“I cannot be weak,” protests Frank Gallagher as Shameless returns tonight.
The new – ninth – series begins with two extended episodes screened at 10pm over consecutive nights.
With many Chatsworth estate residents evicted from their homes in an official crackdown.
A politically-motivated move which aims to eventually clear the entire area.
I returned to the Manchester Shameless HQ late last year to spend another day on set.
WE met in the canteen of the Shameless HQ in Manchester.
But it wasn’t until Manny Ighodaro stood up that I realised just how tall he was.
Of which more below.
Episode six of the new series is on Channel 4 at 10pm this evening, after last week’s burst of episodes one to five.
With a first screening of next week’s episode seven following tonight on E4.
Including a scene involving guest star Pookey Quesnel which is definitely not for the squeamish.
ANOTHER day on the Chatsworth to interview the cast of Shameless.
Including an afternoon in The Jockey, where the regulars still pay no heed to the smoking ban.
A month or so later, having cleared my lungs of herbal cigarette smoke, I also caught up with series creator Paul Abbott.
IT’S no secret that Christopher Eccleston is one of my favourite actors.
Maybe yours too?
He’s a class act and as intelligent off screen as on.
I spoke to him recently – on the day after the government’s spending cuts were announced – about his role in episode one of Jimmy McGovern’s new BBC1 series Accused.
Which includes his character Willy calling a banker a name I can’t repeat here.
My interview with Chris is in today’s Manchester Evening News, and also online below with a few extras I couldn’t fit into the main article.
VISITS to TV sets follow their own book of rules.
Filming schedules will often overrun or change.
Putting at risk the interview you may have travelled hundreds of miles to secure.
THE interview scene running through Margot is a clever dramatic device.
Former Shameless star Anne-Marie Duff is dazzling as magical Margot Fonteyn.
And she was suitably poised when I met up with her for today’s interview here.
Anne-Marie made a number of interesting points which I couldn’t squeeze into the feature.
So allow me to place them here for those who want to read more.
Life of Wylie 