EXCLUSIVE UPDATED: Showtime is looking to bring back two of its signature comedy series, Nurse Jackie and Weeds. Both hail from Lionsgate Television and former Showtime chief Robert Greenblatt who has a deal at the indie studio.
Reps for Showtime and Lionsgate would not comment but I hear the followups, now in early stages of development, have the original leads, Edie Falco and Mary-Louise Parker, attached to star and executive produce. Sources stress that the projects are still coming together and deals are being negotiated.
The Weeds revival would be written and executive produced by Christian Torpe, creator of the popular Danish series Rita, and would feature Nancy (Parker) in Copenhagen, I hear.
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Meanwhile, I hear the Nurse Jackie sequel would be written/executive produced by Abe Sylvia and Liz Flahive who were writers-producers on the original series. The concept is still being finalized.
Greenblatt, who I hear came up with the idea of reviving Nurse Jackie and brought Falco and Sylvia on board, executive produces both projects. Untitled Entertainment is producing Weeds.
The Weeds and Nurse Jackie sequels, which I hear are being put on fast-track development to launch as early as Q1 2024 (contingent on the writers strike ending), fit into Showtime’s new programming strategy focused on IP and franchise building. The network recently commissioning new offshoots of other signature series, including The L Word, Billions and Dexter.
There have been efforts to continue the Weeds story for years. In 2019, Lionsgate TV sibling Starz announced that it was developing a followup from writer Victoria Morrow that was to pick up with the Botwin family 10 years after the events of the original series in an era of marijuana legalization.
Created by Jenji Kohan, the original starred Parker as a widowed mother of two boys, played by Hunter Parrish and Alexander Gould, who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband’s death. Justin Kirk, Kevin Nealon, Elizabeth Perkins. Andy Milder, Allie Grant, Tonye Patano and Romany Malco also starred. The show aired from 2005-2012, winning two Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award and WGA Award over the course of its run.
Hospital dramedy Nurse Jackie starred Falco in the title role as a duplicitous, pill-popping ER nurse and mom. The series, which ran from 2009 to 2015, won five Primetime Emmy Awards out of 24 nominations, including wins for Falco and Merritt Wever. Nurse Jackie was created and executive produced by Liz Brixius, Linda Wallem and Evan Dunksy. Caryn Mandabach and John Melfi also executive produced.
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