HBO has been fantastic over the years at launching successful dramas but hasn’t had a lot of luck with half-hour shows, outside of the success of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Entourage.” Nevertheless, the network has been generous over the last few years to “How to Make It in America” and “Bored to Death,” continuing to pay to produce episodes despite little ratings success. “Hung,” the Thomas Jane dramedy about a male prostitute with a very large penis, found early success, but faded last season, and “Bored to Death” had never built much of an audience to begin with, despite the presence of Zach Galifianakis, Ted Danson, and Jason Schwartzman. I’d elaborate on the many reasons “Bored to Death” kind of blew, but it tends to bring out a very vocal, very self-righteous Jason Schwartzman fan base which, like Joe Rogan’s following, is something you don’t even know exists until you bad mouth something with which they’re involved.

At any rate, HBO has mercifully canceled all three “comedy” series, but in a somewhat surprising move, renewed the lowest rated of their comedies, Mike White’s “Enlightened” starring Laura Dern. Granted, Laura Dern did receive a Golden Globe nomination for her role in “Enlightened” (as did Thomas Jane for his in “Hung”), but it’s still something of a mystery why HBO would renew the most unpleasant-to-watch show on cable. I’ll concede that it’s the desired effect of “Enlightened” — to make us hate Laura Dern’s unsympathetic character and wallow in her narcissism — but I’m at a loss to explain why anyone would want to watch it besides self-hating critics.

I will miss pot-smoking Ted Danson, though. He’s brilliant.

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Below is the trailer for Season 3 of “Bored to Death,” HBO’s flawed but charming noir-detective comedy. I’ve listed my complaints about Jason Schwartzman and the angle the show takes for his writer-turned-amateur-private-dick before, but that can’t stop Zach Galifianakis and Ted Danson from making the show enjoyable, especially for an unabashed Brooklyn-phile such as myself.

The trailer has little (perhaps nothing) to offer of the coming season, but it does have Schwartzman & Danson & Galifianakis screwing around on Coney Island set to a Beastie Boys soundtrack. That’s about as good of a plug for a Brooklyn-based show that you’re going to get. The highlights of me going to Coney Island aren’t nearly as exciting — it would be an hour of me sitting on the Q train, and then a time-lapse of me getting fatter as I went to Nathan’s three times in four hours. Whatever, those cheese fries are worth it.

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This video of Jason Schwartzman and Michael Cera doing the weather for a local Atlanta station was everywhere a couple days ago, but I didn’t post it at the time because I didn’t like the video player. Now that it’s on YouTube (via Urlesque), I’m happy to share it with the world. Well, “happy” isn’t quite the right word. Something less than “content” but more than “resigned.” Because it’s not like they’re great at doing the weather; it’s the usual, “Durr I’m not used to using a green screen” that these videos usually produce.

Anyway, this is a pretty strange way to promote a movie — they’re both in Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World, out Friday. And while I’m talking about their projects, this is a good time to remind you to watch “Bored to Death” on HBO. Everything about that show is really, really good — except for Schwartzman, of course. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Rushmore too, but it’s long past time this dude got relegated to supporting roles. The only thing that furry midget should be the leading man in is a documentary about hair irons.

See? Barely taller than a fire hydrant.

Embedded below is the first trailer for the second season of HBO’s “Bored to Death,” the “noir comedy” that I don’t quite like but can’t stop watching. Jason Schwartzman stars as the young novelist-turned-amateur detective, while Ted Danson and Zach Galifianakis play his magazine editor and best friend, respectively. In case you’re new to Warming Glow, here’s a quick recap of what I like about the show:

• Ted Danson.
• Zach Galifianakis.
• Excellent guest stars.
• Filmed in Brooklyn.
• Frequent nods to the brilliance of Raymond Chandler.

And a list of what sucks:

• Jason Schwartzman’s midget stature and stupid flat-ironed hair.

In its attempt to succeed in the realm between Chandler’s hardbitten noir and The Pink Panther‘s humor, the show ultimately fails at both. And it’s all because I can’t believe that Schwartzman, playing a Woody Allen nebbish in a trench coat, is a character who would ever have the balls to seek out anything resembling danger. This show could be awesome if it killed off Schwartzman’s character and replaced him with someone like Nathan Fillion’s Castle. Maybe if we can get rid of TV and film characters who are writers and total pussies, we can get rid of actual writers who are total pussies. And then Slate will go out of business. Everyone wins.

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HBO has ordered a second season of “Bored to Death,” according to the Hollywood Reporter. The noir-comedy stars Jason Schwartzman as a frustrated writer turned private investigator, with Ted Danson as his editor and Zach Galifianakis as his best friend, and the series has managed solid if not spectacular ratings so far.

Despite my general distaste for Schwartzman and his idiotic hair, I had massive hopes for this show. There was so much to like: written by the excellent Jonathan Ames, inspired by the giants of noir like Raymond Chandler, co-starring Zach G., set in Brooklyn… I’m the target audience for this show.

And yet: it kinda sucks. The writing is solid, the acting is good (Jim Jarmusch had a terrific guest spot in the most recent episode), but Schwartzman’s central character is poorly composed. He’s an author who whines about not being able to write his second novel, and he drinks white wine to appease his girlfriend who thinks he drinks too much. After she leaves him, he’s so heartbroken that he continues to drink white wine. I’m sorry, but as an alcoholic writer, that is NOT how it works.

“Bored to Death” fails because noir, whether it’s playing for laughs or thrills, demands a confident central character; Schwartzman’s kvetching shrimp with existential problems just doesn’t cut it. Let’s stop giving this Woody Allen archetype the dignity of the word “nebbish,” and call it what it really is: annoying little bitch.

(image source = WWTDD. Plenty more Annalynne McCord over there)