What To Watch On TV This Week: 'Enlightened,' 'Last Man Standing,' 'American Horror Story'

This isn't meant to imply that I grew up as some sort of heathen (although I confess I did just go to Sunday School to hang out with the cute high school girls who were the teachers), but I've always worshipped the Brady Bunch. And I don't see them as false gods. They brought joy and happiness to the world, and I always wanted a piece of that. No matter how much my dad told us not to watch the show because "families aren't that happy in real life." Still, I had faith that TV clans were better, or at least more interesting, than my own. Or maybe I just had a thing for Jan. In any case, my point here is that TV has always been about showcasing family life for a family audience. And here are three new series with very different takes on this topic.

Enlightened, HBO, Mondays, 9:30 p.m./8:30 p.m. CT

Okay, I'm stretching the definition of the term by referring to this as a family-oriented series. It's more like one of those self-professed adult "comedies" that pay cable is becoming known for, where nothing particularly funny happens but it's thought of as amusing because irony and sarcasm are second cousins to comedy.  Still, family really is at the heart of the story, and that's what makes it intriguing to watch.

Enlightened is the tale of Amy Jellicoe (Laura Dern), a health and beauty company executive who had a mental breakdown of epic proportions in the first few minutes of the series. Now, several months of meditation and contemplation later, she's back to try to set things right with those who were important in her life before she hit bottom. That includes the domineering mom (Dern's real-life mother, Diane Ladd) who she must now live with and her loser-ish ex-husband (Luke Wilson).

There's something very sweet, and very awkward, about Amy's reentry into society. Watching her struggle with trying to be a better, more understanding person is something most people can probably relate to. The only problem is, that struggle cuts both ways. At times, you feel tremendous sympathy for her and want her to get back on track. Other times, you want to tell her the same thing you tell friends who continually push you to meditate or do yoga to the point where neither activity sounds relaxing: get the chakra out of here! Enlightened has the potential to be something entertaining. It just hasn't quite seen the light yet.

 Last Man Standing, ABC, Tuesdays, 8 p.m./ 7 p.m. CT

I have been known to watch The Weather Channel for hours on end, but I have no idea if lightning can literally strike twice. However, at least when it comes to television, the networks firmly believe that not only does lightning hit more than once. It can also be captured and put on display. That's the only reason I can think of that Last Man Standing made the schedule.

Here's the thing. This is a traditional sit-com starring Tim Allen as a stuck-in-his-ways macho dad trying to cope with an independent wife and three children. All I need to do now is make a Bill Clinton joke and suddenly it's the '90s all over again. Sure there are a few differences between this show and Home Improvement, the show that made Allen a star. For instance, his kids are now all girls instead of all boys. And he is director of marketing for a sporting goods company instead of the host of a TV show, but when you get right down to it, this is like Bruce Willis doing The Last Boy Scout after making Die Hard. The character names have changed but the character really hasn't.

So, I'll try to be fair here. If you have been missing the sort of basic, set-up/punchline comedy that primetime doesn't offer up very much anymore, Last Man Standing is just the ticket. There's nothing necessarily bad about it. It's very normal, very family friendly and there's no worry that if you miss a few weeks, you'll have trouble catching up with the storylines. The problem is, there's just nothing new here either. It would have been nice to see Allen stretch himself a bit, but the series did well in its first week, so what do I know? I just hope this trend doesn't mean that by next season, somebody comes up with a way to revive Balki and Perfect Strangers.

American Horror Story, FX, Wednesdays, 10 p.m./9 p.m. CT

At one point or another, we've all probably thought of our families as some sort of horror show. They've done or said something that was so horrifying, we were forced to scream something inappropriate and run from the room. (My mom's telling every girlfriend I ever had about my sickly childhood or my brother's inexplicable fixation on Barbara Mandrell, for instance.) Well, this new series from Ryan Murphy, creator of Nip/Tuck and Glee, takes the idea of having a scary family to a whole new level for primetime. This is a horror story in both the literal and metaphorical sense.

First, the literal part. The set-up here is that a not-so-happy-couple (Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton) is looking for a fresh start after she has a miscarriage and he has an affair with a student at the Boston college where he teaches. So, along with their moody teenage daughter (is there any other kind on TV dramas?), they move into a fancy, fixed-up house in Los Angeles. They should really have read the fine print in the final paperwork though. As it turns out, this place where they hope to be a happy family again is haunted by all kinds of spirits, including some sort of monster in the basement, a demon in a full-body latex outfit upstairs and a mystery maid who is young and hot around McDermott but old and crotchety around everyone else.

Add to that a creepy neighbor, played by a nearly unrecognizable Jessica Lange, and you have all the fixings for a familiar fright fest. Which is all well and good for anyone who has never watched a horror film before. For those who have, however, it's frightening how many scary movie/show clichés are thrown in here. A house with a mind of its own? Ghosts taking advantage of tensions between a husband and wife? A mentally handicapped character spouting nonsensical lines about looming danger? There's not much new here. Still, there are some moments of very dark humor that distract you from the predictability and offer the hope that innovative twists and turns are ahead. American Horror Story should and could be like one of those neighborhood Halloween haunted houses: you know that demon is just Fred from down the street wearing a costume from Target, but you go in anyway just because it's just dumb fun.

For more shows you should be watching, check out:

Homeland

Terra Nova, Suburgatory, A Gifted Man

Dexter

Unforgettable, Person Of Interest, Prime Suspect

Boardwalk Empire

2 Broke Girls, New Girl, Up All Night

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Five Ideal Shows For People Over 50

Burn Notice, Whisker Wars, Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp

The Millionaire Matchmaker

Louie

iCarly, Phineas & Ferb, The Simpsons