Showtime Greenlights SHAMELESS, Starring Macy, Rossum, And Janney

SHOWTIME, Warner Bros. Television and acclaimed Emmy(R) Award-winning television and film producer John Wells (ER, THE WEST WING, SOUTHLAND, WHITE OLEANDER, FAR FROM HEAVEN, SHOWTIME's AN AMERICAN CRIME) are bringing an adaptation of SHAMELESS, the long-running British series, to American premium television starring Emmy(R) Award winner and Oscar(R) nominee William H. Macy (Door to Door, Fargo, Pleasantville, The Cooler), Golden Globe(R) nominee Emmy Rossum (The Phantom of the Opera) and guest starring Emmy(R) Award winner Allison Janney (The West Wing) in a recurring role. SHOWTIME has ordered 12 episodes of the hour-long drama tracing the lives of a very unconventional family which will be executive produced by Wells and the series' original creator and Emmy(R) Award-winner Paul Abbott. The announcement was made today by Robert Greenblatt, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. The series will start production at the end of summer 2010.

"We're so happy to be bringing this richly textured drama about a dysfunctional blue-collar family to SHOWTIME with two of the greatest television producers working today, John Wells and Paul Abbott," said Greenblatt. "And to have William H. Macy and this incredible cast bringing these original characters to life is an embarrassment of riches."

"Paul Abbott and I have been plotting to bring SHAMELESS to American audiences for several years now and we're delighted that Bob Greenblatt and SHOWTIME have given us this wonderful opportunity," said John Wells. "We're remarkably fortunate to get to work with this exceptional cast led by Bill Macy and Emmy Rossum. We can't wait to get started bringing the raucous humor, ribald characters and political incorrectness of Paul's SHAMELESS to SHOWTIME."

SHAMELESS is Abbott's (STATE OF PLAY, TOUCHING EVIL, RECKLESS, and CLOCKING OFF) most personal work, inspired by his own complicated life growing up in a working-class family with ten children. For the U.S. version, the sprawling Gallagher family has been transplanted to working-class Chicago during the challenging times of today's recession. Making ends meet is always difficult especially with a mother who is AWOL and an alcoholic patriarch -- played by Macy -- who usually ends up passed out on the living room floor. Oldest daughter Fiona (Rossum) is left to the task of keeping her five younger Brothers and Sisters on track, a task that usually proves impossible. The series also stars Justin Chatwin, Ethan Cutkosky, Shanola Hampton, Steve Howey, Emma Kenney, Cameron Monaghan, Jeremy White and Laura Slade Wiggins Mark Mylod directed the pilot episode.

SHAMELESS will be produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television.

About Showtime

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME(R), THE MOVIE CHANNELTM and FLIX(R), as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME(R) 2TM, SHOWTIME(R) SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME(R), SHOWTIME BEYOND(R), SHOWTIME NEXT(R), SHOWTIME WOMEN(R), SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE(R) and TMC XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD(R), THE MOVIE CHANNEL HDTM, SHOWTIME ON DEMANDTM and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMANDTM. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. 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(R) PPV.