I finally came to appreciate Shameless well past the time Joan was on it. But the first five seasons the only reason I had to watch it was Joan. All the problems I had with it - none of them were her. Had the show been nominated as a comedy, she would have won an Emmy for her work. As it was, she got five consecutive Emmy nomination for Best Guest Actress in a Drama where she was never going to win because Joan was mostly doing comic work. Confused? That's what the Emmys were the first six years Shameless was on the air.

Joan is one of the greatest actresses in history. I'm a little surprised you didn't mention her breakout role in Say Anything. Also she got started on SNL! Granted it was probably the only season that could have gotten the show canceled - which is saying a lot considering that she was on it the same year as Anthony Michael Hall, Randy Quaid, and Robert Downey Jr. (Yes, that Robert Downey, Jr.) It has a horrid reputation which (having seen most of the episodes in reruns) it actually doesn't deserve. Just think where Joan might have ended up if it had been a success.