{{short description|American television writer and producer}} {{About|the screenwriter|the cannabis company|SpeedWeed}} {{Use American English|date=October 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox person | name = Speed Weed | birth_name = William Henry Weed | occupation = Television writer, producer | years_active = 2004–present }}
'''William Henry Weed''', better known by the professional name '''Speed Weed''', is an American television writer and producer. He has written and produced on series including ''NCIS: Los Angeles'', ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', ''Political Animals'', ''Haven'', and ''Arrow''; more recently he served as a co–executive producer on Netflix's ''Fate: The Winx Saga'' and contributed a teleplay to Amazon's ''The Summer I Turned Pretty''. In 2021, he was announced as co-showrunner and executive producer of TNT's planned series based on the Liam Neeson film ''Unknown''.<ref name="preslea">{{cite press release |title=TNT's "Unknown" (wt), Based on the Hit Movie, From Dark Castle Entertainment, In Development |work=WarnerMedia Pressroom |date=June 29, 2021 |url=https://press.wbd.com/us/media-release/tnt/unknown-wt-based-hit-movie-dark-castle-entertainment-development |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref><ref name="RT-Arrow403">{{cite web |title=Arrow: Season 4, Episode 3 – "Restoration" |work=Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/arrow/s04/e03 |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref><ref name="Meta-Winx">{{cite web |title=Fate: The Winx Saga — Credits |work=Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/fate-the-winx-saga/credits/ |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref><ref name="TVG-credits">{{cite web |title=Speed Weed — Credits |work=TV Guide |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/speed-weed/credits/3000437533/ |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Weed is a graduate of Yale University (Class of 1993). According to a 2020 Yale Alumni Association event page, prior to working in television he worked as a playwright, science journalist, school teacher, and advance man for President Bill Clinton.<ref name="inconv">{{cite web |title=In Conversation: Speed Weed '93, Writer/Producer |publisher=Yale Alumni Association |date=August 6, 2020 |url=https://alumni.yale.edu/events/conversation-speed-weed-93-writerproducer |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref>
==Career== Weed's early television credits include the TNT medical drama ''Saved'' (2006), the Fox crime fantasy ''New Amsterdam'' (as a story editor in 2008), and CBS's science-based procedural ''Eleventh Hour'' (2008–09).<ref name="tvguide">{{cite web |title=Speed Weed — Credits |work=TV Guide |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/speed-weed/credits/3000437533/ |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref>
In 2009 he joined ''NCIS: Los Angeles'' as an executive story editor and writer. His first produced episode, "Random on Purpose" (Season 1, Episode 9), is credited to Weed.<ref name="ncis">{{cite web |title=NCIS: Los Angeles — Season 1, Episode 9 "Random on Purpose" |work=Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/ncis_los_angeles/s01/e09 |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref> He also discussed his NCIS:LA work and the show's steampunk-inspired sequence in a contemporaneous Tor.com/Reactormag interview.<ref name="vander">{{cite web |last=VanderMeer |first=Jeff |title=Speed Weed Comes Clean: Steampunk and NCIS: Los Angeles |work=Reactor (Tor.com) |date=October 26, 2009 |url=https://reactormag.com/speed-weed-comes-clean-steampunk-and-ncis-los-angeles/ |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref>
Weed moved to ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' for the 2010–11 season as a co-producer and writer. His episode "Mask" (Season 12, Episode 13) is credited to him as writer; showrunner Neal Baer later discussed the hour and Weed's script in a retrospective interview.<ref name="svus12">{{cite web |title=SVU Season 12: "Mask" |work=Give Me My Remote |date=September 18, 2024 |url=https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2024/09/18/law-order-special-victims-unit-vet-neal-baer-looks-back-on-season-12-pop-possessed-mask-dirty-flight-spectacle-and-pursuit/ |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref>
In 2012, Weed served as a producer on Greg Berlanti's USA Network limited series ''Political Animals'' and co-wrote the episode "Lost Boys."<ref name="polanim">{{cite web |title=Political Animals — Episode 4 "Lost Boys" |work=Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/political-animals/season-1/episode-4-lost-boys/ |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Variety Review: "Political Animals" |work=Variety |date=July 11, 2012 |url=https://variety.com/2012/tv/reviews/political-animals-1117947888/ |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref>
From 2013 to 2015 he wrote on Syfy's Stephen King–inspired drama ''Haven''. Episodes credited to Weed include "Much Ado About Mara" (2014) and "Morbidity" (2014), among others.<ref name="haven">{{cite web |title=Haven — Season 5 (credits listing includes Speed Weed) |work=Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/haven/s05 |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref><ref name="madomara">{{cite web |title="Much Ado About Mara" — Full credits |work=IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4056624/fullcredits/ |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref>
Weed joined The CW's ''Arrow'' in 2015 as a co-executive producer and writer. His credits on the series include "Restoration" (with Wendy Mericle) and later episodes such as "Fundamentals" (2018).<ref name="arow">{{cite web |title=Arrow: Season 6, Episode 18 — "Fundamentals" (#618) (Press release) |work=SpoilerTV (press materials) |date=April 12, 2018 |url=https://www.spoilertv.com/2018/04/arrow-episode-618-fundamentals-press.html |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref><ref name="RT-Arrow403" /> Additional Arrow writing credits for Weed include "Fighting Fire with Fire" and "Dangerous Liaisons" (both 2017), and "Missing" (2017).<ref name="arrrow">{{cite web |title=Arrow — "Fighting Fire with Fire" (#515) (Press release) |work=SpoilerTV |date=February 23, 2017 |url=https://www.spoilertv.com/2017/02/arrow-episode-515-fighting-fire-with.html |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Arrow — "Dangerous Liaisons" (#519) (Press release) |work=SpoilerTV |date=April 14, 2017 |url=https://www.spoilertv.com/2017/04/arrow-episode-519-dangerous-liaisons.html |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Arrow — "Missing" (#522) (Press release) |work=SpoilerTV |date=May 4, 2017 |url=https://www.spoilertv.com/2017/05/arrow-episode-522-missing-press-release.html |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref>
In 2021, Weed was a co–executive producer on Netflix's ''Fate: The Winx Saga'' (Season 1).<ref name="Meta-Winx"/> The same year, WarnerMedia announced ''Unknown (wt)'', a series in development at TNT based on the 2011 film, with Weed and Karl Gajdusek set as showrunners and executive producers.<ref name="presleaseq">{{cite press release |title='Unknown' Sequel Series in the Works at TNT |work=The Wrap |date=June 29, 2021 |url=https://www.thewrap.com/unknown-sequel-series-in-the-works-at-tnt/ |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=Unknown Sequel Series in the Works at TNT |work=Yahoo Entertainment |date=June 29, 2021 |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/unknown-sequel-series-works-tnt-171605267.html |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref>
In 2022, Weed received a teleplay credit on ''The Summer I Turned Pretty'' (Episode "Summer Heat").<ref name="spewecred">{{cite web |title=Speed Weed — Credits |work=TV Guide |url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/speed-weed/credits/3000437533/ |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref>
==Selected writing credits== * ''NCIS: Los Angeles'' — "Random on Purpose" (S1E9, 2009)<ref name="nics">{{cite web |title=NCIS: Los Angeles — Season 1, Episode 9 |work=Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/ncis_los_angeles/s01/e09 |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref> * ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' — "Mask" (S12E13, 2011)<ref name="mask">{{cite web |title=SVU Season 12: "Mask" (writer credit) |work=Give Me My Remote |date=September 18, 2024 |url=https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2024/09/18/law-order-special-victims-unit-vet-neal-baer-looks-back-on-season-12-pop-possessed-mask-dirty-flight-spectacle-and-pursuit/ |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</reF> * ''Political Animals'' — "Lost Boys" (2012)<ref name="polosbos">{{cite web |title=Political Animals — Episode 4 "Lost Boys" |work=Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/political-animals/season-1/episode-4-lost-boys/ |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref> * ''Haven'' — "Much Ado About Mara" (2014)<ref name="madomara">{{cite web |title="Much Ado About Mara" — Full credits |work=IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4056624/fullcredits/ |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref> * ''Arrow'' — "Restoration" (2015), "Fundamentals" (2018), among others<ref name="restor">{{cite web |title=Arrow: Season 4, Episode 3 – "Restoration" |work=Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/arrow/s04/e03 |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Arrow — "Fundamentals" (#618) (Press release) |work=SpoilerTV |date=April 12, 2018 |url=https://www.spoilertv.com/2018/04/arrow-episode-618-fundamentals-press.html |access-date=November 7, 2025}}</ref>
==Personal life== As of 2020, the Yale Alumni Association noted Weed lived in South Pasadena with his wife and triplet daughters.<ref name="inconv"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|2373535|Speed Weed}}
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Category:American television writers Category:American male television writers Category:American television producers Category:Living people Category:Yale University alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Place of birth missing (living people)