William H. Macy cast in Showtime’s pilot adaptation of British TV series Shameless

Showtime plans to bring the popular British TV series Shameless to the U.S., with Emmy winner and Oscar nominee William H. Macy as its star.

John Wells, also an Emmy winner, will produce the hour-long pilot, the network said in a recent announcement. He’ll be joined by the series’ original creator and Emmy winner Paul Abbott, a hugely successful TV talent in the UK.

“We are honored to be bringing arguably the best American and British television producers together for this unique look at a very complicated family,” Showtime entertainment vp Bob Greenblatt said in a statement.

The show was inspired by Abbott’s own experiences growing up in a working class family with eight children — and lots of issues.

“This compelling look at a family teetering on the edge gets even better with the extraordinarily gifted William H. Macy playing the father you wish you never had,” Greenblatt said.

Macy, whose credits include Fargo, Pleasantville and The Cooler, will play the alcoholic patriarch of the Gallaghers, a Chicago family struggling to get by in the recession. With her mom out of the picture, 18-year-old daughter Fiona tries her best to keep her five younger brothers and sisters on the straight and narrow. a task that usually proves impossible.

“Shameless is wildly politically incorrect and painfully honest,” Wells said. “With one of my favorite actors, Bill Macy, agreeing to join us, I can’t wait to get started.”

The pilot will be shot in December.

Image: Zuma Press