Enlightened brings the very talented Laura Dern to television as Amy Jellicoe, an executive who has found her job and her life to be too much to bear. When she suffers from a breakdown which just happens to be a very public embarrassing situation for her, she finds she must attempt to put her life back together by going through rehabilitation. Watch for Diane Ladd who plays Amy's mother, Helen Jellicoe (she is Dern's real life mother). Amy spends three months in Hawaii where she undergoes therapy to help with her problems, then returns home to face reality and the group of co-workers she embarrassed herself by breaking down in front of, living with her mother who is never short on unwelcome advice, and a lazy ex-husband (Luke Wilson) who enjoys his "recreational" drugs too much. Laura Dern is known for her roles in Jurassic Park, Rambling Rose, & Wild At Heart. Actress Diane Ladd has starred in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Primary Colors, & Wild At Heart. She and actor Bruce Dern are Laura's parents. Luke Wilson has been seen in 3:10 To Yuma, Blades of Glory, & Death at a Funeral; and he is brother of Owen Wilson.

Malcolm in the Middle was a popular American television sitcom that aired from 2000 to 2006. The show followed the life of Malcolm, a genius child from a dysfunctional family, as he navigated his way through adolescence. Malcolm was the middle child of the family, hence the show's title.

As he championed "the new journalism" in the late sixties, Tom Wolfe suggested no one ever would write anything truly compelling"”fact or fiction"”about the suburbs; he asserted, "There is no life there." During the New Depression, however, the suburbs have gone ghetto, suddenly teeming with life and depravity; and television writers are producing all kinds of compelling stuff about what they have discovered beyond the white picket fences. Witness Showtime's smash-hit "Weeds," the life and times of a "proper" suburban widow keeping-up appearances while she deals more dope than a six-pack of Mexican cartels. As in "The Office," the basic premise for "Weeds" is an import from Great Britain, adapted from the British film Saving Grace which showed a widow and her gardener conspiring to maintain the widow's lifestyle by supplying the locals with their favorite herbal refreshment. Critics frequently compare "Weeds" with American Beauty for its exploitation of the idea "Normal is the face we wear to cover how f***ed-up we are." By contrast with "Desperate Housewives," Nancy Botwin, our entrepreneurial heroine, has far more good reason for desperation than her difficulty achieving orgasm; she has a house, a mortgage, two sons, and a reputation. Since Bonfire of the Vanities tanked and "Weeds" flourished, Tom Wolfe may have to consider the distinct possibility that there is no life in Manhattan.

The Bernie Mac Show was an American television sitcom that aired from 2001 to 2006. It followed the story of Bernie Mac, a comedian, and actor, who takes in his sister's three children after she enters rehab. The show was based on Bernie Mac's stand-up comedy and personal experiences with his own family.

The CBS lineup on Monday nights is HOT! Putting on a new television sit-com can be an "iffy" prospect and many have failed due to the competition involved. But 2 Broke Girls seems to have all the right stuff! It has talent and chemistry and it has timing. Timing involves where it premieres which is right after Two and a Half Men (now starring Aston Kutcher instead of the controversial Charlie Sheen), then moving into its regular slot an hour earlier following How I Met Your Mother. The chemistry involves a stellar cast and great writing, making 2 Broke Girls a refreshing alternative to comedy on our TVs. The talent comes in the form of some new refreshing faces like Kat Dennings (The Forty Year Old Virgin, Charlie Bartlett) as Max Black, the gal from a working class, perpetually poor family. She knows her way around however, and hopes to fulfill her dreams. Beth Behrs (Serial Buddies, Size Zero Heroes) is the wealthy Caroline who learns her family is broke due to her father being caught using a Ponzi scheme and faces the prospect of going away to prison. She is "book smart" while Max is the one who has "street smarts". Together they might succeed. Life as a waitress is stressful and they must deal with the cook who likes to sexually harass them and a boss who more resembles a Kung Fu competitor than a Brooklyn diner owner. From the folks who brought us Sex in the City how can it go wrong?

First, it was a curiosity. Then, it was popular; and, then, it was a hit. And, then, within the course of just a few weeks and a handful of episodes "Glee TV show" became a television sensation and a cultural phenomenon. Ryan Murphy's genius creation revolves around the glee club at William McKinley in Lima, Ohio"”in other words, the archetypal anytown USA. The eternal struggle between McKinley's dorks and its perennially popular football players and cheerleaders drives the show's plots; the stories, however, get permanent turbo-charge from the built-in irony that the dorks, nerds, and geeks sing and dance better than your average six-pack of rock stars. Jane Lynch plays Sue Sylvester, rough-tough and quick-tongued cheerleading coach whose life's mission is to destroy Mr. Schuester, glee club alum and now coach. Matthew Morrison stars as "Mr. Shue," brilliantly supported and often up-staged by a perfectly chosen ensemble cast: Lea Michelle stars as Rachael, powerhouse soprano with pretentions to prima dona; and Diana Agron portrays Quinn, the head cheerleader who doubles as the perfect foil to Rachel. Singles and albums from "Glee's" most popular episodes have dominated the Billboard charts, shattering popularity and longevity records with each new release. The music, unfortunately, sometimes drowns out the brilliant dialogue. Critics feel hard pressed to name even one current show that rivals the quality of the writing on "Glee."