Meet Frank Gallagher (William H. Macy): proud, working-class patriarch to a motley brood of six smart, spirited and independent kids who, without him, would be…better off. In Frank’s booze-addled view, parenting just eats into his hard-earned bar-crawling time around Chicago – so he leaves it to eldest daughter Fionna (Emmy Rossum) to hold down the fort. Bearing the de facto parent badge/burden, she’s donned the proverbial apron and makes sure her younger siblings do their chores, keep a clean-ish home, and everyone (no matter how small) works to keep the house lights on, as well as food on the table. Brothers Lip (Jeremy Allen White), Ian (Cameron Monaghan), and Carl (Ethan Cutkosky) use their intellect to break every rule in the book to survive and make the bank, while younger sister Debbie (Emma Kenney) would sooner steal her share, Toddle Liam, the youngest, is just happy to be along for the ride. The Gallaghers are irreverent, endearing, resilient – and they’re absolutely, wildly and unapologetically Shameless.

Includes all 134 episodes from all 11 award-winning seasons.

For previous thoughts on Shameless, please see our previous overviews here and here.

Video Quality

Shameless comes to DVD with 134 episodes over 34 discs which offers a fair amount of room to avoid compression issues. Unfortunately, the full series was not afforded an HD option like the first nine seasons, which received Blu-Ray releases from 2011 to 2019. It would have been nice to finally get the final two seasons on Blu-Ray, but we are grateful to have the complete run on physical media in some form. Due to the limitations of the format, these episodes are not going to look as gorgeous as they do in high definition, but the presentation is exceptional within the DVD format.

Even without the added definition, this is still a pleasant viewing experience with fine details easily visible. Skin tones look natural, and close ups look quite good. Black levels are a bit weaker here, as nighttime scenes lose some of the outlines of objects within the shot. Colors are rendered favorably, and there is a semblance of texture in the clothing. This is the type of show that you want to see in the best quality possible, but consumers are increasingly less likely to spring for a Blu-Ray of a television show that is not a big spectacle. If you want to physically own these episodes, this set delivers a pleasing presentation.

Audio Quality

This DVD collection comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 track that sounds nice for the type of show that it is. Dialogue is rendered clearly with a focus in the center channel. Any music is presented confidently here. Amongst all of the arguing, sound effects and background chatter never overpower the dialogue causing lost information. The rear speakers create a dynamic atmosphere as the sound of various environments envelops you at all of the appropriate times. The mix has a good sense of directionality so that nothing ever feels like it is coming from the wrong place. This track executes all of the key elements of a dialogue-driven dramedy perfectly. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

This DVD collection brings together all eleven previously-released seasons into one package. This means that all of the previous supplemental features are included such as audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, roundtable chats, and more. The supplements begin to thin out more the further you get into the series, but there are plenty of great additions worth viewing for fans.

Final Thoughts

Shameless is a transfixing watch as, once you begin, you quickly become emotionally invested in the journey of the Gallagher family. The dysfunctional family is filled with individuals who get into some seriously messed up situations while delicately maintaining our support for a positive outcome. The exploits that these characters get into can be very dark, but the show typically finds ways to find the humor within the struggle. The series is filled with incredible performers who have only become more beloved since the story concluded. There are some bumpy moments throughout the eleven seasons, but it never completely loses the audience. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has delivered a DVD set with a fine A/V presentation for the format and a good assortment of special features. Recommended

Shameless: The Complete Series is currently available to purchase on DVD and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the DVD.

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.