Weeds

It fair warmed the cockles of my heart to hear that 15 valuable heat lamps have found their way to Dudley zoo. These lamps had recently been seen in action at a cannabis farm in Halesowen before they passed into the hands of West Midlands Police who donated them to the zoo. There was no reported attempt to "freecycle" the cannabis crop, but at least the snakes and baby penguins are going to feel the benefit of the lamps (picture here)

Which reminds me ... I watched Series 2 and 3 of "Weeds" at the weekend. I reviewed Series 1 on this blog a good while ago and the quality has been more maintained.

It's good script, as the stoners would say.

For those who haven't indulged so far, it follows the downward spiral of a suburban soccer-mom drug-dealer as she tries to pay the bills by selling Class B narcotics.

It does take a cartoonish view of the thrills and spills of smalltime suburban drug-dealing, but it is telling that every single character involved with the dealing loses considerably as a result whether in term of life, love, liberty, money or toes (don't ask).

The characters also become much harder to like as time goes on. Nancy was something of a victim of circumstances in Series 1, but now it's clear that she's become a lying, spiteful, disloyal, manipulative [female doggie] and a darned poor mother.

Apparently there's a Series 4. Tut tut - I guess she doesn't learn.

Anyway, the humour is adult, sharp and painful and Mary-Louise Parker's performance is a total joy. Definitely recommended if you like your humour with a bit of an edge.

Oh, and it's a delightful idea to have the theme tune performed in a radically different style every week. Elvis Costello, Engelbert Humperdinck, Joan Baez, Linkin Park, Regina Spektor and other versions in a Afro-Pop, Indie, Latino and Hip-Hop styles.

Overall, in a word : intoxicating.