I know that there are about 150 comedies airing tonight on all of the networks (really, it’s 7), and believe me when I say that you should be watching at least 149 (really, 6) of them, but if there is one show that absolutely needs to be watched (and then watched again immediately), it’s tonight’s third season premiere of ABC’s HAPPY ENDINGS.  Jane, Brad, Alex, Dave, Max, and Penny are back, and the premiere lets us in on what’s been happening in their lives since we last left them.

At the end of Season 2, Penny (Casey Wilson) was dating the Notorious BAG (Brian Austin Green), Brad and Jane’s (Damon Wayans, Jr and Eliza Coupe) situation changed when he found himself out of a job; Alex and Dave (Elisha Cuthbert, the standout from S2 for me, and Zachary Knighton) found themselves rekindling their former relationship (much to my and Penny’s chagrin), and Max (Adam Pally) was being Max and being awesome. When we see the gang again, Brad is having trouble dealing with his unemployment (nothing a little ventriloquism can’t fix), Alex and Dave are trying a casual relationship, and Max is at Penny’s beck-and-call after an adventure confines our girl to a full upper body cast.

Rapid fire dialogue and a genuine chemistry between everyone in the cast makes this the number one comedy I’ve been looking forward to since May.  Brad and Jane’s marriage is made of steel, and their continued support of each other is unrivaled.  Max and Penny’s relationship is one of my favorites so to see Max have to take care of her, and to see how quickly the notion of friendship goes out the window when Matthew del Negro’s physical therapist character appears, is hilarious.  Plus, even if you haven’t ended an engagement and then started casually dating your ex-fiance, you can relate to the troubles that Alex and Dave are facing of “where do we go from here?”  The show continues to surprise me, and so often, I need to rewind because I’ve missed something hilarious while I was laughing at something else.  And PS, next week’s episode features one of my favorites (guest star Rachael Harris) and a running gag on Jane’s inability to settle for anything less than perfection; it is already at the top of my favorites list!

If you haven’t watched HAPPY ENDINGS yet, now is the perfect time to get started.  If you have watched HAPPY ENDINGS, how freaking excited are you that premiere night is finally here??? Follow the jump for some fun promo pics of the gorgeous cast!