15 shows about working-class families that aren’t Roseanne
By Sundi Rose
Shameless
This is not a “feel good” show like many of the other shows on this list. Shameless will shock you, test the boundaries of your humor, and continually break your heart with its characters’ misguided decisions and acts of self-sabotage.
The premise: The show follows the lives of the poor, constantly down-on-their-luck Gallagher clan. The oldest sister, Fiona (Emmy Rossum), has stepped in to look after her five younger siblings because their mother is a deadbeat, absent drug addict, and their father is a con artist, grifter, and alcoholic who has no shame or moral boundaries.
Fiona is young, in her early twenties, when she assumes control of the family and its finances, and you can imagine how tough things get for the family. They are a hard-scrabble bunch who could probably survive a nuclear winter if they put their minds to it.
Why you’ll like it: As rough as this crowd is, they are all well-drawn individuals that dare you not to care for them. Even when they are actively making decisions that will put them in harm’s way or destroy their lives, they are real and genuine.
The relationships are dysfunctional and damaging, but nobody can say they aren’t rooting for this bunch of folks. You can’t help but love a survivor, and these folks aren’t anything if they aren’t scrappy.
Where to find it: Netflix offers seasons 1-7, and you can watch each sibling go through their myriad and sundry catastrophes. The latest season 8 is available on Hulu with the Showtime add-on, Showtime Now, or On Demand.