It looks like corporate decision-making finally did what booze, drugs, and the economic realities of low-income America couldn’t: take out the Gallaghers. Showtime announced that it has renewed Shameless for an 11th and final season, according to Deadline.
Showtime president Gary Levine announced at the TCA Press Tour that this would be the swan song for the pay-cable network’s long-running series. Showtime has historically held onto its successful programs long after they maybe should’ve taken a powder, creatively speaking, though from a business perspective it’s not hard to see why: Shameless is still Showtime’s top-rated series. The 10th season, currently underway, is set to conclude at the end of January, with the final season then airing during the summer, though no launch date has been set. Thus, it will end having delivered the same number of seasons as the British drama it’s based on; you could argue this is a meaningful milestone, but as our recent reviews have noted, not much seems to register as a meaningful moment for this show any more.