Friday 8 July 2011

Review - Shameless U.S. Series 1 Episode 3 Aunt Ginger



Episode three of Shameless U.S. Aunt Ginger, makes its most bold leap away from the British original yet.


Frank comes under scrutiny when a government official suspects him of cashing in social security cheques that don’t belong to him but to his 93 year old (dead) Aunt.  An amusing sequence of events follow as Frank, and inevitably the whole family, attempt to find an old lady to impersonate her. 


Possibly due to the fact that the show’s original creator, Paul Abbott, is on-board as executive producer, this entire plot was in keeping with the type of scenario that is typical of the U.K. Shameless, whilst being completely fresh and new.


As mentioned in my initial review of episode one, the appeal for a British audience of watching an American remake of a much loved and successful show can’t really steam much further beyond satisfying a simple curiosity.  However, whether this was a deliberate aim towards attracting British viewers or not (I doubt it was), ingesting this series with sharp new angles will undoubtedly offer a broader appeal for audiences.  Watching a like-for-like show, just with different faces, only serves to make the production vulnerable to negative comparisons to the U.K. version.  It is easier for viewers to become frustrated with what the show isn’t rather than noticing what the show is.  This brave shift away from the regimented reproduction of the original gives Shamelss U.S. a more solid texture and identity.


Continue reading at SimplyTelevision. 

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