Shameless: Seasons 1 & 2

Long before Showtime's American remake of Shameless, starring William H. Macy, Britain's Channel 4-aired original comedy-drama introduced an Anglo-Irish clan headed by alcoholic patriarch Frank (David Threlfall), who lives with his six children in a Manchester council estate (his wife walked out years before). In the opener, eldest daughter Fiona (Anne-Marie Duff), who essentially manages the household, attracts the attention of Steve (James McAvoy), and it's love at first sight. Their first date goes so well that Steve, who steals cars for a living, spends all his time at her place. As the chapters unfold, the perpetually unemployed Frank shacks up with the agoraphobic Sheila (Maggie O'Neill), whose promiscuous daughter, Karen (Rebecca Atkinson), has a fling with his oldest son, Lip (Jody Latham). Another Gallagher, Ian (Gerard Kearns), is in a relationship but keeps it to himself since it's with his grocery store manager, Kash (Chris Bisson), who has a wife and kids. The younger members of the brood—Debbie (Rebecca Ryan), Carl (Elliott Tittensor), and Liam (Joseph Furnace)—have their own quirks, as do neighbors Veronica (Maxine Peake) and Kev (Dean Lennox Kelly), who spend considerable time with the Gallaghers. Shameless would continue for nine more seasons, but the first two seasons from 2004-05 represent the best of this darkly humorous, unexpectedly heartwarming BAFTA-winning series. Compiling all 18 episodes, this is highly recommended. (K. Fennessy)