1. Ted
Following two popular movies, Ted became a TV series at Peacock. This prequel dates back to when Ted, a stuffed bear, came to life in Johnny's bedroom. They smoke pot together after Johnny (Max Burkholder) learns his housemate Blaire (Giorgia Whigham) is a dealer. At one point Blaire says: "What are you? A deadbeat Teddy bear with a drug problem." To which Ted fires back, "At least I have a drug problem." Touché! Seth MacFarlane's Ted has been renewed for Season 2
Liev Schreiber smokes his way through this Netflix series that also features Nicole Kidman. She plays Greer, a well-to-do writer. Schreiber's Tag lives off her. A friend of their daughter, who's getting married, winds up dead at the engagement party. It's.a whodunnit... on weed.
3. (tie) Griselda and Hotel Cocaine
Cartel stories are some of the best series on TV. Six sesaons of Narcos set the bar high. Both of these series have powerful women at the top of drug organizations in Florida. Netflix's Griselda particularly stands out because of the stunning performance by Sofía Vergara in the title role. She's been nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series by the Golden Globes. Set in the disco era, MGM+'s Hotel Cocaine is glitzier as cartels compete for the lucrative Miami market while partying at the resort.
Another movie adaptation for television, Guy Ritchie expands the storyline to a family that lives on a British estate that happens to have an underground grow operation. Theo James and Kaya Skodolario head the cast at Netflix as partners in cannabis crimes. The show received a Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical nomination from the Golden Globes. The Gentlemen has been renewed for Season 2.
5. High Hopes
Executive produced by Jimmy Kimmel, this dispenasry series at Hulu focuses on one shop in L.A. called MMD. Unlike Netflix's actor-driven Disjointed, High Hopes is a reality show about Belarus-born brothers Mishka and Slava Ashbel and their comedic staff that includes Freddie Miller, who Kimmel discovered in 2020 on a TV news clip the day legal cannabis sales began in Michigan.
ABC's popular school series took a leap this season with an episode (No. 4) that deals with marijuana. It all takes place in the break room where Janine (Quinta Brunson) is outed by Jacob (Chris Perfetti) as someone who "smokes weed everyday." Janine cleverly objects: "Not every day. Every night." Brunson has been nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical by the Golden Globes.
7. (tie) Shrinking and Bad Monkey
These two Apple TV+ series are similar. They both feature a strong male lead actor - Jason Segal in the former and Vince Vaughan in the latter – and pithy dialogue. Season 2 of Shrinking plied the mutliple storylines with Harrison Ford's aging psychiatrist Paul's the most interesting. Paul enjoys gummies. Set in Key West and the Bahamas, Vaughan plays snarky detective Andrew Yancey who investigates a crime that begins with him finding a detached arm in the ocean. He teams up professionally and romantically with medical examiner Rosa (Natalie Martinez). Though no drugs are consumed, Yancey jokes about Trainwreck at one point. Bad Monkey has been been renewed for Season 2. More popular in Season 2, Shrinking will be back for a third.
The controversial QB gets three episodes to explain his peculiar opinions, such as an aversion to vaccinations, at Netflix. In Ep. 2, he travels to an ayahusaca retreat in Costa Rica where he works on his mental health and prepares for a second season with the Jets following a foot injury that sidelined him in 2023. Rodgers may not be likable, but he is compelling.
For this documentary, Texas-born director Richard Linklater goes home to Huntsville where he grew up near the massive Texas State Penitentiary, which currently houses 1,700 prisoners, many for drug charges, Nearly 1,000 men have been executed since 1924. Linklater zeroes in on Ivan Cantu, who was, he says, wrongly excecuted in February. This highly personal work is part of the God Save Texas series at HBO/Max.
10. (tie) Comedy Specials: Pete Davidson, Hannah Einbinder and Joe Rogan
Comedy specials are where standups strut their stuff. These three are all solid. In Davidson's Turbo Fonzarelli he reveals, among other things, that he was high on ketamine at Aretha Franklin's funeral. Hacks' co-star Einbinder discusses her drug intake as well in Everythig Must Go. And in Burn the Boats, Rogan riffs on why he likes to be stoned in airports.
MORE 2024 IN REVIEW
