Tim Goodman's TV Review: Showtime's 'Episodes,' 'Shameless' Are Essential Viewing

5:58 AM PST 1/6/2011 by Tim Goodman

Well, that didn't take long. Two new series from Showtime start off so strong in 2011 that the new year can claim budding greatness in the very first month.

The comedy Episodes and the dramedy Shameless -- premiering back-to-back Jan. 9 -- nail their worlds with impressive dexterity. The first, starring Matt LeBlanc as a loose variation on himself, skewers the television industry (in particular the networks) for importing great British series -- in this case a fictional one -- and then screwing them up royally. The second, starring William H. Macy, actually is a real British import, lovingly transformed into a believable alternative to the one created by our cousins.