Every HBO Comedy Ranked From Worst To Best
9. Enlightened
Mike White (still just about best known for his portrayal of Ned Schneebly in School Of Rock) is one of the best writers of socially aware, subtly provocative comedies working today. In tandem with star Laura Dern, they produced two seasons of Enlightened, a wide ranging and confrontational series that asked big questions and created a unique vibe.
Dern is incredible as Amy Jellicoe, a former executive at a major, and majorly shady, California conglomerate firm. After a nervous breakdown, she returns to work having learned mindfulness and calming techniques, but finds that she’s taken less seriously than ever, and as she uncovers some of her firm’s dodgy dealings, plots her next explosive move.
Enlightened is capable of being very funny, be it via Amy’s hair trigger temper or the sappiness of her colleague Tyler (Mike White, so funny), but it aims far higher than simple laughs. It has plenty to say about mental health as well as the rigours of the working world and the uncaring, often downright malevolent mindsets of corporations.
Its cancellation after two runs was a great shame, but Enlightened managed to say a hell of a lot in just 20 episodes without ever losing momentum. It’s unique, intelligent, and with a perspective all its own.