SHOWTIME NABS POT-CENTERED SHOW 'WEEDS'

"Weeds" is a metaphor for instant upscale communities sprouting all over
the country. It describes the hidden ugliness that accompanies outwardly
perfect lives. And, of course, it refers to marijuana.

Showtime's new comedy-drama, which premieres at 11 p.m. Sunday, covers all
those bases, centering on a pot-selling mom in the idyllic Southern
California community of Agrestic.

With no marketable skills, Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker from "Angels in
America") stoops to drug dealing to keep up an affluent lifestyle for
herself and her two sons after the death of her husband.

"Pot is a vehicle for the show," says "Weeds" creator Jenji Kohan. "It's so
in the zeitgeist. It's talked about in the news, in the courts. It's a
morally ambiguous narcotic (and) the universal rebellion drug."

It's also something the broadcast networks wouldn't touch, says Kohan, who
also wrote for "Mad About You" and other broadcast shows. "Weeds," which
moves to its regular slot at 10 p.m. Monday (and replays Wednesday and
Friday), also dives into race relations, the latter through Nancy's drug
suppliers: a black family that gives her a sense of belonging.

"We're throwing everything in" -- the 10-episode series has no sacred cows,
Kohan says. "I think Showtime's mandate is to make some noise. And this is
a pretty noisy show."

The "Weeds" cast includes Elizabeth Perkins ("Big," "Must Love Dogs") as a
perfectionist neighbor, Kevin Nealon ("Saturday Night Live") as a
pot-smoking accountant and Justin Kirk ("Angels in America") as Nancy's
brother-in-law, a character of "pure id," Kohan says.

Perkins says her character, Celia Hodes, is overly concerned about
appearances, a condition that afflicts many and can be a great source of
humor. She must endure infidelity and illness, but a daughter's weight
problem is "the biggest crime of all."

Perkins interprets "weeds" in relation to fast-growing developments such as
Agrestic, where "everyone's striving for a pristine,
I-am-perfect-on-the-outside look so they can all keep up with each other."

Nealon, whose character, Doug Wilson, helps Nancy set up a business to
launder her drug money, sees a more direct metaphor: "If people can't deal
with their problems, they numb themselves a little bit."