Weeds (TV series)
Weeds | |
---|---|
Genre | Black comedy[1][2] Comedy drama[1][3] Satire[1] |
Created by | Jenji Kohan |
Written by |
|
Directed by |
|
Starring | |
Opening theme | "Little Boxes" |
Composers |
|
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 8 |
No. of episodes | 102 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Production locations | Red Studios (seasons 1–6) and Universal Studios (seasons 7–8) in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California |
Running time | 26-31 minutes |
Production companies | Tilted Productions Lionsgate Television Showtime Networks |
Original release | |
Network | Showtime |
Release | August 8, 2005 September 16, 2012 | –
Weeds is an American
Kohan serves as showrunner and is executive producer, under her Tilted Productions label. The first three seasons are set primarily in the fictional town of Agrestic, located in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. During seasons four and five, the Botwins reside in the also fictional San Diego suburb of Ren Mar. In season six, the family relocates to Seattle, Washington and Dearborn, Michigan. In season seven, the family resides in New York City, living in Manhattan for the duration of the season, but relocates to Connecticut in the season seven finale and throughout season eight.
When the show debuted on the Showtime cable network, it earned the channel's highest ratings.
In November 2019, it was revealed that a sequel series was in development at Starz, titled Weeds 4.20. The series features Mary-Louise Parker and Elizabeth Perkins reprising their roles with the story set 10 years after the conclusion of the original series. Victoria Morrow, who was a producer on the writing team for Weeds, is set to return as writer and executive producer on the spin-off series, while Kohan is not yet confirmed to be involved, along with any other returning cast.[7]
Production
Produced by Tilted Productions, in association with
Showrunner and head writer Jenji Kohan, whose credits include Tracey Takes On..., Mad About You, and Sex and the City, is the executive producer of the series, alongside Roberto Benabib, of Little City fame.[12][13] Kohan also explains how she and Benabib "tag team[ed]" in running the writers room. Senior writer Matthew Salsberg and director Craig Zisk also joined as executive producers in later seasons.[14][15][16] Following Zisk's departure from the series after five seasons, Mark Burley, director Scott Ellis, and Lisa Vinnecour were added on as executive producers. During seasons seven and eight, senior writers Victoria Morrow and Stephen Falk became co-executive producers.
Exterior scenes for the first two seasons were shot almost exclusively in Stevenson Ranch, a suburban area of Santa Clarita Valley, California. The large fountain and Agrestic sign in the opening credits of the first three seasons was shot at the corner of Stevenson Ranch Parkway and Holmes Place.[17] The name "Stevenson Ranch" was digitally replaced with "Agrestic" (and with "Majestic" and "Regrestic" in later episodes). The overhead satellite view in the beginning of the credits in the first three seasons is of Calabasas Hills, a gated community in Calabasas, California. The shot of the It's A Grind coffee shop in the introduction (seasons one to three) is of an It's A Grind in Castaic, California.[18] The show was originally filmed at Red Studios, previously known as Ren-Mar studios.[19] The show moved to Universal Studios in Los Angeles for season seven, where it is noted on the studio tour. A version of this Wikipedia page served as the introduction for the season five episode titled "Where the Sidewalk Ends".
Synopsis
Series opening
Cast and characters
The principal character is Nancy Price Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker), a housewife from Southern California who becomes a marijuana dealer after her husband Judah (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) dies. Although her drug-dealing career achieves mixed success, she eventually rises to the highest levels of an international drug-smuggling cartel. Nancy remarries three times during the series. First, she has an under-the-radar wedding with Peter Scottson (Martin Donovan), a DEA agent, who is later killed. In season five, she marries Esteban Reyes (Demián Bichir), the fictional mayor of Tijuana and leader of a cartel, who is murdered by the seventh season. While in prison, Nancy also establishes a long-term relationship with Zoya (Olga Sosnovska), a woman convicted of murdering her own boyfriend. In the series finale, which leaps forward seven years, viewers come to know that Nancy marries Rabbi David Bloom (David Julian Hirsh), who later dies in a car accident.
Throughout most of the show, Nancy shares her house with her brother-in-law Andy Botwin (Justin Kirk). When Andy arrives in Agrestic, he is little more than a fun-loving slacker (albeit a handsome and charming one), and Nancy views him as a burden. Nonetheless, he emerges as the primary father figure in the household; her children adore him and there is the suggestion that Nancy and her sons view Andy as their last link to Judah. Andy falls in love with Nancy during the fourth season but eventually realizes his feelings are unreciprocated. Nancy tries to balance their relationship to keep him "in the family." When he is not helping Nancy run her household, Andy engages in various educational and business ventures, from studying to be a rabbi in Hebrew school, to marijuana dealer, to entrepreneurial bicycle salesman. He also has a passion for cooking, becoming a professional chef by the sixth season.
Nancy begins the series with two sons, who after Judah's death are raised haphazardly. In the fifth season, she has a son, Stevie Ray Botwin (portrayed by uncredited babies and later by Ethan and Gavin Kent), with Esteban Reyes. Her first son, Silas (Hunter Parrish), who has been sexually active since the show's debut, later follows in his mother's footsteps: he becomes a marijuana dealer, grower, and dispensary operator.
Nancy's younger son, Shane (Alexander Gould), is highly intelligent yet poorly socialized and vulgar; he is deeply affected by his father's death and yearns for more attention from his mother. In the first three seasons, Shane was also frequently bullied in school. After his peers harassed him in the bathroom for his sexual inexperience, his uncle pursues his request in taking him for a handjob at the local massage parlor. He is portrayed as having psychological issues. For instance, just before leaving Agrestic, Shane has conversations with his dead father. Upon moving to Ren Mar, he loses his virginity and becomes a temporary alcoholic. Shane also engages in violence: When he overhears his mother's conversation with Estaban's scornful boss and political consultant Pilar, who threatens his and Silas' life, Shane murders Pilar by abruptly striking her over the head with a croquet mallet before her body collapses into the pool. By the seventh season, he joins the police academy before receiving his criminal justice degree — working for the New York City Police Department in season eight.
Celia Hodes (Elizabeth Perkins) is Nancy's "frenemy". Obsessed with her personal image, she manipulates those around her who do not fit neatly into that image. She is unhappily married to Dean (Andy Milder) whom she regards as a "loser asshole"; they later divorce. Other characters also dislike her. Celia's older daughter, Quinn (Haley Hudson), kidnaps her as revenge for shipping her to a reform school in Mexico. She is also demanding over her younger daughter Isabelle's (Allie Grant) "weight problem," and disapproves of her being a lesbian. At the end of the first season, Celia is diagnosed with breast cancer and cured with chemotherapy. When interrogated by the police over Nancy's grow house in Celia's home burning down the city, Dean, Doug, and other characters falsely allege that Celia coordinated it, which leads to her arrest. Following her release from prison, she becomes addicted to cocaine, so Isabelle arranges a rehab home intervention. Celia later becomes envious of Nancy; therefore, she dresses like her. After the fifth season, the actress left to pursue other projects.
Doug Wilson (Kevin Nealon) begins the series as an accountant and city councilman for the town of Agrestic. Doug is friends with many characters in the series including Andy, Dean, and Sanjay Patel (Maulik Pancholy); all four aid Nancy's career as a marijuana dealer. Doug makes mistakes and loses his position; his wife Dana leaves him. He becomes a drifter who follows the Botwins during seasons four through eight. He and the Botwins move to New York City, where he becomes the chief accountant for a Ponzi scheme posing as a hedge fund.
The show has a changing cast of supporting characters. Heylia James (Tonye Patano) and her family — Conrad and Vaneeta, portrayed by Romany Malco and Indigo, respectively — play key roles during the first three seasons. They are wholesalers who supply marijuana to Nancy. Conrad later develops his own strain of marijuana, called MILF weed, which Nancy sells.
Season three features Sullivan Groff (Matthew Modine), an unethical, womanizing real estate developer with big plans for Agrestic. When Nancy moves to Ren Mar, the characters in Esteban's drug cartel—primarily Cesar (Enrique Castillo), Ignacio (Hemky Madera), and Guillermo (Guillermo Díaz), the latter first appearing in the third season—take a leading role. Other key characters include Nancy's housekeeper Lupita (Renée Victor); rival drug dealers; countless law enforcement officials; the romantic interests of Andy, Silas, and Shane; and the residents of Agrestic and Ren Mar.
In the sixth season, Nancy is on the run, and the new characters only have minor roles and appear for only a few episodes. An exception to this is Warren Schiff (Richard Dreyfuss), who she first met when teaching her math in high school; he becomes infatuated with Nancy. When the Botwins and Doug settle in New York City, new supporting characters are introduced. The family later settles in Nancy's estranged sister Jill's (Jennifer Jason Leigh) house in Connecticut, becoming a regular guest character by the eighth season.
Other recurring characters include Albert Brooks as Nancy's father-in-law Lenny, Carrie Fisher as Celia's lawyer, Dave Thomas as a doctor, Martin Short as a lawyer for Nancy's custody battle, Alanis Morissette as a doctor at an abortion clinic, Zooey Deschanel as Andy's estranged girlfriend, Lee Majors as a border guard, Mary-Kate Olsen as a student who worships Jesus and sells pot, as well as Aidan Quinn, among others.
Episodes
As of September 16, 2012, 102 original episodes have been broadcast. The first season began August 8, 2005, and consisted of 10 episodes. The second season premiered on August 14, 2006, airing 12 episodes. The third season debuted on August 13, 2007, airing 15 episodes. The fourth season began June 16, 2008, the fifth season on June 8, 2009, and the sixth in August 2010, each with 13 episodes. The seventh season began airing on June 27, 2011, and, as of November 10, 2011, Weeds was renewed for an eighth and final season of 13 episodes that premiered Sunday, July 1, 2012.[24][25]
In 2006, before Season two’s airing, the first few episodes were leaked online.
Media
Opening music
"Little Boxes" is the opening song for the first three seasons. The first season uses the version recorded by its composer Malvina Reynolds.[21] In seasons two and three, the song is performed by various artists. In season four, the Malvina Reynolds version opens the first episode. Thereafter, the original titles and music are replaced by a short clip, different for each episode, that relates to the plot or some scene in the episode. The song is also subtly referenced in the eighth episode of the fourth season when a sleepy Nancy tells Shane that he's going to "...become a doctor or a lawyer or a business executive." In the opening credits of the eighth episode of season seven, a woman is heard humming the tune to "Little Boxes" as she arranges knickknacks on a shelf. In Season eight, the show returns to "Little Boxes" for the opening sequence.
|
|
- Season 8
- Malvina Reynolds
- Ben Folds
- Steve Martin & Kevin Nealon
- The Bronx
- The Mountain Goats
- Bomb the Music Industry!
- The Womenfolk
- The Thermals
- Dierks Bentley
- Hunter Parrish
- Aimee Mann
- Malvina Reynolds (Cut Chemist Remix)
Soundtracks
The music supervisors for the show include
|
|
|
|
Home media
DVD Name | # of Ep | Release dates | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | ||
Season One | 10 | July 11, 2006 | September 3, 2007 | July 18, 2007 |
Season Two | 12 | July 24, 2007 | January 7, 2008 | May 28, 2008 |
Season Three | 15 | June 3, 2008 | May 26, 2008 | July 8, 2009 |
Season Four | 13 | June 2, 2009 | May 30, 2011 | March 17, 2010 |
Season Five | 13 | January 19, 2010 | August 29, 2011 | November 24, 2010 |
Season Six | 13 | February 22, 2011 | April 9, 2012 | December 16, 2011 |
Season Seven | 13 | February 21, 2012 | TBA | August 8, 2013 |
Season Eight | 13 | February 12, 2013 | TBA | March 20, 2014 |
The Region 1 Season One DVD is only available in
In late 2009, Weeds seasons four and five have been aired in at least one region B country, namely The Netherlands.[32] Subsequently, a region 2 DVD of Season 4 has indeed been released.[33][34] However, the region 2 DVD release was not accompanied by a region B Blu-ray. Showtime has not commented on whether they ever anticipate releasing a region B Blu-ray version, or if any further non-US transmission rights are agreed. The same region locking has been applied to Blu-ray for season five.[35] In November 2011, Seasons 2–5 were released on Region B Blu-ray in Australia with Season 6 Region B Blu-ray released December 16, 2011.[36] Blu-ray season seven is now available.[37]
An extra feature on the Season Two DVD (a marijuana-based cooking show parody) was rejected by the British Board of Film Classification since it was regarded as "likely [...] to promote and encourage the use of illegal drugs".[38][39]
Books
On August 7, 2007, Simon Spotlight, a division of Simon and Schuster, published In the Weeds: The Official Guide to the Showtime Series by Kera Bolonik, which features interviews with the series creator/showrunner, its other writer-producers, and the entire cast. It also features detailed character and plot descriptions, recipes, trivia and behind-the-scenes information.[40]
Reception
In its first year, Weeds was Showtime's highest rated series. The season 4 premiere attracted 1.3 million viewers to Showtime, the channel's then-highest-ever viewership; the season as a whole averaged 962,000 viewers.
As the season 3 began in fall 2007, Slate named Nancy Botwin as one of the best characters on television.[41] TIME magazine's James Poniewozik ranked Weeds #9 among the Top 10 Returning Series of 2007.[42] The New York Times opined the show is "transforming for Showtime."[43] Metacritic scored season 2 78 out of 100, season 4 67 out of 100, and season 5 73 out of 100.
Critical reception
| ||||||||||||||||||
|
The first season received mostly positive reviews from critics. Metacritic rated it 70 out of 100, based on the opinions of 29 critics.[44] The second season achieved a Metacritic rating of 78 out of 100, based on 16 critics,[45] and the third season reached a series-high score of 82 out of 100, based on 12 critics.[46] The critical reviews dipped after season 3, reaching a low Metacritic rating of 55 out of 100 (based on 4 critics) for season 6.[49]
Awards and nominations
Award | Title | Credit | Year |
---|---|---|---|
Satellite Awards | Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Mary-Louise Parker | 2005 |
Golden Globe Awards | Best Performance by a TV Actress in a Musical or Comedy | Mary-Louise Parker | 2006 |
Writers Guild of America | Episodic Comedy | Jenji Kohan, Creator/Executive Producer | 2006 |
Young Artist Awards
|
Best Supporting Young Actor – Television Series | Alexander Gould | 2006 |
Satellite Awards | Actor in a Series, Comedy or Musical | Justin Kirk | 2008 |
Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series | Michael Trim, Director of Photography | 2010[52] |
Nominations
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Elizabeth Perkins (2006, 2007, 2009)
- Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Craig Zisk, for the episode "Good Shit Lollipop" (2006)
- Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series (2006, 2007)
- Outstanding Main Title Design (2006)
- Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series, for the episode "Good Shit Lollipop" (2006)
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Mary-Louise Parker (2007, 2008, 2009)
- Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series, for the episode "Mrs. Botwin's Neighborhood" (2007)
- Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series, for the episode "Crush Girl Love Panic" (2007)
- Outstanding Comedy Series (2009)
- Best TV Series-Comedy (2006, 2007, 2009)
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-series, or TV Movie Elizabeth Perkins (2006): Best Performance by a TV Supporting Actress Elizabeth Perkins (2006, 2007)
- Best Performance by a TV Actress in a Musical or Comedy Mary-Louise Parker (2005, 2007, 2008)
- Best Performance by a TV Supporting Actor Justin Kirk (2007)
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Mary-Louise Parker (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
- Ensemble In A Comedy Series (2007, 2009)
- Outstanding Actress in a Series-Comedy Elizabeth Perkins (2005)
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-series, or TV Movie Elizabeth Perkins (2006)
- Best Actress in a Series, Comedy or Musical Mary-Louise Parker (2006, 2008)
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series, or TV Movie Justin Kirk (2007)
- Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical (2007, 2008)
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Stanley, Alessandra (5 August 2005). "Television Review – Mom Brakes for Drug Deals". The New York Times.
- ^ ISBN 1-84511-220-2. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
- ^ a b "Jenji Kohan and Roberto Benabib". KCRW. July 30, 2008. Retrieved April 25, 2011.
- ^ "Weeds Cancelled". TVLine. 2012-06-13. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
- ^ Glennis, Sadie (2012-06-13). "Weeds to End After Upcoming Season". TV Guide. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
- ^ "'Weeds Awareness Week' Welcomes Show to TV Guide Network". TV Guide. Oct 11, 2010. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (November 7, 2019). "'Weeds' Sequel Series in the Works at Starz (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
- ^ Lowry, Brian (August 13, 2006). "Weeds". Variety. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^
- Writers Guild Foundation (June 19, 2014). "Anatomy of a Script with Jenji Kohan: Part 1". YouTube. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- Writers Guild Foundation (June 19, 2014). "Anatomy of a Script with Jenji Kohan: Part 2". YouTube. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- Toledo Blade/Zap2it. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ Chozick, Amy (March 19, 2010). "Showtime's Bad Girls Make Good". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^ "2010 Panelist Bios". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation. 2005–2010. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
- Time Out London. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
- ^ Bellafante, Gina (August 13, 2007). "Weeds – Is Motherhood Noble Work? Not in the World of 'Weeds'". The New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- TVGuide. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ Jen Grisanti, Matthew Salsberg (February 27, 2011). "Interview with Matthew Salsberg – Executive Producer, 'Weeds'". Jen Grisanti Consultancy. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
- ^ Google Street View http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=holmes+pl+Stevenson+Ranch&sll=34.390594,-118.588649&sspn=0.002169,0.004128&layer=tc&ie=UTF8&hq=&ll=34.391482,-118.577829&spn=0.000976,0.004128&t=h&z=19&cbll=34.391482,-118.57783&panoid=OyjlJc0tbMdUaoCe9374Ew&cbp=11,246.17,,0,-3.71
- ^ Calabasas Hill location: Exterior scense for the seasons including Ren-Mar show shots of Manhattan Beach, CA including its pier and streets as well as Hermosa Beach, CA. 34°08′12″N 118°39′21″W / 34.136655°N 118.655798°W
- ^ Red Studios: History. Link at Internet Archive. Accessed 6 June 2014.
- ^ "You Can't Miss the Bear". List of Weeds. Season 1. Showtime. Archived from the original on February 18, 2007. Weeds Transcripts. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
Vaneeta: Can you imagine though? Boy out, jogging with his Daddy, having a good time. Then boom, Daddy drops. That would fuck a kid up.
- ^ a b "Little Boxes", Copyright 1949 Schroder Music Company, renewed 1990.
- S2CID 144793914.
- )
- ^ Nededog, Jethro (April 2, 2012). "New 'Weeds' Season Teaser Tracks Nancy's Wicked Ways". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ Showtime press release (March 14, 2012). "Season 8 of "Weeds" and Season 2 of "Episodes" to Debut Sunday, July 1st on Showtime". The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Massive Leak of Pre-Air TV Shows: Piracy or Promotion?". TorrentFreak. July 24, 2007. Retrieved July 24, 2007.
- ^ "Weeds creator loves illegal downloads of show". TVSquad.com. August 7, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
- ^ "Weeds 1st season music". Showtime. Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
- ^ "Weeds 2nd season music". Showtime. Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
- ^ "Weeds 3rd season music". Showtime. Archived from the original on May 31, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
- ^ "Weeds Season Three Soundtrack Set for Digital-Only Release June 3, 2008". Top 40 Charts.com. April 22, 2008.
- ^ "Weeds". Comedy Central. Archived from the original on May 21, 2013. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
- ^ "Weeds – Seizoen 4, Alexander Gould, Justin Kirk & Kevin Nealon | Dvd". bol.com. November 5, 2009. Archived from the original on January 10, 2010. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
- ^ "Weeds – Seizoen 4? Bestel nu bij". Wehkamp.nl. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
- ^ "Weeds: Season 5 / Blu-ray". DVDWorldUSA.com. January 19, 2010. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
- ^ "Weeds - Season 6 (Blu-ray) | DVD Movies & TV Shows, Genres, TV : JB HI-FI". Jbhifionline.com.au. 2011-12-16. Retrieved 2014-03-11.
- ^ "Weeds". Technologytell. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
- ^ Chris Summers (June 20, 2008). "What is obscene these days?". BBC News. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
- ^ "Weeds – Season 2 – Cream of The Crop – DVD Extra Rejected by the BBFC". British Board of Film Classification. June 22, 2007. Retrieved August 18, 2010.
- ISBN 978-1-4169-3878-1.
- Slate magazine. Archived from the originalon October 12, 2007. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
- ^ Poniewozik, James (December 9, 2007). "Poniewozik, James; Top 10 New TV Series;". Time. Archived from the original on December 12, 2007. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
- ^ Pope, Kyle (August 6, 2006). "For Showtime, Suburban Angst Is Fast Becoming a Ratings Delight". The New York Times. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
- ^ a b "Weeds: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ a b "Weeds: Season 2". Metacritic. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ a b "Weeds: Season 3". Metacritic. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "Weeds: Season 4". Metacritic. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "Weeds: Season 5". Metacritic. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ a b "Weeds: Season 6". Metacritic. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "Weeds: Season 7". Metacritic. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "Weeds: Season 8". Metacritic. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "2010 Emmy Nominations: Outstanding Cinematography for a Half-Hour Series". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
External links
- Official website
- Weeds at IMDb