<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> ← Previous Season 4 Next → Season 6 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> List of Shameless (U.S. TV series) episodes </Td> </Tr> <P> The fifth season of Shameless, an American comedy - drama television series based on the award - winning British series of the same name by Paul Abbott, premiered on January 11, 2015 on the Showtime television network . Executive producers are John Wells, Paul Abbott and Andrew Stearn, and producer Michael Hissrich . Like all previous seasons, the season consisted of 12 episodes . </P> <P> The season picks up from the season 4 finale two to three months after the events of finding out Ian's bipolarity and Fiona's release from prison . Fiona begins a new relationship with a skilled member of a rock' n' roll band while juggling her new job at Patsy's Pies, where she has flirtatious encounters with her boss, Sean . Lip is home from college for the summer, and is torn between two worlds as his loyalty to the South Side is questioned while gentrification comes to the neighborhood . Ian's declining mental health raises the concerns of Mickey and the rest of the Gallaghers, yet he remains in denial of his condition . Debbie continues to struggle with the pains of adolescence and Carl begins a new business venture as a drug - dealer . Sammi becomes more involved in the lives of her half - brothers and sisters while Frank struggles with sobriety following his recent liver transplant . </P>

When did season 5 of shameless come out