Fans of Shameless will know that actor David Threlfall plays the role of professional lay-about Frank Gallagher in the show, but according to reports today, David is now set play the role of Tommy Cooper in a new ITV drama about the life of the comedian.

He’s set to star alongside Amanda Redman in the feature length production. She’ll play the role of Tommy’s wife Gwen, who Tommy affectionately called ‘Dove’.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror about the forthcoming show, executive producer Andy Harries said, “Few comics have had such a lasting influence on British culture as Tommy Cooper… Read more & comment »

Fans of Take That will no doubt be pleased to hear that singer Jason Orange is to appear in next week’s Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless as DJ Scouse Mouse.

Following in the footsteps of his Take That band mate Gary Barlow, who starred in a festive edition of Miranda Hart’s comedy, Jason will feature as a DJ at a festival on the Chatsworth Estate.

A show source told The Sun, “Jason has been a huge fan of Shameless for years and jumped at the chance to get involved.

“But he admitted he was really nervous and didn’t sleep at all the night before it was filmed.” Read more & comment »

Welcome back to Manchester’s most notorious estate for one last epic 14-part series.

It’s a grand occasion as the Chatsworth inhabitants celebrate being awarded an Olympic ring from London 2012. The Maguires toast the expansion of their empire: Mimi’s hijacked control of the local school via the PTA and Shane’s setting up a new business venture.

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With the final ever series of the hit Channel 4 hit, and now iconic, comedy drama, Shameless, due to begin tonight,  Unreality TV caught up with one of its original stars, Kelli Hollis – who made a return to the show, like many of the original cast did, for the shows grand finale.

Shameless first hit our screens ten years ago, exploding into our lives with a massive impact that no one could have predicted.
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Fans of Merlin star Colin Morgan and Shameless veteran David Threlfall will no doubt be pleased to know that both actors are to star in new BBC crime dramas this year.

Beginning with Colin’s new role, he’ll guest star as Jimmy Minor in a BBC adaptation of John Banville’s hit novel Quirke alongside Gabriel Byrne in the title role as pathologist Garrett Quirke.

The series will feature three episodes – Colin will feature in the final installment – and in each, we’ll see Quirke investigating the mysterious deaths of people who end up on his table at the morgue.

In a press release about the drama last month, the BBC said of Byrne’s character, “[He’s] a charismatic loner whose job takes him into unexpected places as he uncovers the secrets of sudden death in 1950s Dublin… Read more & comment »

UPDATE! The fabulous Kelli Hollis has confirmed to us that she is also returning for the Shameless finale in the role of feisty Yvonne Karib! Yvonne was of course formerly married to – as it turned out – gay shopkeeper Kash (Chris Bisson) but she later began a romance with copper Stan Waterman (Warren Donnelly).

I can’t wait to see what Yvonne’s up to now!

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Fans of Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless, which is sadly ending its eleven-series run this year, will surely be delighted to know that Anne-Marie Duff is to make a comeback to the show as Fiona Gallagher.

TV Choice magazine reports, “The 42-year-old acclaimed actress left the programme eight years ago during the second series, a little over a year after the hit comedy drama launched.

“She is now filming the final edition which is set on Manchester’s fictional Chatsworth estate.”

Anne-Marie, who is of course married to her former Shameless co-star James McAvoy who played Steve McBride, left the show in its second series – as did James – and since then has starred in the critically acclaimed BBC drama The Virgin Queen as well as BBC Two series Parade’s End, in which she co-starred with Sherlock actor, Benedict Cumberbatch… Read more & comment »

Take That superstar, Jason Orange, is to move away from his music career for a little while, as he takes on a role in the final series of Channel 4 hit drama, Shameless!

The new, and final series of Shameless, set in the fictional Chatsworth estate in Manchester, is due to air this spring, ending in the summer after 139 episodes of the epic and iconic show.

So far it is reported that several stars, including returning cast members, are joining the Gallagher clan to mark this special occasion after its creator, Paul Abbott, announced in October last year that this series would be the last.
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Actress Emmy Rossum was originally considered too pretty for the US version of Shameless.

The star, 26, claims she had to convince show bosses she was the right person to play the role of Fiona Gallagher as they were unsure at first. Read more & comment »

Former Shameless and EastEnders actor Jody Latham has admitted a charge of producing cannabis in Lancashire.

Latham, who played Lip Gallagher in Shameless, and more recently pimp Rob Grayson in EastEnders, was arrested after growing 24 plants worth about £14,000 at an address in Bacup, in May 2011. Police had been called to his home after neighbours reported a racket and when they arrived, they found a man with an eye injury leaving the property.
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As the current series of the epic period drama, Downton Abbey, creeps towards its end, the UK are being treated to a new drama, dubbed the “Spanish Downton Abbey” which is due to hit UK screens next month, so the Sun newspaper reports.

The lavish series, Grand Hotel, is set in 1905 and follows the story of a man on a mission to find out what happened to his sister, who disappeared whilst visiting the guesthouse.
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There’s sad news for fans of Channel 4 comedy Shameless as it’s been revealed that after the eleventh series, the show will end for good.

That’s apparently because viewing figures have steadily declined over the course of the last two series, and therefore, writer Paul Abbott felt it was time to call it day.

He said, “Its 10th anniversary seems a fitting time to shut the book on Shameless. We’ve had an absolute ball making this stuff up for a living.

“We’ve given back in spades and got away with absolute murder, on behalf of such a fantastically outspoken audience… Read more & comment »

It would seem that soap actors are going to pot these days, because not only is former Emmerdale star Seamus Gubbins possibly facing jail for cultivating marijuana plants, former EastEnder – and Shameless – actor Jody Latham has also allegedly been caught growing cannabis.

Maybe they can be jointly charged. Joint… get it? Ahh gotta love a good play on words, and yes, I realise that wasn’t in fact a good play on words.

However, the Daily Mail reports that Jody – who played evil pimp Rob Grayson in ‘Enders and wide boy Lip in Shameless – was arrested after 25 cannabis plants were discovered on property he owns in Bacup, Lancs.

It seems police made the discovery having been called to the property over a report of a possible affray in which one man sustained a black eye. No further action was taken over that incident… Read more & comment »

Comic Con is a-coming in just a few short weeks time and bit by bit, all of the shows and panels are beginning to be confirmed.

Earlier this week we brought you the details of the planned Game Of Thrones, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries and Glee panels which will take place in San Diego next month and this afternoon, Showtime have confirmed that they will be bringing “Dexter” to the popular convention once more.

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Tina Malone, who plays the role of hard-faced drug dealer Mimi Maguire in hit Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless, has revealed that she’s bankrupted herself “because of stupidity” over her spending.

Tina, who appeared in Celebrity Big Brother in 2009, was officially declared bankrupt last week after a former friend – who loaned Tina £37,000 – sought legal action to recover the money.

Of what happened, Tina told the Daily Mirror, “This is all completely my fault. I’ve been such an idiot.”

The paper reveals that Tina spent £90,000 on her wedding to fitness trainer Paul Chase, and that she spent “hundreds of thousands of pounds” on presents for friends and family as well as investing heavily in a film project which failed.

Tina also revealed that spent thousands on an all-expenses-paid trip to Jamaica for a friend’s 40th birthday and £4,000 on 15 pairs of Ugg Boots for family and friends… Read more & comment »

When thinking about who might make a good addition to the cast of Shameless, you might be forgiven for not giving a moment’s thought to Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville…

However, Hugh – who plays Lord Grantham in the hit ITV drama – has told the Radio Times that he’d love to star in the Manchester based comedy drama.

Virgin Media report that when asked if he’d ever consider a role in a show like Shameless, Hugh replied, ”God, I’d love to be given that opportunity, absolutely, who wouldn’t?

“Every actor would love to be the complete opposite of what they are.”

I’d love to see Hugh in Shameless! He could perhaps be Frank Gallagher’s long lost brother who grew up on the right side of the tracks, and while Frank utters “Let’s ‘ave a parteee”, Hugh might say, “I say, shall we have a soiree aside this abandoned and blazing vehicle?” Read more & comment »