'Weeds' creator Jenji Kohan talks about whether Season 7 is the last and life as a showrunner

"Weeds" begins its seventh season Monday night, and rumor has it that it may be the show's last. Jenji Kohan, who created the series, says she doesn't know yet if this will be the last gasp for drug dealer Nancy Botwin (Mary Louise Parker) -- newly out of prison -- who flees California this season for the anonymity of New York City.








Kohan is a child of showbiz. Her father, Buz Kohan, was an Emmy-winning TV writer and her brother David co-created "Will & Grace." But she says she hasn't always had the easiest time making her way in the industry. She took time from writing and filming the rest of the season to discuss the dark dramedy and her career as a showrunner.

Is this the final season of "Weeds"?

I don’t know. My deal’s up in January and I haven’t heard anything yet from the network or the studio, so I honestly couldn’t tell you.

Are you writing as if it's the end?
I’ve got two plans [laughs]. My favorite thing is having options.

So you're creating two sets of endings depending on whether it gets renewed?

It is not easy. But I don’t want to get caught with my pants down, I want to do [the ending] right.

Did you start out wanting to be a TV writer?

My impetus was vengeance, initially. I had an ex-boyfriend who said I had a better chance of getting elected to Congress than getting on the staff of a television show. I don't like to be told I can't do something. So I quit my day jobs -- I had three -- and I moved in with a friend studying for her medical boards. I'd watch tapes of shows and write my spec scripts and she would study anatomy. Now she heals people ... and I'm still doing the exact same thing.

What shows were you watching then?









At that time, it was "Roseanne" and "Seinfeld." I’d grown up on comedies like "Cheers" and "Cosby" and "The Life and Times of Molly Dodd." ... I really was influenced by ["Molly Dodd"]. I found it whimsical and smart, it was one of my favorite shows. And one of my first internships was with Jay Tarses [creator of "Molly Dodd"]. I thought, 'I'm going to sit at his knee and learn the secrets of brilliant television. But instead I was mixing dressing into salads and buying capuccinos for a crew -- this was before Starbucks!

What was your first writing job?

My first job was "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." ... My ex-sister-in-law's father gave my specs in an elevator to an agent who lived in his building. I got very lucky. I came from a family that worked in this business, but when I expressed my interest they were like, "Go to law school."

Before creating "Weeds," you worked on several shows with women at their center, including "Tracey Takes On," starring Tracey Ullman, and "Gilmore Girls."

"Tracey" was a huge turning point for me. What I learned on "Tracey" was how to run a healthy show, where everyone was good at what they do and kind to one another and when they're done, they go home. Not to mention that I had someone running the room who I could hand a piece off to who would immediately perform it and let me know how it was. I also learned I am not a performer. We'd turn in our drafts and the whole room would take parts and read them out and perform them for Tracey -- but I was quickly relegated to reading stage directions. I was the joke slayer. I hear it all in my head but it just doesn't come out of my mouth right.


Did you have a mentor?
I wish I had. There were people who taught me what to do and not to do. I was very influenced by Tracey, I was influenced by Peter Tolan. ... He was one of the first times that, when I got rewritten, it was better. And he allowed me to slip out of the room to breast-feed, which was really kind.

You wrote for some big shows, but why did it take so long to settle into a series?

I'm a big personality, shall we say? I realized early on my path it would be easier if I were in charge. Right after "The Fresh Prince," I wrote my first pilot. "Weeds" was my 17th. I thought, if I have to climb the ranks, it's just a lifetime of being fired. I need to find a side door! Every season I would write between one and three pilots hoping to win that lottery. It’s not only that I don’t play well with others -- I can. [But] I wanted children, I wanted to call the shots in my professional life. It’s hard to do that on staff because you serve at the will of the king. So after "Fresh Prince" I wrote a pilot that was similar to "Friends," and that got me onto "Friends." Then I got fired from "Friends." So I went to Nepal and quit showbiz -- but then I wrote a "Frasier" spec in the Himalayas. That made me realize, maybe I'm not quite done.

Eventually "Weeds" got picked up.

I had one shot for ABC, I had 10 for CBS. After toiling in fields of network for a long time, I reached a point where I decided I was willing to trade money for freedom. Which brought me to cable! And it was worth it. It was about creating my own universe both in terms of the workings of the show and what you see on the air.

"Weeds" has shifted direction more than any other show I can recall -- from a somewhat realistic suburban dramedy to this almost absurd, dark humored series. Was that always the intention?

It was never the plan. The real shift came when I found the writers were getting antsy and talking about projects they wanted to write in the off-season. And I got a little jealous. I said, What do we have to do here to bring all the creative energy back into the room? And they basically said, We're sick of suburbia. So I said, Let’s burn it down!

How far ahead did you plan the narrative? You keep pushing things further and further.

Everything was a year at a time. We write ourselves into a corner, we all go away and relax and then we come back and say, how do we get ourselves out of this mess that we made?

You said you have two endings in mind. Are you ready to wrap it up after 7 seasons?

I know how hard it is to get here. I’ve been doing this for a really, really long time and I know how good I’ve got it. It’s very hard to let go of that.

Are you working on other projects?

We talked about mentors: I really dont feel like I had that but I want my writers to feel like they did. So I’ve gone out on a bunch of projects with writers and hoping something hits. I have two pilots at Showtime that I’ve cowritten with two of my writers, one is with Mathew Salsberg and one is with Stephen Falk. I sold a show at Comedy Central with Dave Holstein, another one of my writers. ... I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire. I want to set up all of my writers because they can all run a show, every single one of them. And I hope in my old age they’ll hire me

Juneteenth celebrated in Five Points

By Caitlin Gibbons



Thousands of people came to Five Points today to celebrate Juneteenth, a day many have forgotten the importance of, some say.








Juneteenth marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865 when slaves in Texas learned they were free, two years after President Abraham Lincoln singed the Emancipation Proclamation.

The first celebration was held in 1867 in Texas and is celebrated nationwide. The celebration came to Denver in the early 1980s.

Kathy Witten said the festival used to be bigger.

Manual High School said she doesn't recall hearing about Juneteenth growing up. She sat and watched the parade with her adopted African-American daughter - and is in the process of adopting her birth sister - enjoying the experience.
"I'm trying to make a connection to their community and heritage," she said.





"It seems like it missed a generation," Witten said. "For the younger generations it seems like just another festival."

Witten said her father loved coming to the celebration every year and she is trying to pass the tradition
on to her 14-year-old son. She said she wants the celebration to be something he enjoys.
She works with a youth foundation and Friday talked to children about Juneteenth.

"Some of the kids were really surprised when they found out not all the slaves knew they were free," she said. "They thought it was a given and everyone knew."

Mixed in with the live music, vendors selling clothing and food trucks lining Welton Street were booths with information about the history of Juneteenth.

At the Blair Caldwell African American Research Library, actors were in costume ready to teach curious children and adults alike about the history of African Americans is Colorado.

Mayor-elect Michael Hancock said the Denver observance of Juneteenth is one of the largest in the country.

He grew up in the Five Points neighborhood, not far from Manual High School, the starting point of the parade.

He said he has been a part of the celebration since he was a little kid.

"It's part of the American experience," he said."We need to make sure all kids know the importance of Juneteenth and work to bring back a sense of pride to the occasion," Hancock said.

Marne Gulley, who teaches English at

Casino Royale Director Slams Quantum of Solace, Calls it 'Lousy'

While Bond 23 is finally in production under the direction of Sam Mendes (and with some hefty financial backing), Casino Royale director Martin Campbell has taken it upon himself to remind everyone that the last 007 film - poor old Quantum of Solace - was 'lousy'.

Currently doing the promotional rounds for his new film, Green Lantern, Campbell was asked in an interview with CraveOnline about his thoughts on the most recent Bond movie, which was directed by The Kite Runner's Marc Forster.








"Oh, I thought it was lousy. And hopefully this next one will be terrific. Sam Mendes is directing it and I'm sure it'll be terrific," said Campbell.

When asked whether he was disappointed that maybe Forster hadn't continued some of the themes that were in Casino Royale, Campbell replied: "No, I just thought the story was pretty uninteresting. I didn't think the action was related to the characters. I just thought overall it was a bit of a mess really."

Campbell does have form when it comes to 007 movies, having handled Pierce Brosnan's introduction to the series in Goldeneye, then coming back three films late for Daniel Craig's first outing.

The critics and fans would also agree with Campbell. Even though both his and Forster's film took around $600 million each, Casino Royale holds a mighty 94% 'Fresh' rating on RottenTomatoes whilst its moodier sibling only managed a lowly 64% score.

Last Minute Fathers Day Gift Ideas – Here’s the Best Strategy

Last minute shoppers still have hope for that great Fathers Day gift idea. Some of the best ideas can be found with a quick internet search. But first it is important to understand your target. We shared this technique earlier in the week. But for those who missed it, and waited until the last minute, here it is.
To this end, experts say the key to finding the right gift is to develop a plan for coming up with Father’s Day gift ideas. It’s all about understanding the man and listing his interests.








Once you have a good list of hobbies and interests, it becomes much easier to search the internet for ideas and products that fall within those categories. Typical gifts for Dad usually relate to power tools, the office or the golf course. But, to be a little more creative, experts suggest developing a profile.

Without trying to think of any gifts, first simply make a written list of all of the hobbies and interests of the Dad in question. You’ll be surprised with how many you may come up with. Common items might be various sports, both watching and participating, reading, cars, movies, music and so on.








If you man is into cars, check into some type of driving experience like NASCAR or the Richard Petty Driving Experience in Florida. A google search on topics like this may come up with things in your local area. Expand the search to include off-road, or 4 wheeling etc.

Does he like airplanes? Yes a pilots license is expensive, but many local airports have small flight schools (called FBOs) which typically sell “discovery” flights for about $50.00. It usually involves a flight lesson with an instructor including some ground instruction, performing a pre-flight inspection of the aircraft, and then about a 30 minute flight during which “Dad” flies the airplane under the direction of the instructor. You’ll never get the smile off of his face.

Finally, don’t overlook something few men will ask for but everyone would enjoy – a massage. There are many day spas in local areas which offer a 1 hour, full body, relaxing massage for about $30-$50. Really, what could be a better treat on a day meant to be a relaxing break for Dad?

Sean Kingston injured in Jet Ski accident

by Sandra Gonzalez









Singer Sean Kingston was injured Sunday in an accident, his publicist confirms to EW. Further details were not provided in the brief statement made available by his rep, but a source told CNN that Kingston (real name Kisean Anderson) was injured in a Jet Ski accident and taken to a Florida trauma center Sunday evening. His current condition was not given.
The watercraft apparently crashed when it went under a small bridge about 6 p.m., injuring the singer and a female passenger. Officials were still investigating the cause.
“Sean Kingston was in a accident today. No further details are available at the moment. He and his family thank everyone for the well wishes,” his rep’s statement said.

Sausalito's JR Hildebrand has narrow miss at Indy

Will Graves, Associated Press

Monday, May 30, 2011






INDIANAPOLIS - His first shot at winning the Indianapolis 500 gone with a last-lap miscue for the ages, Sausalito native JR Hildebrand sat at the podium and calmly explained how he threw away the biggest race of his young life.

There were no tears. No sullen, mumbled answers. No angry fists slamming the table.

Instead the 23-year-old rookie's words were even. His tone tinged with disappointment but not devastation. When asked how he could be so composed, Hildebrand just shrugged.

"I'm pretending pretty well, I guess," he said.

Hildebrand drove beyond his years for nearly three hours Sunday. He avoided the kind of trouble that befell his more experienced competitors and put himself in position to become the ninth rookie winner in the race's history by deftly stretching his gas mileage over the final 30-plus laps.

One nudge of the steering wheel, however, changed everything. Just a few hundred yards from the finish, Hildebrand's No. 4 Panther Racing Honda slammed into the wall after attempting to lap another rookie, Charlie Kimball, providing one of the most stunning finishes in a century of racing.

Rather than drinking milk in Victory Lane, Hildebrand stood in the garage examining his mangled car as winner Dan Wheldon donned the champion's wreath.







"I felt like I just made a mistake, and it (hurt) our boys," Hildebrand said. "I guess that's why rookies don't win the Indianapolis 500 a whole lot."

Wheldon, who won Indy in 2005 and finished second the past two years, said, "It's obviously unfortunate, but that's Indianapolis. That's why it's the 'Greatest Spectacle in Racing.' You never know what's going to happen."

This might have been the wackiest one ever.

In his first event of the year, Wheldon captured the ultimate IndyCar prize. But the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500 will be remembered for the guy who let it slip away.

Leading by almost four seconds and needing to make it around the 2 1/2-mile track just one more time, Hildebrand cruised through the first three turns with no problem.

The fourth one got him. Hildebrand went too high, lost control and slammed into the outside wall. Wheldon weaved past, while Hildebrand's battered machine skidded across the line 2.1 seconds behind, still hugging the concrete barrier.

The 200-lap race was dominated much of the day by Chip Ganassi's top two drivers, defending champ Dario Franchitti and 2008 winner Scott Dixon.

But after a series of late pit stops, things got interesting. Graham Rahal spent some time up front. Danica Patrick had the lead but had to stop for fuel with nine laps to go. Belgian driver Bertrand Baguette had already gotten past Patrick at that point, but he didn't have enough fuel, either.

It was another bitter disappointment for Patrick, who ended up 10th. "It's more and more depressing when I don't win the race," said Indy's leading lady, who might be heading to NASCAR next year.

Hildebrand promises he'll be back at the Indy 500. He's been a full-time IndyCar driver for all of two months, driving the same No. 4 that Wheldon left last year when his Panther contract expired.

"On the stats, it will show that I finished second in my rookie year and all this kind of stuff, but we had better than that today," Hildebrand said. "It's just tough."

This race showed Hildebrand has the chops. He's got the intelligence too.

This is the same guy, after all, who put off a chance to go to Massachusetts Institute of Technology after graduating from Redwood High School in Larkspur so he could give this racing thing a shot.

Don't expect him to enroll anytime soon.

Panther Racing co-owner John Barnes doesn't want his young driver going anywhere.

"I'm sure he's down," Barnes said. "He (doesn't) need to be down. He has nothing to be ashamed about or upset about. Stuff happens here. We're proud of him."

Giants lose Posey for rest of season

Buster Posey was carted through a tunnel at AT&T Park in San Francisco yesterday, a makeshift cast covering his left ankle and no emotion on his face.








A night after Florida’s Scott Cousins crashed into him at home plate, San Francisco’s star catcher was put on the disabled list because of a fractured bone in his lower left leg and three torn ligaments in his ankle, likely ending his season and putting a major dent in the Giants’ chances of repeating.

“You just don’t replace a guy like Buster Posey,’’ said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, a former catcher who was so stricken by the news he called on Major League Baseball to review rule changes for collisions at the plate.

An MRI confirmed Posey had a fractured left fibula and three torn ligaments in his left ankle, Giants trainer Dave Groeschner said. Posey will seek a specialist to perform surgery.

As word spread throughout the Giants clubhouse, players began to come to grips with what Posey’s injury meant.

The normally blaring speakers near bearded closer Brian Wilson’s locker were uncharacteristically silent. Televisions were turned off. No one was playing dominoes or card games.

Hard to imagine a more important position player than Posey to replace.

Posey has been San Francisco’s cleanup hitter, a team leader in the clubhouse, and key cog behind the plate for one of baseball’s best rotations. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year was batting .284 with four home runs and 21 RBIs, just finding his groove in the midst of a 13-game hitting streak to move the Giants into first place in the NL West.

Eli Whiteside will be Posey’s immediate replacement. The team also put infielder Mike Fontenot (left groin strain) and utilityman Darren Ford (left ankle sprain) on the 15-day DL. Slugger Brandon Belt and catcher Chris Stewart were recalled from Triple A Fresno, and infielder Brandon Crawford was called up from Single A San Jose.

The costly play started when the Marlins’ Emilio Bonifacio hit a shallow fly ball to right-center off Guillermo Mota for the second out in the 12th inning. Cousins tagged from third base on the sacrifice fly, beating the throw from Nate Schierholtz and lowering his shoulder to slam into Posey for a clean hit on the catcher. Cousins was safe as Posey never could quite corral the ball, giving Florida a 7-6 victory.

Mets sell share
The cash-strapped owners of the Mets agreed to sell a minority share of the team to hedge fund manager David Einhorn for $200 million. The influx of money would help pay debts and cover operating expenses while allowing Fred and Jeff Wilpon and Saul Katz to retain control of the team, which has been damaged by the Bernard Madoff scandal.

It was not clear how much of the team Einhorn will own. He emphasized his stake was a minority one and that he wouldn’t oversee the team’s payroll or budget.

The deal is expected to be completed next month. Major League Baseball must give its approval.

Buckner debuts
Bill Buckner made his managerial debut for the Brockton Rox, who opened the Can-Am League season with a 3-1 win over the Worcester Tornadoes at Campanelli Stadium.

“We expect to win,’’ said Buckner, the former Red Sox first baseman, before the game. “I like what I’ve seen so far. We’ve got some guys that can play.’’

Rox catcher Chris Grossman hit a solo home run in the second inning and first baseman Melvin Falu went 3 for 4 with two RBIs.

Lowe off the hook
DUI and reckless driving charges were dismissed against Braves pitcher Derek Lowe for lack of evidence. One of Lowe’s attorneys, Cory Yager, said police video following the April 28 arrest showed Lowe “did remarkably well’’ in his field sobriety tests after declining a breath test. Lowe did not contest a traffic violation for making an improper lane change . . . In a move retroactive to May 20, the Angels placed infielder Howie Kendrick on the 15-day DL with right hamstring tightness. The Angels also signed 35-year-old slugger Russell Branyan . . . Authorities in Denver said a 27-year-old man, identified as Robert Seamans of Pueblo, Colo., died after he fell while sliding down a stair railing at Coors Field during a game Tuesday. Police said Seamans fell about 20 feet onto concrete, striking his head.