(ALL TIMES ET)

10PM, SUN | SHOWTIME – SERIES PREMIERE
House of Lies – Is it great to see Don Cheadle as a series lead? Absolutely. But I wish it were in a more likable series, playing a more likable character. House of Lies has its funny moments, and the topic is an interesting one … Cheadle is Marty Kahn, a legendary management consultant. He and his team, including Kristen Bell as his colleague Jeannie, open the series trying to help a company capitalizing on its part in the subprime scandal justify the obscenely large bonuses they’re getting.

Again, interesting stuff, but it involves a lot of sleazy behavior, from Marty, his cohorts, the companies he works with, his addict ex-wife (who’s also his biggest professional rival) and the stripper who pretends to be Marty’s wife (and then has sex in a bathroom with the actual wife of his client). Did I mention all this unpleasant behavior happens in just the first episode?

Still, House of Lies has its moments, and enough of them to keep watching — Cheadle is flawless as fast-talkin’, cocky Marty, in a Jeremy Piven-as-Ari Gold way, and in episode two, there’s a funny subplot involving guest star Cat Deeley.

11:29PM, SAT | NBC
Saturday Night Live – Charles Barkley hosts the first new SNL of the year, with musical guest Kelly Clarkson.

8PM, SUN | VH1
Mob Wives – Yeah, yeah, yeah, the brawl at Renee‘s party continues, but let’s be honest, we really all just want to know more about Big Ang, right?.

8PM, SUN | FOX
The Simpsons – Homer lands a talk radio show and then endorses Ted Nugent for President.

9PM, SUN | FOX
Family Guy – Meg and … Quagmire?! Ewwwwwwwww.

9PM, SUN | NBC – SERIES PREMIERE
The Firm – The book became a movie, and now it becomes a TV show, with Josh Lucas taking over for Tom Cruise as Mitchell McDeere. We pick up with the attorney and his wife a decade after the events of the movie, and, despite the fact that the series starts off slowly, there’s still much drama in the McDeeres’ lives.

9PM, SUN | CBS
The Good Wife – A couple whose divorce was handled by Lockhart/Gardner sues the firm, claiming their breakup was egged on so the lawyers could benefit financially from the case.

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR TIME AND CHANNEL, SUN | PBS – 2ND SEASON PREMIERE
Downton Abbey – It’s back for another season, and it’s not too late to jump into this Emmy-winning … make that Emmy-sweeping … British drama. Check out my quick catch-up guide at TheWrap.com for those who still don’t know what all the fuss is about.

9PM, SUN | FOOD NETWORK
Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off – Each team has to make four desserts, including one with a secret savory ingredient.

9PM, SUN | BRAVO
Real Housewives of Atlanta – Kandi wants to be a country singer now? Whuuuuut?

9PM, SUN | SHOWTIME – 2ND SEASON PREMIERE
Shameless – Fiona gets a job at a local bar after her breakup with Steve, while Frank uses Liam as collateral for a gambling debt.

10PM, SUN | BBC AMERICA AND LOGO
Absolutely Fabulous – Edina and Patsy return (yay!) for a trio of new episodes that kicks off with “Identity,” in which Saffy comes home from prison with her cellmate: Patsy’s drug dealer, who wants Patsy to cough up the huge sum of cash she owes.

10 and 10:30PM, SUN | HISTORY – SERIES PREMIERE
Cajun Pawn Stars – The Pawn Stars spin-off is set in a Louisiana pawn shop, run by a man named Big Daddy, who trades in things like jewelry. And donkeys. Really.

10PM, SUN | OWN – 2ND SEASON PREMIERE
Oprah Presents Master Class – The Big O chats with Jane Fonda, who talks about her celebrity-filled childhood, her activism and her own Hollywood and entrepreneurial careers.

11PM, SUN | BRAVO
Watch What Happens: Live! – Andy Cohen stars hosting his aftershow five nights a week, and adds in a bigger variety of pop culture guests (i.e., not just stars from Bravo reality series).

Worth flipping to during commercials:
– On a new Cops (Sat., 8PM, Fox), Spokane police have to shoo away a couple getting frisky in a stranger’s yard;
– Back-to-back episodes open the 8th season of Dog Whisperer (Sat., 8 and 9PM, Nat Geo Wild);
– The Graham Norton Show (Sat., 10PM, BBC America) guests include Gerard Butler, Noel Gallagher and Doctor Who buddy Karen Gillian;
– Matt Lauer interviews Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais on Dateline NBC (Sun., 7PM, NBC);
– Emma runs for public office on Once Up a Time (Sun., 8PM, ABC);
– On Baseball Wives (Sun., 9PM, VH1), Jordana tries to form an alliance with Anna;
– Bree plans to kill herself, Susan prepares to go to New York and Tom prepares to stay in town after Lynette ‘fesses up about what she’s been involved with on Desperate Housewives (Sun., 9PM, ABC);
– Gator Boys (Sun., 9PM, Animal Planet) is a new reality series that follows a Florida duo who remove alligators and other scary animals from residential areas … yes, very Billy the Exterminator-ish;
– The team has to fake a hostage crisis to get out of a tight spot when a heist at a government office goes bad on Leverage (Sun., 9PM, TNT);
– New My Fair Wedding With David Tutera on WE (Sun., 9PM);
– A genius is murdered with an unusual weapon on CSI: Miami (Sun., 10PM, CBS);
– Cullen and Lily are thrown together by a railroad deadline on Hell on Wheels (Sun., 10PM, AMC);
– Pan Am (Sun., 10PM, ABC): yep, it’s still on the air;
– On Californication (Sun., 10:30PM, Showtime), it’s season five and a few years have passed as Hank is in NYC, but hoping to return to L.A. He gets the opportunity to move back to the other coast, where he finds his daughter is dating a guy who’s a lot like him.