine Peake and Anne-Marie Duff have all inhabited its Chatsworth estate - and the series continues to bring the novelty. The first five episodes of this eighth series are stripped across five consecutive nights, so if you've dropped out of the habit of watching, and feel Frank's errant dynasty has become too complex to follow, here's an opportunity to catch up. And what better way to start than with the wedding of the year: Frank's. But, er, where is he, exactly?

Shameless creator Paul Abbott discusses his new series

As the US version prepares to premiere, he reveals he still has thousands of story ideas he could develop.