Shameless is back with its fourth series, and what a series it is.

Series four has all the usual aspects of a Shameless series with drugs, fighting, sex and robbery, but there is a lot more to this series that makes it stand apart form its previous counterparts.

The programme, based around the fictional Manchester estate of Chatsworth, follows the trials and tribulations of the Gallagher family. In this family new characters appear, and old characters reappear. A few old characters disappear. It’s a regular theme.

In this series there are many weird and wonderful story lines that could only happen to the Gallagher’s. One person finds out that they’re a year older than they were told they were. A pizza delivery bike goes missing and a prize racehorse turns up in a back garden.

Not to mention that the Maguire’s live next door to them and that doesn’t lead to a bed of roses, whilst Ian has an experience which makes him doubt his sexuality.

Frank Gallagher (David Threlfall)’s first wife Monica (Annabelle Apsion) reappears with her female partner in tow. What does this mean for Frank and his current wife Sheila (Maggie O’Neill)? It means that things are going to get bumpy for the alcoholic and unemployed father of six! Frank is still managing to upset the Maguires’ and regularly finds himself on the wrong end of a beating by them.

Phillip Gallagher (Jody Latham), nicknamed Lip because he’s a bit mouthy, finds that his relationship with long term girlfriend Mandy Maguire (Samantha Siddall) is getting serious and keeps getting him in trouble with the hard-as-nails Maguire family.

He has to do favours for Mandy’s dad Paddy (Sean Gilder) to prove he wants to be part of the family and to prove his love for Mandy. Lip has a very important decision to make at the end of the series that is a surprise to everyone, as it will be for you as well.

With the rest of the characters growing and developing it proves to be an excellent follow up to the previous series’ and will be an excellent addition to anyone’s DVD collection. It is definitely well worth watching over and over again!