Weeds was becoming one of those programmes that I really wanted to watch, but never seemed to get around to. Friends would recommend it, their faces full of buoyant enthusiasm as they praised it as “just the kind of thing you’d love”, and give me that expectant smile they hoped would make me an instant fan. I’d feel bad when, after later interrogation, I would have to confess that I had forgotten to watch it, been too busy or had been struck by lightning at 10pm, just as I reached for the TV remote control. But finally I am worthy of their hope and trust in me, for I have come good and spent half an hour in the company of Nancy Botwin. And I liked it.

Yes, I enjoyed Weeds. Jumping in having missed season one, I was concerned that I would be in over my head and spend the entire episode not understanding what was going on. A lengthy but detailed re-cap saved my blushes, hitting all the main plot points, an addition appreciated not just by newbies such as myself, but most probably fans that have missed it during its lengthy 18 month absence from British screens.

We met Nancy, a widowed mother who has chosen to sell marijuana to keep her family together, albeit it under the guise of a bakery. Her socialite friend Celia Hodes, sporting a silly wig after having lost her hair to cancer treatment, her slacker brother-in-law Andy, two sons Silas and Shane, and Heylia and Conrad – Nancy’s drug-supplying chums. The wider circle of friends and acquaintances, character histories and in-jokes will take a little more study I’m sure, but now that I’ve dipped my toe in the water, I’m confident that I’ll be diving in.

In last night’s episode, it was the dreaded morning after for Nancy, who after having enjoyed some bedroom Olympics with her new man, Peter, was devastated to find that he works for the Drug Enforcement Agency. How’s that for opposites attracting? Nancy made a swift exit, blaming Peter’s possession of a gun for her spooked-out behaviour and headed for home. Home included her teenage son, Silas’s girlfriend having stayed the night without her consent and her younger son, Shane’s, anxiety at having found her bed not slept in. After clashing with Silas, she sought to establish some order and discipline into her chaotic home. This meant a family dinner, and after having forced everyone else to respect the sanctity of this, she was straight out the door upon learning that her bakery had been burnt down.

Elsewhere, Celia had a car accident, an incident she claimed was due to the absence of traffic lights on a busy junction. After having casually dismissed her plea for traffic lights, Town Councillor Doug Wilson found he will have a fight on his hands to maintain his role as Celia plans to launch her own bid to usurp him. Andy, still keen to avoid being drafted by the Army, sought to enter rabbinical school, though acceptance remains elusive.

The humour was sharp, adult and deliciously naughty, with lines like “you pushed him out your hooch, you can push him out your house”, while the characters and their lives were engaging and interesting. Though mired in an odd situation, Nancy is relatable, likeable and three-dimensional. The answers aren’t easy, the characters aren’t perfect and the issue of drugs is presented without judgement or agenda. I’m sorry that I didn’t listen to my chums earlier, as they were right, it is the kind of thing I like. I hope with further episodes, Weeds will really come to grow on me (lame pun intended – gimme a break, it’s a Monday morning.)