Showtime Networks Inc., owner of several premium U.S. cable television networks, has picked up the comedy series "Weeds."

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"Weeds," is about a single mother who makes ends meet by selling marijuana in a fictional town of Agrestic, Calif., near Los Angeles.

Produced by Lions Gate Television in association with Tilted Productions, "Weeds" has received a 10-episode commitment. The series -- starring Mary Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins and Kevin Nealon -- will be produced in Los Angeles and debut on cable's Showtime channels in mid-2005.

Parker stars as the suburban mom who resorts to selling marijuana to support her family after her husband unexpectedly dies. Perkins stars as the uptight head of the PTA, while Nealon plays a city councilman.