Jenji Kohan Movies

Produced for cable's Showtime service, the half-hour Weeds starred Mary-Louise Parker as suburban housewife Nancy Botwin, whose comfy, affluent existence was shattered by the unexpected death of her husband. With no other readily available source of income, Nancy decided to service an ever-growing consumer demand -- by selling marijuana to other white-bread suburbanites. Purchasing her pot from streetwise dealer Conrad Shepard (Romany Malco) and his aunt, supplier Heylia James (Tonye Patano), Nancy set up her new business enterprise using a bakery as a front, with the assistance of city councilman Doug Wilson (Kevin Nealon) -- all the while keeping her activities a secret from her snooty, traditionalist best friend, PTA president Celia Hodes (Elizabeth Perkins). Also in the cast were Alexander Gould and Hunter Parrish as Nancy's sons, Shane and Silas; Justin Kirk as her overgrown-slacker brother-in-law, Andy; Andy Milder as Celia's feeble husband, Dean Hodes; Allie Grant as the Hodes' overweight daughter, Isabelle; and Martin Donovan as Peter, a single dad whom Nancy fell for -- and who turned out to be a DEA agent. The series' ironic theme music was the Womenfolk's "Little Boxes," a satiric paean to split-level conformity. One of those series invariably described as "smart and sexy" by in-the-know critics, the Golden Globe-winning Weeds debuted August 7, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Outside Isabelle's (Allie Grant) dance class, the gossip about Dean's (Andy Milder) affair with the local tennis pro, Helen Kim (Michelle Krusiec of Saving Face), are reaching fever pitch, and Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker) also overhears Celia (Elizabeth Perkins) telling Isabelle that Quinn has been sent off to boarding school in Mexico. A bounced check sends a distraught Nancy on a visit to Doug (Kevin Nealon), who suggests that Nancy needs a front business in order to maintain a checking account without leaving a paper trail. Nancy's money woes are creating problems at home and at work. The phone's been turned off, and Nancy gets an amused reaction when she asks Heylia (Tonye Patano) about her "credit policy." Nancy has buyers lined up, but doesn't have the cash for the weed, so she has to leave the family car as collateral, and drives off in Conrad's (Romany Malco) beloved "hooptie." Meanwhile, Celia has gone on the offensive in her house, shaving Dean's head while he sleeps. "Did your hair go to boarding school in Mexico, too?" a bemused Isabelle asks her father over breakfast the next morning. Confronted by Silas (Hunter Parrish) about Quinn's sudden disappearance, Celia points out that Quinn had a day and a half to "put her affairs in order," and didn't bother to call Silas, so it hits home when she calls Silas "a fun and sweaty diversion" for her daughter. Later on, Celia visits the tennis club, and goes for a drink and a not-so-friendly chat with Helen Kim. Shane (Alexander Gould) seems to be spending all of his free time watching old home movies of his dearly departed father, Judah (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Originally telecast by HBO from January 13 to March 17, 1999, season four of Tracey Takes On... finds the multi-talented Tracey Ullman utilizing scores of comic characterizations to poke satiric jabs at 12 different topics. This year's crop of single-issue episodes include "Dating," "Drugs," "Scandal," "Hair," "Lies," "Erotica," "Books," "Road Rage," "America," "Hype," "Obsession," and the appropriately yclept series finale, "End of the World." Many of Ullman's familiar "alter egos" are still in attendance, including elderly Hollywood makeup artist Ruby, ageing male homosexual Trevor, suburban Jewish widow Fern, posturing magazine editor Janie, ruthlessly ambitious lawyer Sydney, burned-out rock musician Erin, and washed-up nightclub singer Linda. Breaking a tradition from previous years, this final season of Tracey Takes On... does not conclude with a special hour-long best-of highlights episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally telecast by HBO from January 18 to May 28, 1997, season two of Tracey Takes On... finds the multi-talented Tracey Ullman utilizing scores of comic characterizations to poke satiric jabs at 15 different topics. Episode titles this season include "Sex," "Fantasy," "Mothers," "Las Vegas," "Secrets," "Childhood," "1976," "Food," "Crime," "Movies," "Money," "Race Relations," "Supernatural," "Politics," and "Music." Among Ullman's hilarious "other selves" in the course of the 15 episodes are the perennial virgin Hope, the trash-talking Hollywood makeup artist Ruby, mother-dominated bank clerk Kay, barracuda-like Beverly Hills lawyer Sydney, fiftysomething suburban Jewish matron Fern, over-the-hill nightclub entertainer Linda, and high-strung magazine editor Janie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After a four-year absence, Spencer Klein returns in the role of Ryan Stemple, the son of Jamie's friend Fran (Leila Kenzle). In her efforts to compliment Ryan's violin virtuosity, Jamie (Helen Hunt) puts her politically incorrect foot into her politically incorrect mouth. On another front, Paul (Paul Reiser) plans to haggle with the Buchmans' therapist over some rather exorbitant fees. Jeff Garlin makes his first series appearance as Marvin, general factotum to Paul's cousin Ira (John Pankow). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally telecast by HBO from January 24 to April 3, 1996, the first season of Tracey Takes On... finds the multi-talented Tracey Ullman utilizing scores of comic characterizations to poke satiric jabs at ten different topics. This year's episodes include "Romance," "Charity," "Nostalgia," "Royalty," "Family," "Law," "Vanity," "Death," "Health," and "Fame." In the course of these episodes, the star appears in such guises as pretentious magazine editor Janie, mother-dominated British bank teller Kay, redheaded Australian stuntwoman Rayleen, foulmouthed cabbie Chic, donut shop owner/philosopher Miss Noh Nang Ning, landed-gentry Englishwoman Virginia, ageing male homosexual Trevor, and septuagenarian Hollywood makeup artist Ruby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mad About You launched its fifth season with yet another time slot change, moving to Tuesday evenings opposite ABC's top-rated Roseanne, CBS's new The Promised Land, FOX's package of first-run films, and Moesha from the upstart UPN. Picking up where season four left off, the fifth season began with the temporarily separated Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt) enjoying a tender reconciliation with Jamie's announcement of her long-awaited (and much-delayed) pregnancy. It was therefore inevitable that this season would end with the birth of the Buchman baby, an adventure that all but required a one-hour finale episode. In between, the stories involved Jamie's search for a decent obstetrician, a choice which was narrowed down to the colorfully yclept Dr. Von Derphal (John O'Hurley) and Joan Golfinos (Suzie Plakson), the girlfriend of Paul's out-of-the-closet sister, Debbie (Robin Bartlett, still one season away from her matriculation from recurring to regular character). Meanwhile, Jamie's filmmaker husband, Paul, busied himself with a documentary about his own family, bringing a whole new array of colorful characters into the Mad About You fold, chief among them the great Mel Brooks as philosophical Uncle Phil. Other new fifth season characters included Marvin (Jeff Garvin), handyman to Paul's cousin Ira (John Pankow) and tough-talking therapist Sheila Kleinman (Mo Gaffney). Elsewhere, Harry Groener replaced Alan Ruck as Jamie's politician boss, Lance Brockwell, while the revolving-door casting of Jamie's parents, Theresa and Gus Stemple, briefly settled upon TV icons Carol Burnett and Carroll O'Connor. Finally, Anne Ramsay, previously a series regular in the role of Jamie's sister, Lisa Stemple, was now seen merely on a recurring basis. This year, Emmy awards went (again) to Helen Hunt as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and to Mel Brooks and Carol Burnett for their sporadic guest appearances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide