Shameless Renewed for 11th and Final Season
Shameless is coming to an end.
The Showtime drama starring William H. Macy was renewed for an 11th and final season, the network announced Monday at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour.
Shameless, an adaptation of a British show, premiered on Showtime in 2011. When it ends, it will match the season length of the U.K. original.
“The characters of Shameless have brought Showtime viewers more laughs and tears and pure enjoyment than any program in our history,” said Gary Levine, president of entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. “While we are sad to bid the Gallaghers farewell, we couldn’t be more confident in the ability of showrunner John Wells, his writing team and this great cast to bring our series to its appropriately ‘Shameless’ conclusion.”
Along with Macy, Shameless also stars Jeremy Allen White, Cameron Monaghan, Noel Fisher, Emma Kenney, Shanola Hampton and Steve Howey as a group of scrappy Chicago natives.
The series is currently in its 10th season, with the 11th and final season slated to premiere this summer.
The news comes almost one and a half years after Emmy Rossum, who starred as Fiona Gallagher, announced her departure from the series.
“It’s hard thing to put into words, feelings,” she wrote in a lengthy Facebook post at the time. “But I’m going to try. This business is always an adventure, full of travel and opportunities to tell stories. Usually as an actor, every few months, you travel to a new place, start a new project, build a new character, learn new rhythms, new inside jokes with your crew, make new friends.”
“Until ‘Shameless’ came into my life 8 years ago, I led that kind of transient wonderful life of an actor. And I never realized how much I actually craved the kind of continuity that this show has given me. And given all of us in the crew. Season after season I’m amazed that our same crew comes back. And it’s not just because it’s a wonderfully written, wonderfully layered show. There are these real connections, real friendships that bring us back season after season after season,” she added. “See, in real life, unlike Fiona, I’m an only child. I never had a big family. Being ensconced in that messy Gallagher family love is something I’d always dreamed of. But even off set, it feels real. We’ve watched the kids grow up into the strong, talented, independent human beings that they are.”
RELATED: Emmy Rossum Is Leaving Shameless After 9 Seasons
In 2016, Rossum made headlines when she refused to sign on for the Showtime drama’s eighth season unless she was offered more than Macy to make up for the seven years she was paid significantly less. Days later, the Golden Globe-nominated actress and Warner Bros. came to terms on a new contract.
Sources at Showtime say it’s too soon to say if she’ll be back at all in season 11.
Shameless airs Sundays on Showtime.
