‘Shameless’ Season 9 to Be Split Between Fall and Spring

Shameless season 9 will not only be longer, but also split between fall and spring.

During the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Monday, premium cable network Showtime announced that it has ordered two more episodes for Shameless season 9, bringing the season total from 12 to 14 and marking the series’ longest season to date, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The supersized season will air in two parts, with the first seven episodes debuting on Sept. 9 with a midseason finale airing on Oct. 21 and the final seven episodes returning on Jan. 20 at 9 p.m. The split season, similar to the scheduling on networks like AMC, will allow Showtime to air its highest-rated series in two quarters, providing both a ratings and financial boost.

Season 9 of Showtime’s longest-running series, which will see the series hit the 100th episode mark, will find the Gallaghers taking matters into their own hands. After finding money in campaigning, Frank will “give voice to the underrepresented South Side working man,” while Fiona will take an expensive gamble in the hopes of landing her in the “upper echelon” of the business world.

Meanwhile, Lip will attempt to care for Eddie’s niece, Xan, and Ian will be forced to deal with the consequences of being Gay Jesus when his movement takes a destructive turn. As Kevin and V struggle with the hardships of raising twins while running the Alibi, Debbie will put her foot down and demand equal pay.

Created by Paul Abbott, the series is currently in production in Los Angeles on season 9, which will pick up after the events of season 8, which to fans delight did not feature a cliffhanger.

“I don’t know if we consciously did that, to be honest with you. I can’t remember, but I’m not sure we had finalized the deal for season 9 yet,” executive producer Nancy Pimental said of the season 8 finale and the decision to include smaller developments rather than build up suspense but not come to a definitive conclusion. “So again, I don’t think we were necessarily like, ‘Oh, let’s not do a big giant thing.’ The way we did it just sort of all felt organic.”

Season 9, produced by Bonanza Productions, will star original cast members Emmy Rossum, Jeremy Allen White, Ethan Cutkosky, Shanola Hampton, Steve Howey, Emma Kenney, and Cameron Monaghan.

Shameless season 9 premieres Sunday, Sept. 9 at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime. Seasons 1-8 of the series are currently available for streaming on Netflix.