lionsgate

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Showtime has given the green light for a fourth season of their comedy series Weeds. I'm not certain how this will be affected by the writer's strike, but considering that it's Showtime's most popular original show, I doubt it will be abandoned because of that. It will likely only be delayed. Showtime even expanded the number of episodes in the third season from 13 to 15.

I've seen a few first-season episodes on DVD and liked them. I particularly liked Kevin Nealon in his role as the pot-smoking accountant. Mary-Louise Parker and Elizabeth Perkins were also very entertaining in their roles as the dope-pushing suburban housewife and her spoiled, selfish neighbor.

Ars Trechnica is reporting that Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer may have accidentally let slip plans for digital video download stores from Best Buy and Blockbuster.

During a conference call, Feltheimer reportedly said "we have nearly a dozen active agreements in place for digital delivery of our content." Two of the companies he named were Best Buy and Blockbuster, neither of which has officially announced details of a digital download service, although it should come as no surprise that either company would want in on the download market.

If true, two of the biggest names in bricks and mortar movie sales and rentals could be entering the increasingly crowded digital delivery marketplace. Right now, most online video stores have limited selections, restrictions on burning movies to DVD and lower quality than a standard DVD, or in some cases, VHS. So while it might seem like there are already more places to purchase or rent online video than necessary, we welcome a little more competition in the marketplace.

The Dresden Files, which debuts on the Sci Fi Channel in January, sounds somewhat like The X-Files in the way it combines detective work with the supernatural. In this case, however, the detective has supernatural powers himself. The new series, based on the novels by Jim Butcher, focuses on Harry Dresden (Paul Blackthorne), a professional wizard who helps solve cases involving vampires, werewolves and other mystical creatures. Terrence Mann also stars as Dresden's sidekick, a centuries-old spirit who lives inside a human skull.

An interesting concept, at least, though I wonder what this series will have that will set it apart from other supernatural shows, many of which have not been able to find an audience. That being said, I'd rather see a wizard helping police solve crimes than another series about some psychic doing the same. The further we get from vindicating so-called "real" psychics with fictional dramas the happier I'll be. Besides, I have several leprechaun friends who have been trying to sell a script to HBO for years. I think it's about their time to shine.

While I certainly have no moral issues with pot use, I've never understood why a person would wear a shirt with a huge pot leaf on it. I mean, I love blueberry waffles but I'm not going to wear a shirt with a picture of blueberry waffles on it, even though it would obviously be the coolest shirt ever. Of course, if you're trying to promote a TV show called Weeds you'll probably have a few pot leaves on your garments. Just don't tell the French.

While in Cannes, Lionsgate, which produces the Showtime series, had their booth visited by French officials, who confiscated boxes of shirts and caps with pot leaves on them, claiming they encourage drug use. The producers were asked to provide a script, an episode of the show, and a letter saying the garments do not promote drug use.