‘Shameless’ Season 12: Everything We Know So Far

The TV series Shameless, produced by Showtime, has been on air for 10 years and 11 seasons. The show follows the life of Frank Gallagher, who is a single father of six children. Frank’s alcoholism has made life difficult for his smart, industrious, and independent kids, who have had to fend for themselves. When Frank is not spending the little money they have at the bar, he’s usually passed out on the floor. Despite the odds, the kids have found ways to grow up with the help of Fiona, their eldest daughter. Although they may not be like any family you know, they make no apologies for being themselves.

The show is a comedy-drama series developed by John Wells and was Showtime’s longest-running original scripted series. The 11th season was announced in January 2020 and premiered in December 2020. The final episode of the series aired on April 11, 2021, bringing an end to the much-loved show. While the show was received well by audiences, Showtime had confirmed that the 11th season would be its last. Fans had hoped for a renewal, but there is no news on further content at this time.

Will ‘Shameless‘ Season 12 Happen?

When the 11th season of Shameless was announced, it was presented as the final season. The official description of the show even read: “It’s the last call and the Gallaghers are going out with the biggest bang ever. Changes are coming that will force each of them to either step up or hit the road, but they know one thing for certain – Gallaghers may grow up, but they’ll never grow apart.” 

Instead of season 12, however, Showtime announced a six-episode limited series called Shameless Hall of Shame. It is a retrospective look at what happened in the preceding seasons that would air during season 11. It contains new and original Shameless scenes juxtaposed with a retrospective look at each character’s journey. In a way, it was the perfect way to tie the series up together in the end. 

“The characters of Shameless have brought Showtime viewers more laughs and tears and pure enjoyment than any program in our history,” Gary Levine, the network’s President of Entertainment said as he revealed the final season of the show. “[But] we just felt like, 11 seasons is a big fat number. We just felt it wa time, and we also liked the idea of giving John and co. a chance to end it well, to be able to aim for that landing.”

Shameless‘ Spin-Offs And Movies

The series, as beloved as it was during its run, will certainly be considered for spin-offs based on its colorful characters in the future. But showrunner, Wells, told The Hollywood Reporter that not much was in the pipeline as of now. “I haven’t been big on reviving any of the shows or continuing shows. They have a natural ending,” he stated. “I don’t want to talk ill of anybody else’s attempts to bring something back but there is something about the first time they are on that’s kind of magical. It was a show that people loved and you run the risk of undermining that. We are really proud of what we’ve been able to do with Shameless and the stories we’ve been able to tell and frankly that Showtime allowed us to tell. So, never say never but we haven’t had any conversations about it.”

All we can do is wait and hope Wells changes his mind.

Ancil Gonzales is a Trinidadian writer and blogger with a love for Movies, TV Shows and Anime.

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