I stayed up ruinously late several nights ago watching the entire new season of “Enlightened” (launching 9:30 tonight on HBO) in one sitting. At the end of every episode I was too excited to learn what happened next to aspiring corporate whistleblower Amy Jellicoe and her reluctant co-conspirator Tyler.
An agreeable addition is the new character played by SNL’s Molly Shannon, who also starred in “Enlightened” creator Mike White’s brilliant feature directorial debut “Year of the Dog.”
The series has hilarious moments, but it also works as a tremendous thriller.
For those just joining us, “Enlightened” mastermind White started out writing for “Girls” producer Judd Apatow on “Freaks and Geeks,” then moved on to scripting movies like “The Good Girl,” “Orange County,” “Chuck & Buck,” “Nacho Libre” and “The School of Rock.”
Though season two of “Girls” (launching 9 p.m. on HBO) picks up long after Jessa Johansson’s surprise wedding to creepy executive Thomas-John, Lena Dunham’s “This Is 40” co-star Chris O’Dowd (who played the Jessa’s groom) is surprisingly still part of the cast.
Those craving the return of “Community” next month will be excited to learn that Donald Glover has joined the cast as Hannah Horvath’s new lover.
One face we don’t see returning this season is that of SNL’s Bobby Moynihan, whose best-man character Thadd seemed to be getting the gorgeous but desperate Marnie Michaels all hot and bothered in the first season finale. (Marnie is played by Brian Williams’ daughter Alison, the actress on the show I’m most excited to see naked. Though her character continues to have plenty of sex on the show, she’s the only regular who never truly indulges in pay-cable nudity, at least not in the handful of season-two episodes sampled thus far.)
Premiering tonight:
Anthony Jeselnik: Caligula (10pm Comedy Central)
Also returning tonight:
Californication (10:30pm Showtime)
The Cleveland Show (7:30pm Fox)
House of Lies (10pm Showtime)
Mudcats (10pm NGC)
Shameless (9pm Showtime)
Wicked Tuna (9pm NGC)
A football game last Sunday gave “The Simpsons,” “Bob’s Burgers” and the other Fox cartoons their biggest 18-49 audiences of the season.
Sundays Nov. 4, 2012-Jan. 6, 2013
(Adults 18-49; repeats in gray; older weeks in parentheses)
13.4(8.6) (7.8) (---) (8.3) (---) (8.5) (---) (8.7) (---) NFL Fox
4.2 (2.7) (2.4) (1.7) (3.4) (2.1) (3.3) (2.4) (3.2) (2.6) The Simpsons
3.6 (1.8) (2.5) (1.7) (2.8) (2.0) (2.9) (2.6) (2.5) (2.5) Family Guy
3.1 (1.6) (---) (1.5) (2.1) (1.8) (2.0) (1.8) (2.4) (1.8) Bob’s Burgers
3.1 (---) (---) (---) (---) (3.1) (3.1) (---) (2.7) (3.5) Once Upon A Time
3.0 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Biggest Loser
2.8 (1.5) (2.0) (1.5) (2.3) (2.1) (---) (2.1) (---) (1.8) American Dad
2.4 (---) (---) (---) (---) (2.4) (2.2) (---) (2.5) (2.7) Revenge
2.1 (0.7) (0.9) (---) (1.6) (1.3) (1.8) (1.4) (1.9) (1.8) The Mentalist
1.8 (0.7) (0.6) (---) (---) (1.8) (1.6) (1.7) (1.7) (1.7) The Good Wife
1.8 (1.6) (1.5) (1.9) (1.5) (1.5) (1.2) (1.2) (1.2) (1.6) Real Housewives Atl
1.5 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Dateline
1.4 (1.6) (1.2) (4.9) (1.9) (3.3) (1.6) (3.0) (1.6) (3.4) 60 Minutes
1.3 (0.9) (0.8) (0.9) (1.1) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Ax Men
1.3 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Honey Boo Boo
1.3 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Person of Interest
1.3 (1.0) (0.8) (1.1) (1.0) (1.1) (---) (---) (---) (---) Shahs of Sunset
1.0 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Happy Endings
0.9 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Don’t Trust The B
0.9 (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) (---) Mob Wives
