"Pilot" is the series premiere of the American television comedy drama Shameless, an adaptation of the British series of the same name. The episode was written by executive producer Paul Abbott and series developer John Wells, and directed by Mark Mylod. It originally aired on Showtime on January 9, 2011.

The series is set on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, and depicts the poor, dysfunctional family of Frank Gallagher, a neglectful single father of six: Fiona, Phillip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam. He spends his days drunk, high, or in search of money, while his children need to learn to take care of themselves.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.98 million household viewers and gained a 0.4/1 ratings share among adults aged 18–49, making it Showtime's biggest turnout for a series premiere since Dead Like Me in 2003. The series premiere received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances, tone and characters, though some critics felt the pilot was a lackluster adaptation of the original.

The pilot of the American adaption of Shameless focuses on the family of alcoholic patriarch Frank Gallagher, who introduces his six kids: his eldest daughter Fiona, the extraordinarily intelligent Lip, the strong-hearted Ian, the sweet-hearted Debbie, the troublemaking and unruly Carl and baby Liam.

Fiona and her best friend Veronica Fisher go to a nightclub, but a man steals Fiona's purse. As they chase him, a man named Steve Wilton tries to catch the thief but fails. Despite that, Steve earns admiration from Fiona and Veronica after punching the security guard for not letting them back into the nightclub. Steve accompanies Fiona to her house, meeting the family and Veronica's boyfriend, Kevin. After everyone goes to sleep, Fiona and Steve have sex in the kitchen but are interrupted when the police arrive to return a drunk and unconscious Frank. Steve returns to the Gallagher home the following day, but Fiona dismisses him as desperate. Noticing the family's broken washing machine, Steve decides to buy Fiona a new Samsung washing machine; Fiona is visibly impressed by this grand gesture.

Meanwhile, Lip gets money by tutoring his promiscuous classmate Karen Jackson, and she surprises him by giving him oral sex under the kitchen table. Returning home, Lip discovers a hidden gay pornographic magazine and suspects it belongs to Ian. Lip confronts Ian over the magazine and challenges him to visit Karen and get oral sex to prove otherwise. While Karen's mother Sheila is oblivious to the event, they are discovered by Karen's religious father Eddie. Enraged, Eddie flips the table and chases Lip and Ian through the house; Lip is forced to jump off the second floor to escape, injuring himself. While visiting the local market that Ian works at, Lip is shocked to discover that Ian is having sex with his boss, Kash; Lip chastises Ian for pursuing an affair with a married man.

Fiona and Steve go on a date, where Fiona discovers that he is actually a car thief. While surprised, Fiona accepts his profession and they go joyriding in a stolen car. As they return home, they are confronted by Frank over the washing machine. While drinking with Frank, Steve learns more about Fiona's upbringing; it is revealed that Frank's estranged wife Monica has run away from the family, leaving only Fiona to fend for her siblings and deal with her alcoholic father. The following morning, Lip and Ian make up, with Lip showing acceptance over Ian's sexuality. The family, joined by Steve, proceed to have breakfast, while an asleep Frank lies on the floor.

In January 2009, HBO began developing a pilot on an American adaptation of the long-running British series of the same name; the announcement occurred following a lengthy negotiation with the original series' creator, Paul Abbott. The project had initially been in talks with NBC, like many other series produced by developer John Wells, but Wells was concerned over having to accommodate to broadcast network standards. The pilot is a direct adaptation of the first episode of the British version, and was written by Abbott and Wells, and directed by Mark Mylod. It was Abbott's first writing credit, Wells' first writing credit, and Mylod's first directing credit. In an interview with The Futon Critic, Wells revealed that he was intrigued by the project because of the dynamics of the Gallagher family in the original series, stating "I found myself very attracted to the family and the way in which these kids were raising themselves and cared for each other [...] A lot of people don't feel that in their own home." Wells fought efforts against network executives to place the show in the South or in a trailer park, saying "We have a comedic tradition of making fun of the people in those worlds. The reality is that these people aren't 'the other' — they're people who live four blocks down from you and two blocks over."