'Weeds' dropped by Showtime

"Weeds” has finally been dropped by Showtime -- a sentence I honestly never expected to write.

An official announcement has yet to come out, but Showtime confirmed a short while ago to EW. The forthcoming 8th will be the last.

This is big news indeed, for “Weeds” -- arguably even more than “Dexter” -- put Showtime on the original series map, and helped make it a destination for viewers and creators alike. Fans and critics do -- and long have -- debated its merits but at its best (yeah, sure, the early seasons) was one of the smartest series on television.

I never minded the ridiculous later turns, but most preferred the Agrestic-based “Weeds” as opposed to the where-the-hell-are-they-now “Weeds.” But it never lost its bite or bile, while Jenji Kohan and her anti-heroine's heroine (played so long and well by Mary-Louise Parker) really did create a template for so much that followed on Showtime. Could there have ever been a “Nurse Jackie” -- which is now the flag bearer -- if there had never been a Nancy Botwin? Never! Final season begins July 1.