During its presentation at the Television Critics Association's summer press tour, Showtime announced the order of two additional episodes for the upcoming ninth season of Shameless - bringing the season total to 14 episodes.
Additionally, the premium cable network announced today that the ninth season will be split into two halves of seven episodes each. As was previously announced, the ninth season begins on Sunday, September 9 at 9/8c. - leading into the series debut of new comedy Kidding. The season will keep airing episodes weekly through Sunday, October 21. The remaining seven episodes will return on Sunday, January 20 at 9/8c. The 14-episode order is the largest the series has ever had - with the previous eight seasons all running for 12 episodes each.
The increased episode order comes as Showtime is quick to tout Shameless as its most-viewed original series. During his executive session at the press tour, Showtime CEO David Nevens said that the eight season was the most-viewed season of the dramedy to date - with it also being a major performer on streaming platforms for the service.
