The opening title scenes of Shameless (episode one) shows us a wide variety of characters which show us the typical behaviour of residents of a council estate, and it especially represents stereotypical behaviour of Northerners. The opening title sequence also produces some intertexuality (cross references between two separate TV shows) Debbie holding a knife & rolling pin which is a scene from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels by Guy Ritchie in 1998. The narrative voice during the opening scene is the front man of the show, Frank Gallagher (David Threlfall) who is a typical unemployed alcoholic (associated with the North). Ending the opening sequence is a scene where all of the characters (residents of the council estate) are all gathered around a burning car, in which they are discarding their beer cans onto. The gathering is interrupted when the police turn up. This opening sequence, which features many youngsters, and people focusing on partying, sums up typical Northern way of life, which is confirmed when Frank Gallagher says, “There are three vital things for a community, space – where everyone can go metal, fantastic neighbours, but all of them, to a man knows the vital necessity to this life is, that they know how to throw a party!”
Following the title sequence, we encounter Lip going round to his friends house, Karen (who Lip is trying to impress) to help here with her homework. During his time round her house, he experiences a awkward sexual encounter, which is comical for the audience. He then returns home, where we see his bedroom which he shares with his brother Ian. The mise-en-scene of the room is small, box, neutral colours on the wall which is plastered with various posters, one of which will become apparent later on. Upon his return Lip finds a stash of homosexual pornography in which he suspects is his brother’s Ian, this is confirmed by the poster of Kylie Monogue above Ian’s bed (very stereotypical thing for Gay’s to like Kylie Monogue’s music, which adds humour for the audience). Later on Lip talks to his brother boasting about his sexual encounter, after which he confronts Ian about the homosexual pornography, Ian loses it and begins to sob uncontrollably, which is very stereotypical thing for a homosexual to do – feminine.
The next scene shows Steve and Fiona, who meet at a club (stereotypical Northern thing to do, partying and getting drunk). In which Fiona’s handbag is stolen and Steve acts the hero and goes to fight the man who stole it. Outside the club, Steve is embraced by Fiona, and when they try to regain entry into the club, the bouncer refuses them to do so, so Steve lamps the bouncer, and they run off back to Fiona’s flat. Upon their return to Fiona’s flat they are met by other members and friends of her family. So Steve and Fiona tell them of the events which occurred at the club, and are amazed to hear about the punching of the bouncer (as they all knew him, and was surprised Steve had the urge to punch him). When everyone has left, Steve and Fiona come together, and the sound of romantic music plays (birds tweeting with a Spanish guitar to boot, which seems very Disney like) They experience their own ‘spur of the moment’ sexual encounter, the graphic shots are amplified with the loud groans of Fiona shouting “ni, ni” which is another example of intertextuality , this time from a sketch from Monty Python, “Knights who say Ni”. This encounter is soon interrupted when Frank Gallagher returns home escorted by the Police (who know Fiona’s name) for being excessively drunk.
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