The Shameless Season 7 finale could easily have served as the Showtime drama’s swan song, though recent reports of star Emmy Rossum pushing for pay equality in Season 8 tipped a hand that renewal was at least the cards. Now, just hours after airing said finale, Showtime formally confirms that Shameless will be back for Season 8.

As initially suggested by Rossum herself in the tweet confirming her return, Shameless Season 8 will begin production in May for a premiere date later in 2017. Shameless surprisingly aired both Seasons 6 and 7 in 2016, the latter filling Homeland‘’s absence before a 2017 return.

Still unconfirmed is if Showtime agreed to Rossum’s request for a higher salary than co-star William H. Macy, whose Season 8 deal supposedly “puts his salary in the upper echelon of cable dramas.”

Shameless still serves as a major player in Showtime’s lineup, but is Season 8 at least approaching an end date?

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