Showtime has decided to order sophomore seasons for both Shameless and Episodes. Starring William H. Macy, the first season Shameless is set to finish airing on March 27th with episode 12. The freshman year of Episodes wrapped on February 20th after just seven episodes. Both shows will return sometime in 2012.
NEW HIT SHOWTIME(R) SERIES “SHAMELESS” AND “EPISODES” GET SECOND SEASON PICK-UPS
Network Orders 12 Episodes of SHAMELESS and TBD Episodes of EPISODES To Premiere In 2012
LOS ANGELES, CA (February 28, 2011) – Hot off their highly successful freshman seasons, SHOWTIME has ordered second seasons of SHAMELESS and EPISODES, it was announced today by David Nevins, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. Starring William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum, the outrageous hour-long family drama SHAMELESS received a 12-episode order for its second season, while half-hour comedy series EPISODES, starring TV icon Matt LeBlanc as a fictional version of himself, received a second season order with the number of episodes to be determined. Both series premiered on January 9 to widespread critical and audience acclaim, with SHAMELESS becoming SHOWTIME’s best performing freshman drama ever. Production on both series will begin later this year.
“The viewer loyalty and critical acclaim that has met both SHAMELESS and EPISODES since their January debuts makes it clear that these two brash and sophisticated series are burgeoning hits,” said Nevins. “John Wells is carving out a tone that is truly unique in the television landscape — equal parts drama and comedy. And EPISODES marks the universally embraced and hilarious return to television of an inspired comedy triumvirate: Matt LeBlanc, and creators Jeffrey Klarik and David Crane. We are thrilled with the response to both series and eager to start planning for their second seasons.”
From John Wells (ER, The West Wing, Southland) and Paul Abbott (State of Play, Touching Evil) , SHAMELESS is based on the long-running hit UK series and stars Emmy(R) winner and Oscar(R) nominee William H. Macy (Fargo, Door to Door) and Golden Globe(R) nominee Emmy Rossum (The Phantom of the Opera, Mystic River). Macy plays a working class patriarch of an unconventional Chicago brood of six kids headed by the eldest sibling (Rossum) who keep the home afloat while their dad is out drinking and carousing. The series averages nearly four million weekly viewers across multiple platforms and is on pace to be the network’s second-highest rated drama series behind DEXTER (5.2 million). SHAMELESS is from Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television. Wells and Abbott are executive producers; Andrew Stearn (The West Wing, Southland) also serves as executive producer.
“We’re delighted that our wonderful partners at SHOWTIME are giving us the opportunity to make additional episodes of SHAMELESS,” said executive producer John Wells. “We’re having an unbelievably good time making the show and look forward to bringing more of the humor, pathos, and wild sexuality of the dysfunctional Gallagher family to a shocked American audience.”
EPISODES is a co-production between Showtime Networks in the U.S. and the BBC in the UK, written and executive produced by two of America’s most successful comedy writers David Crane (Friends, The Class) and Jeffrey Klarik (Mad About You, The Class). Jimmy Mulville executive produces through his successful Hat Trick production company (Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Worst Week). This comedy series centers around a husband and wife producing team who are forced to navigate the many pitfalls of the Hollywood television business when their successful British show is brought to America, and the U.S. network insists on making the show more audience friendly by replacing their venerable thespian lead with… Matt LeBlanc. Season one of EPISODES averaged nearly two million weekly viewers across multiple platforms (including On Demand and replays).
“To have the opportunity to make another series of this show with David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik and then to make that show for both Showtime and the BBC, whose combined portfolios of comedy are second to none, is both a thrill and a great privilege,” said executive producer Jimmy Mulville. “At the end of the first series the writers have placed our three protagonists in the middle of comedy hell. Like the rest of the audience I can’t wait to see what is going to happen to them!”
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) and FLIX(R), as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2(TM), SHOWTIME(R) SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME(R), SHOWTIME BEYOND(R), SHOWTIME NEXT(R), SHOWTIME WOMEN(R), SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE(R) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD(TM), THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(R) and THE MOVIE CHANNEL(TM) ON DEMAND. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel(TM). All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV(R).
Image courtesy Showtime.
Shameless season 3 starts in febuary cant wail it will be the best yet i dont like the uk version.of shameless tho it isnt as good
[…] second season of Matt LeBlanc’s Episodes TV series is still airing on Showtime but there are likely more […]
I loved Episodes great story line fantastic and unexpected twists great acting and sooooo soooo hollywood. Cant wait to see more.
Thanks for giving us something new!
DAMN IT PEOPLE GET A RUSH ON IT!! NOT SURE HOW MUCH LONGER I CAN WAIT….. I’M PAST READY!!!!!!!!!!
Luv Shameless. In fact told a bunch of friends and they are just hooked. Can’t wait for the new season to start!!!!!
SHAMELESS IS THE BEST ******* SHOW EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They’d better watch out: the kids in the family will grow up fast, and waiting SO long for starting filming again means that they’ll be substantially older. With a hit of this magnitude and quality, they should really be trying to churn out the episodes while it all still hangs together well.
well obviously they are not waiting to start filming… they are already filming and have been since season 1 ended… it takes some time to edit the takes and put everything together with the music and things so they are probably almost done with shooting season 2 but it wont be ready for us to watch until then
wtf?? It s really long time to wait..my favorute is frank and i love lip and steve for sure..!!!!!!
2012 for season 2!?? Oh that’s a LONG time to make us addicted Shameless watches wait!!
GREAT shows. Showtime keeps brining excellent original programming to us, thanks.
shameless, i love this show its crazy that i waited for this show to air since last year. And now the first season is almost over. I haven’t seen a show like this in a while and keeps you on the edge of your seat, so every episode you dont know what to expect and its not predictable like most of these shows that come on these days. im really looking forward to the next season.
EPISODES sucked and bored me. The last episode was the one and only funny episode. IT DEPRESSED me in so many ways. Matt’s rude behavior, Beverly’s anger, and the crude JOKES. My wife is blind and my sister has been raped. SHAME on you MATT for partaking in this stupid show. And laughing at a disorder? What about Marina? What are you thinking?
Well he was just playing a fictionalized version of himself. I’m not saying I liked it but still.
Did you think Episodes was going to be like Friends? Usually when a tv personality plays a fictional version of himself, it is usually a rude version. Especially when the show is broadcast on cable. Have you ever watched Curb Your Enthusiasm?
I liked Episodes. I thought Matt was the best part of it. I do not believe there is anything that cannot be used as a source of comedy. Episodes was extremely mild compared to something like Mr. Show, which is an HBO sketch show from the 90’s.
Good news for both shows. However….the last episode of Shameless is December 27th? That doesn’t seem right…..maybe March?
@Coffeemarc: Yes, March 27th. Thanks for catching that.
So excited to hear that Shameless will have a second season. It is one of the best shows on TV. I can’t believe season 1 is almost over. I hate to wait one week for a new episode. I don’t know how I will make it until season 2 starts. I am addicted!!
Would really like to see the seasons of shameless start sooner. Im addicted to this show.