W - DVD

The West Wing - The Complete Series Collection

Amazon Price: $143.99 List Price: $299.98 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Warner Brothers - Model: WARD82000D Amazon Marketplace: 56 new & used starting at $129.60

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 141 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Awful Servce 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 22 people found this review helpful.

Never received product more than a month later and no response from service department after email inquiry. Do not purchase anything from Royal Video. And Amazon claims no responsibility even though they list it on their site. What's the point?

Excellent Television Series 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

There are few television series' that hold a standard of excellence like "The West Wing." I bought the entire set when Amazon finally had it on the Deal of the Day and I am excited to watch each show all over again.

EXCELLENT - 6 stars! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent intelligent series about the interworkings of the White House. I bought it from amazon.com and there was absolutely no problem with the packaging. On the contrary the leather box is terrific. Each season is in a separate file folder and marked with tabs which makes it quite handy. Also included are two books - one summarizing each episode with lots of colored pictures and another with the pilot script. Very classy. The comment from R.C. Harris of Norway is NOT true. Ample space for each dvd and even pockets to hold them in. I don't know how he managed to scratch any. As far as there being no subtitles - I found it totally unnecessary and certainly no reason not to purchase this set. Suspect the comment from Norway is from someone where English is his second language as my sons and I have viewed the entire series multiple times and had no problem understanding what was being said. As far as his suggestion to buy from amazon.co.uk - you will get subtitles but unless you have a multiregional dvd player you won't be able to play them as they are Region 2 while the U.S. is Region 1. Definitely work the money for 154 episodes... about 108 hours!

Editorial Review:

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 11/07/2006

The Wire - The Complete Fifth Season

Amazon Price: $38.99 List Price: $59.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Warner Brothers - Model: HBOD38240D Amazon Marketplace: 71 new & used starting at $31.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 68 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

still a great show 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

story takes a little while to get going, but once it does you're hooked again.

Loved this series 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I've been watching The Wire fpr several years now, and now that I've watched the final season I feel like I've graduated or something. I'm sad because this is definitely one of my favorite TV series of all time. It's just so addictive: smart, interesting, very well written and acted. I love The Wire.

Compromises and sacrifices 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This series was perhaps the series that brought out that final part of some of the characters personas.

The big question that they were asked was "Would you sacrifice your career for the common good?" Some said yes, some said no.

We get the chance to look at the reporter who is struggling with inability and what he is prepared to do to get ahead. We look at characters who when given the chance to compromise their beliefs, refuse to do so.

This series is just brilliant, very deep and full of issues.

Loved it.

Editorial Review:

Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 08/12/2008 Run time: 630 minutes

Will & Grace: Season Eight

Amazon Price: $28.99 List Price: $44.98 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lions Gate - Model: LGED23841D Amazon Marketplace: 52 new & used starting at $25.50

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Maybe the best season... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This one probably has the most laughs of any of them. I really like season 6, but this is close.

I also think the DVD menu is the easiest to use on this set. It flows much better and is layed out much better. I give it 5 out of 5. If you liked Will and Grace, you gotta own this.

Outstanding 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Product came in excellent shape, no dents or scratches and I loved watching every single last episode!!!!! ;)

So Long, Farewell 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I have not completed the entire season as yet, but It is all slowly coming to an end. I missed a few episodes when it was still on air, so it is nice to wrap up the "WaG" series with all consecutive episodes. The live episodes are sure to give you an extra laugh, as the cast desperately tries not to laugh and screw up their lines on camera.
All in all, It has been 8 wonderful seasons, and sadly all good things must come to an end.

No the best season 2 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This was a great show, but not this season, I felt it was a little boring and it didn't have the hillarious comments of Karen an Rosario (which was sick so she didn't appear in all the episodes) I'm glad the series is over, before all fans stopped seeing it.

Editorial Review:

Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 09/16/2008 Run time: 515 minutes Rating: Nr

Weeds - Season Three

Amazon Price: $24.99 List Price: $39.98 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lions Gate - Model: LGED24077D Amazon Marketplace: 83 new & used starting at $19.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 69 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Weeds: Season Three continues the dark line of comedy that emerged in the previous season for this Showtime series. The story picks up exactly where it left off, with Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker) faced with a half-dozen guns pointing at her in her own kitchen, while an Armenian gang and Nancy's buyer, U-Turn (Page Kennedy), both demand she turn over her entire stash of marijuana (worth several hundred thousand dollars). Problem is, the pot is in the trunk of on-again, off-again friend Celia (Elizabeth Perkins), whose car has been stolen by Nancy's oldest son, Silas (Hunter Parrish). Silas wants in on mom's business, but his timing couldn't be worse as Celia and a police officer show up to reclaim the car while Nancy is still at gunpoint. The fallout from all this is that Nancy ends up working for U-Turn to repay her debt to him, a dangerous relationship that sends Nancy down a rabbit hole of underworld threats and violence. Meanwhile, Celia gets booted out of her home by her husband and becomes estranged from her young daughter, Isabelle (Allie Grant), who insists she's a lesbian. Celia rebounds a bit when a corrupt developer (Matthew Modine) gives her a house in exchange for her support on city council for one of his schemes. That goes wrong, too, when Celia allows Nancy, Doug (Kevin Nealon), and Conrad (Romany Malco), all of whom go into business after U-Turn stops being a problem, to put their endangered trove of marijuana plants in her house. Nancy's other son, Shane (Alexander Gould), claims he can see and talk to the ghost of Nancy's late husband, and Nancy's brother-in-law Andy (Justin Kirk) goes AWOL from the U.S. Army after his comrade is deliberately killed in an experimental missile test. As always, it's one thing after another on Weeds, and the blend of humor and suspense is uniquely compelling. Parker and the rest of the cast pull off some pretty surreal situations with great credibility. The show's lead star, particularly, can carry moments of blended terror and comedy: one of the season's most memorable moments finds Nancy forced to put on a sexy dance for a group of drug dealers in order to pick up a package U-Turn requires. The scene is humiliating, frightening, sexy, and comical all at once. Few actresses could have pulled it off, but Parker does. --Tom Keogh

The Waltons - The Complete Eighth Season

Amazon Price: $29.99 List Price: $39.98 Not yet released By: Warner Home Video

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

True family values 5 out of 5 stars.
15 of 16 people found this review helpful.

I watch the Walton's almost every morning and have seen all the shows numerous times...but still I need to have these DVD series just in case they should ever go off tv. I think they are one of the best family value shows that were ever on tv.

The Next-to-Last Season comes home in Early 2009. 5 out of 5 stars.
15 of 17 people found this review helpful.

Warner Bros. is on the right track for The Waltons, when they release season 8 in Early 2009!

The Waltons will have only one season left to be released, after season 8.

Hopefully, Waltons The Complete 9th Season (1980-1981), which will the last DVD set, gets released in the spring of 2009!

Please release the final 2 seasons in 2009, Warner Bros.!

The Waltons, World War, and more Change 4 out of 5 stars.
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.

Season Eight was a particular interesting year for The Waltons. Michael Learned (Olivia) returned for twelve episodes, Ellen Corby is seen in fewer episodes as Grandma, and Robert Wightman makes his first appearance as John-Boy; replacing Richard Thomas for the rest of the series.

Despite these things, the show still retained its family values, and appeal. The season begins with World War II raging, John-Boy is missing in action, Jason is in charge of recruits, and Olivia struggles to keep up with her changing family. Erin, Elizabeth, and Mary Ellen do their best to help in the war effort, and Ben and Cindy have their first baby.

When Olivia leaves to go back to the Sanitorium, Rose--a close family member--comes to help with the needs of the family. Jason befriends a woman named Toni (his future wife), and Jim-Bob finishes flight school and heads to war as a pilot.

The following is a list of the 24 episodes of this season:

1. The Home Front (1)
2. The Home Front (2)
3. The Kinfolk
4. The Diploma
5. The Innocents
6. The Starlet
7. The Journal
8. The Lost Sheep
9. The Violated (1)
10. The Waiting (2)
11. The Silver Wings
12. The Wager
13. The Spirit
14. The Fastidious Wife
15. The Unthinkable
16. The Idol
17. The Prodigals
18. The Remembrance
19. The Inspiration
20. The Last Straw
21. The Traveling Man
22. The Furlough
23. The Medal
24. The Valediction

While it is true that by this point in the show, some of the quality was degrading. But, for a true fan, this season is a Godsend.

The West Wing - The Complete First Season

Amazon Price: $17.99 List Price: $59.98 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Warner Brothers - Model: WARD24259D Amazon Marketplace: 89 new & used starting at $14.90

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 176 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Buyer Beware, Faulty Disks! 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This is an EXCELLENT SERIES! Like others I absolutely recommend purchasing any of the series. However, I wanted to offer a warning.

I have all of the seasons. I received them all from Amazon (most were Christmas gifts).

4 of the sets had defective disks. There would be at least one episode that you could not play without it skipping. Please make sure you watch the episodes completely within the 30 return period to be sure that there are no defective disks. Amazon is very good about replacing the set if there are defects but there is a time limit. It is hard to get through 20+ hours of tv watching in 30 days!

Also- Sets 1-3 (and maybe 4) have programming on both sides of the disks. Seasons 1 & 2 are my favorites and have been watched many times. Over time the disks seem to "split" in the center and skipping occurs now throughout the programming. There are no scratches on the disks and the skipping is inconsistant (always happens on the disks now, but not always in the same place).

This issue does not seem to occur with the later sets (programming only on one side). There is no way to replace the disks once this starts happening. If you have a way to "backup" the first few sets I would recommend it if you plan to watch them often. Not an issue if you are only likely to watch them once.

Editorial Review:

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 11/18/2003

Wonderfalls - The Complete Series

Amazon Price: $17.99 List Price: $39.98 Usually ships in 24 hours By: 20th Century Fox - Model: D2224804D Amazon Marketplace: 54 new & used starting at $17.19

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 323 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Wonderfalls is probably the most hilarious show you've never seen. An hour-long "dramedy" about a young woman who hears the voices of inanimate objects--which instruct her to help out total strangers--the show aired on Fox in early 2004 to critical acclaim and dismal ratings. After airing four times in terrible time slots, the show was quickly canceled, but not before a hue and cry from a small but fervently devoted cadre of fans went up, begging for all 13 episodes to be released on DVD. Thus, the highest-profile DVD release of a canceled show was born, and the nine unaired episodes of Wonderfalls are finally seeing the light of day.

You may be wondering: is it worth it to check out a show that was axed so quickly? The answer is an unqualified yes, as Wonderfalls is quirky without being precious, sardonic without being bitter, and smart without being a show-off about it. Jaye (Caroline Dhavernas) is a graduate of Brown University who's opted not to put her education to work, and instead lives in a trailer and works at a tourist shop in Niagara Falls, to the consternation of her affluent, successful family. All seems to be going well for this self-proclaimed slacker, until one day a small toy lion speaks to her in enigmatic epigrams, commanding her to help people. Loath to deal in any compassionate way with the rest of humanity, Jaye warily obeys, if only to make the voices stop. Soon, though, she finds herself to be an unwilling humanitarian and accidental hero when more inanimate objects start talking to her, and more people turn out to need her help.

The premise may sound a bit too off-the-beaten-path, but Wonderfalls' meddling with the ethereal was grounded in a keen awareness of post-college life and the travails befalling young twentysomethings who had no idea where their life was going. And instead of being sanctimonious or inspiring, the show was instead a complex mix of the heartfelt and the angsty, and Dhavernas was one of the most cynically hopeful heroines to grace the small screen. The rest of the cast was also topnotch, including Kate Finneran as Jaye's high-strung sister, Diana Scarwid as her caustic mother, and Tyron Leitso as bartender Eric, whose tentative romance with Jaye was both affecting and hilarious. Think of Wonderfalls as less of a failure and more of a rare opportunity to see some of the most creative television in recent memory. --Mark Englehart

The Wire - The Complete First Season

Amazon Price: $39.49 List Price: $59.98 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Warner Brothers - Model: HBOD98873D Amazon Marketplace: 63 new & used starting at $32.32

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 204 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Flawlessly enjoyable 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Wire is, at first glance, Yet Another Cop Show, about a group of disparate and conflicted police officers working to bring down criminals who are often not much better than they are. Yawn. However, there are two things that mean that people should take this seriously. Firstly, it's made by HBO who, up to a couple of years ago anyway, seemed physically incapable of making something unless it was absolutely gripping and awesome. Secondly, it's the creation of former police writer and journalist David Simon, whose previous show was the brilliant Homicide: Life on the Street.

The Wire kicks off on the mean streets of Baltimore, Maryland. A murder case against a young black man named D'Angelo Barksdale collapses when one of the witnesses is scared into retracting her testimony. The furious judge learns from homicide detective Jimmy McNulty that D'Angelo is a junior member of a far-reaching criminal gang run by his cousin, the extremely elusive Avon Barksdale. This gang controls all the drug supplies on the west side of the city, and are protected by a labyrinth of legit front organisations. Determined to get some payback, the judge uses his influence to have a special joint homicide-narcotics unit formed to bring down the Barksdale gang, with McNulty assigned and an up-and-coming officer named Lt. Daniels placed in charge.

The investigation into the Barksdale organisation by the unit forms the backbone of the first season of the show, but that's just one side of the story. We also get to see the investigation from the POV of the criminals themselves, most notably D'Angelo as he finds himself free but busted down to supplying the lowest of the estates, as well as the kids who work for him. A dangerous, unpredictable third faction is also in play in the form of the one-man army Omar Little, a criminal whose personal code means he can only steal from other criminals. The police try to form an alliance with Omar to bring down Barksdale, but their erstwhile ally has an unfortunate tendency to blow away the criminals they're trying to get locked up, which makes this a difficult task.

The appeal of The Wire is hard to explain to those who haven't seen it. It's fairly slow-moving (although never dull) in places and arguably takes two or three episodes to really kick in. It's also pretty unforgiving if you miss an episode. Flashbacks to prior episodes are non-existent, and plot points and character and emotional arcs often turn on a single conversation from several episodes earlier. You need to pay attention here. Luckily, that's made easy by the tight writing, the ingenious methods the criminals go to avoid being caught and the even more intelligent methods the police need to use to investigate them, and the acting. It'd be almost impossible to single out any of the actors for praise. British actor Dominic West has the closest thing to a central role as McNulty, and handles the character very well, but Lance Reddick (more recently seen as the enigmatic Abbadon in Lost) holds every scene he's in as the formidable Lt. Daniels. Clarke Peters develops his character of Lester Freamon from almost a background role to that of the most intelligent and confident officer on the team in a natural and impressive manner. John Doman's constantly-infuriated performance as McNulty's commanding officer and eternal nemesis Major Rawls has to be mentioned as well.

On the criminal side of things, British actor Idris Elba (formerly seen as Vaughn in the excellent Ultraviolet) impresses as Stringer Bell, Avon Barksdale's trusted number-two man, and Larry Gilliard Jr. provides the main criminal POV as 'D' Barksdale, as he tries to claw his way back up the organisation amidst growing concerns about how the family does business. For most people - including Barak Obama - the stand-out performances in the show belong to two of the more morally ambiguous characters, namely Michael K. Williams as the dangerously unpredictable Omar and Andre Royo as 'Bubs', a street informant struggling with his own drug addiction. Royo's performance was so convincing that whilst filming he was offered a heroin fix by a passer-by who thought he badly needed it, and later referred to this as his 'street Oscar'.

The cast is uniformally brilliant, the writing is fantastic and the show is, surprisingly, very funny. Whether it's the stories of some mind-bogglingly stupid criminals, or the ridiculous difficulties the team faces at getting a desk into their basement office, or Bubs' methods of identifying suspects for the police observers, the show has a jet-black vein of comedy which gives several laughs per episode. This is necessary because the show can be quite bleak, showing as it does wasted young lives amidst the crumbling tenements of a poor city, and a lot of the characters die in rather unpleasant ways over the course of the investigation. The investigation also ends messily, and the fates of many of the characters is left wide open for the second season.

The Wire: Season 1 (*****) takes a couple of episodes to build up a head of steam and get you into its headspace, but once that's done it never lets go.

Editorial Review:

Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 06/06/2006 Run time: 780 minutes Rating: Nr

The West Wing - The Complete Seventh Season

Amazon Price: $17.99 List Price: $59.98 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Warner Brothers - Model: WARD81981D Amazon Marketplace: 72 new & used starting at $17.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 98 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

West Wing series 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This was ordered and received in record time.It was a gift for our children in Israel.. we were pleased with the fast service rendered...just wish there was direct overseas service.

Awesome 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I've been buying this series for my dad ever fathers day/christmas at Best Buy... And wow. What a mistake. I save so much money buying from here on Amazon. It was also in perfect condition.

Rare is great TV progamming 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I highly recommend this series for those who appreciate things that can elevate conversation and raise the level of the debate. The West Wing reminds me of how good TV programming and writing could be. I loved watching this series both originally as they aired as well as having the ability to watch them at my leisure.

Closed Caption 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The DVDs should be closed captioned as descripted but there is only french and spanish subtitles.

Amazing final season 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This was one of the best TV series ever. If you like comedy, politics, and drama, you should check this out. I have the entire series on DVD and I cannot tell you how many times I've watched it. This series has massive replayability so it's worth the buy. It is also not "dumbed down" so they deal with a lot of hot-button topics and you can actually learn a little of how the government actually works and how cutthroat life is like in Washington, D.C.

The first few seasons and the last two seasons are the best. There are a good deal of special features and this season was amazing. I was so sad when the last episode aired. It has a liberal bent so if you are conservative you may not like this show as much as someone who is more liberal. That said, I still high recommend this series and this first season to anyone and everyone.

Editorial Review:

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 11/07/2006 Run time: 957 minutes Rating: Nr

Weeds - Seasons 1-3 (Amazon.com Exclusive)

Amazon Price: $55.99 List Price: $99.98 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lionsgate Amazon Marketplace: 11 new & used starting at $55.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Season One
With its fantastic comedy series Weeds, cable network Showtime finally gave up its also-ran status to HBO and found itself with a controversial, buzz-worthy show that was as hilarious as it was dark, one about a truly desperate housewife. A recent widow with two growing sons, Nancy Botwin (Golden Globe winner Mary-Louise Parker) looks like a typical resident of the affluent Southern California suburb of Agrestic. She keeps a clean, upscale house (with the help of a live-in maid), attends PTA meetings, goes to her kids' soccer games, makes frequent stops at the local coffee franchise.... and sells marijuana in order to make it all possible. Left with no way to support herself after her beloved husband's fatal heart attack, Nancy turns herself into the "suburban baroness of bud," dealing to her neighbors in the area, with the help of her supplier Heylia (Tonye Patano) and point man Conrad (Romany Malco). Nancy's clients run from the local councilman (Kevin Nealon) to the just-barely-legal students at the local community college, but many in Agrestic are still in the dark as to how she keeps her family afloat, including her best friend, the sardonic Celia (Elizabeth Perkins), a wife and mother whose blistering, withering put-downs could make Dorothy Parker cringe in fear. But like many small-business owners, Nancy yearns for more success and cash, and like her workaholic neighbors, finds keeping a balance between work life and home life to be extremely precarious at best.

While Desperate Housewives yearned to be a suburban satire with bite, Weeds was the real deal, skewering upper-middle class mores with a sharp eye, a keen wit, and a mostly forgiving heart. In episode after episode, the show's creative team (led by creator Jenji Kohan) pulled back the layers of Agrestic's superficiality to show what lies beneath the squeaky-clean exteriors and smiling faces; it turns out that hunger, fear, desire, and, yes, desperation aren't that far down. However, Weeds forsakes pulpiness and florid drama for biting yet affectionate humor--its heroine is a woman with sliding morals, but one you'll root for to the very end. The effervescent Parker, the only actress who can mix perkiness with morbidity in just the right amounts, anchored the show with her amazing turn as Nancy, who by the end of the first season had become a kind of soccer-mom version of Michael Corleone, entering a corrupt world with both trepidation and fascination--and totally enamored of the power it brought her. Also perfectly cast, Perkins found the role of a lifetime as the bitterly hilarious Celia, and entering the show in its fourth episode, Justin Kirk (Parker's co-star in Angels in America) proved to be a potent secret weapon as Nancy's brother-in-law Andy, a slacker who wasn't above peddling t-shirts to elementary school kids. As icky as these characters might appear on the surface, Weeds made them all immensely appealing and great company to be around. Don't say we didn't warn you: one hit and you'll be hooked on this show. The DVDs feature six episode commentaries with cast and crew, outtakes, original featurettes, a music video, and most enjoyably, Agrestic Herbal Recipes (for entertainment value only, we assume) and the "Smoke and Mirrors" marijuana mockumentary. --Mark Englehart

Season Two
The first season of Weeds ended with a shocker: Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker) found a dreamy new boyfriend, but he turned out to be a DEA agent (Martin Donovan). Luckily, she manages to find some pretty creative ways to "deal" with it. Despite that new obstacle, she decides it's also time to "grow" the business to higher levels, and all these risky moves lead up to another fabulous season finale cliff-hanger. Elsewhere in suburban utopia, comic relieving brother-in-law Andy (Justin Kirk) tries to dodge his army commitments by joining Rabbi school, while the hilarious Doug (Kevin Nealon) battles it out with Celia (Elizabeth Perkins) to maintain power over the Agrestic City Council. Plot aside, Season 2 of Weeds took this potentially great show to the next level. No matter how hard they tried in the first season, the show's makers had a heck of a time trying to shake the impression that they were mimicking the edginess of HBO's original programming. (Some might have gone as far as to say they were trying a little too hard.) This time around, the characters and the story have grown into their own skins, and they offer something much more authentic and convincing. The second season also starts a great new tradition: Malvina Reynolds `s "Little Boxes" is still the opening theme song, but it is performed by a different artist for each episode (from Elvis Costello to The Shins). Just one more thing to keep us "addicted." --Jordan Thompson

Beyond Weeds

Season One

Season Two

Season Three

Stills from Weeds (click for larger image)