The opening credits have always featured a monologue from what could arguably be called the central character of the series, Frank Gallagher. The series charts the lives of the dysfunctional Gallagher family, comprising the father, Frank Gallagher and his nine children, widening the scope to other occupants of the estate as the series progresses.
Other characters featured in earlier series included Fiona's boyfriend Steve, a middle-class car thief (series 1-2); Kev and Veronica (series 1-3, guests in series 4), the Gallagher's neighbours; Kash, the owner of the local shop, and his wife Yvonne; agoraphobic Sheila (series 1-4) and her daughter Karen; Lip's girlfriend Mandy Maguire; the policemen Tony and Stan, along with various regular background characters. The cast was expanded for the series 2, with Carol and Marty, Veronica's mother and brother, becoming regular characters after guest roles in the first series. In series 3, Mandy's family, led by her drug-dealing mother Mimi Maguire and Paddy Maguire, became key characters. In series 4 we also meet three of the Maguire parents' sons: Shane Maguire, who is determined to show his parents and the estate that he is a hard man and a good worker, and Mickey Maguire, who is gay and similarly determined to prove himself. We also meet Jamie Maguire, who has been in prison for 10 years for murder. The estate are initially scared of him in case he turns against anyone, but as we find out he is a partially reformed character, and wants to get on with his life. He eventually marries Karen Jackson.
The Gallagher family reside at 2 Windsor Gardens, on the fictional Chatsworth Estate, a council estate in Stretford, Greater Manchester. Originally the show was filmed on location on a council estate in West Gorton and in the Pie Factory Studios in Salford. From series 5 onwards there te show has been filmed from a purpose built set on the Roundthorn Industrial Estate in South Manchester on the site of the old Umbro factory and around Wythenshawe, Manchester
(read less)The opening credits have always featured a monologue from what could arguably be called the central character of the series, Frank Gallagher. The series charts the lives of the dysfunctional Gallagher family, comprising the father, Frank Gallagher and his nine children, widening the scope to other occupants of the estate as the series progresses.
Other characters featured in earlier series included Fiona's boyfriend Steve, a middle-class car thief (series 1-2); Kev and Veronica (series 1-3,...
(read more)
