Here's something I didn't see coming; Variety has reported that Weeds, the Showtime series which starred Mary-Louise Parker as a widowed mother who begins selling marijuana to support her family, may be returning to television.
The new project is in development at Starz with Lionsgate Television set to produce and will pick up with the Botwin family ten years after the events of the original series in the era of legalized marijuana. Mary-Louise Parker is set to star in the potential series as well as serve as executive producer, but series creator Jenji Kohan (Orange is the New Black) isn't attached at this time. Victoria Morrow, who worked as a writer on the original series, is overseeing the new show. Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer referred to the series as Weeds 4.20 during the company's earning call earlier today.
As excited as we are about our new series, I want to remind everyone that ‘the old is also new,’ and we’re pleased to be bringing two of the most acclaimed shows in television history, ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Weeds,’ to the global syndication marketplace next year. We will be launching the marketing campaign for ‘Mad Men,’ winner of 16 Emmys and five Golden Globes during its eight-year run, later this month. And we’re thrilled to be back in business with series star and producer Mary Louise Parker on what we’re calling ‘Weeds 4.20,’ already in active development at Starz, as we prepare a comprehensive and integrated rollout for one of television’s most beloved properties.
Weeds premiered on Showtime back in 2005 and wrapped up in 2012 after eight seasons and 102 episodes. Although I was a big fan of the series during its first few years, I felt that subsequent seasons suffered from overstaying their welcome. That said, I'm still curious to see what the Botwin family has been up to all these years and how they tackle the era of legal weed.