When "Sex and the City" left the air in 2004, followed by "The Sopranos" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" in 2007, a lot of people said it spelled doom for Home Box Office, which had banked on those series for so many years.

Yes, "Entourage" was drawing some viewers, but the glory days of HBO - which also included "Six Feet Under," "The Wire" and "Deadwood" - seemed to be behind them.

But that hasn't happened.

Somewhere along the line, three quirky series - a vampire drama, one about polygamy and a comedy about two fish-out-of-water New Zealand musicians in New York City - took flight. "True Blood" has already ended its first season, and fans are eagerly awaiting its return in the summer.

But the others are coming up soon, and as "Big Love" returns for its third season and "Flight of the Conchords" comes back for its sophomore year next Sunday, we can't wait, and for good reason - the first few episodes of each new season look promising.

 

"Big Love"

When we last left the Henrickson clan -- Bill (Bill Paxton) and his wives, Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn), Nikki (Chloe Sevigny) and Margene (Ginnifer Godwin) - the neighbors had found out their secret, the family was getting into the gambling business and the upcoming trial of Nikki's father, prophet Roman Grant (Harry Dean Stanton), was threatening to tear a number of families apart.

All three storylines progress quickly as the third season begins, as does the wives' attempt to bring another (Ana, played by Branka Katic) into the fold.

If "Big Love" were only about the Henricksons' living arrangements, interest would have worn off midway through the first season. But the show is about much more than that. And it's anchored by some darned good performances, particularly from Paxton, Tripplehorn and Sevigny.

Ask me four years ago if I would have been interested in a series about polygamy, and I would have laughed. Now, I can't miss it.

"Flight of the Conchords"

The story of Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, two goofy musicians from New Zealand, couldn't be more different.

There's not a wife in sight, only Mel (Kristen Schaal), a crazy fan who might be the only one that Flight of the Conchords - Jermaine and Bret's music group - has.

Then there's Murray (Rhys Darby), manager of one of the least popular groups on the planet.

When last season ended, Murray had hit it big with a group called the Crazy Dogs, and Bret and Jermaine were searching for new management. As season two opens, they've decided to manage themselves.

Do yourself a favor and start watching "Flight of the Conchords," a half-hour of just plain fun - no deep messages allowed.

To get you ready, here's a great clip from last season:

And here's an intro to the Conchords' fan, Mel:

And for those who can't wait until next Sunday, here's the premiere episode: