Showtime has officially renewed "Shameless" for an eight season, the cable network announced on Monday.
The renewal of the dramedy which stars Emmy Rossum and William H. Macy comes after the airing of the seventh season finale and days after Rossum finalized a deal with the cable network to get equal pay. Deadline reported that the show will begin production in May 2017 for season 8, which will run for a total of 12 episodes.
Rossum, who plays Gallagher matriarch Fiona, took to Twitter to express her excitement days before Showtime made the official announcement.
"Playing Fiona Gallagher has been one of the great privileges of my life," the actress said.
"I'm so happy to continue w my SHAMELESS family!Back to work in May!"
Playing Fiona Gallagher has been one of the great privileges of my life. I'm so happy to continue w my SHAMELESS family!Back to work in May!
— Emmy Rossum (@emmyrossum) December 14, 2016
Last Sunday, "Shameless" season 7 wrapped up on a gloomy tone after one of their own has passed away. But the incident allowed for the Gallaghers to be more bonded than ever. Also, the finale was able to tie up loose storylines involving past relationships for some of the characters.
Moving forward, it's safe to assume that Shameless will continue telling bolder and more interesting arcs. The past seven seasons proved that the actors are getting better each year. It's also worth noting that the writers have done an excellent job in delivering compelling storylines for each character.
In effect, this season has been the strongest run of the show to date, averaging a total of 5.8 million every week. Although is not getting the attention it deserves, its ratings is a strong indication that it has one of the most loyal followers when it comes to viewership. Hopefully, the storylines next season will continue to stick with the show's DNA.
"Shameless" also stars Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkosky, Shanola Hampton, Steve Howey, Emma Kenney, Cameron Monaghan and Isidora Goreshter.
Showtime has yet to announce the official premiere date of "Shameless" Season 8.
