It's Showtime for Edie Falco and Weeds

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By Gillian Reagan

July 21, 2008 | 10:27 a.m.

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Showtime gave the greenlight to their new comedy Nurse Jackie, starring Sopranos First Lady Edie Falco. They're also giving the First Lady of MILFs, Mary-Louise Parker, two more seasons of Weeds.

Ms. Falco's series will begin production in New York in the fall. Episodes will air in the spring or early summer 2009, according to Variety. She'll star as a New York City nurse working in an "urban" hospital and juggling her personal life.

"Nothing is more thrilling for us than bringing Edie Falco to Showtime in this unique, quirky, touching comedy/drama," said Showtime's President of Entertainment, Robert Greenblatt at a press conference Friday. "If you suddenly found yourself in the hospital and fighting through our health care system, you would want no one other than Edie Falco -- or Nurse Jackie -- by your side. This show will illuminate the complex and often heroic people who devote their lives to healing the sick while simultaneously trying to make sense of their own complicated personal lives. It's quintessential premium cable, and with Edie on board, quintessential Showtime."

In other Showtime news from Variety:

Net also said it was ordering an untitled spinoff of “The L Word,” which ended its fifth season in March and will finish up in 2009 with eight more episodes. New series will be exec produced by Ilene Chaiken.

Entertainment topper Robert Greenblatt said the storyline for the spinoff would continue from where the series ends, including taking one actress from “The L Word” and moving her character forward. He declined to say who that actress is.

Parker and the gang, meanwhile, will be back for two more 13-episode cycles of comedy “Weeds” — the show’s fifth and sixth seasons.

On the reality front, net has ordered six episodes of half-hour series “Lock ‘N Load.” Skein examines the range of customers who come in to buy firearms at a rural Colorado gun store. The show, exec produced by Authentic Entertainment, will debut in 2009, with Tom Rogan and Lauren Lexton serving as exec producers.