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I caught the pilot to the HBO sitcom Girls, about a group of young women trying to find themselves in New York City.  It's probably the most criticially-praised new series this season, but I'm of two minds.

The premise is an old one, but the fairly raw and realistic take is new.  This isn't Friends or Sex And The City, or even 2 Broke Girls. These girls aren't Hollywood beautiful and the situations they find themselves in aren't glossy and exciting: the pilot has the lead, Hannah, cut off by her parents and then fired from her job when she tries to turn her internship into a paid position.  We also see her having sex with her weird boyfriend (this is HBO, after all), and it's anything but sexy.

The show isn't hilarious, but it's well-observed.  If I have a problem, it's that these characters are on the edge of irritating, even whiny.  I realize that's the point--they're not perfect, they're real, and can't help but be self-involved.  But I also think we're supposed to be charmed by their quirkiness, and care about their little victories and losses, but I'm not that intrigued. Not yet, anyway.  Maybe it'll grow on me.

The pilot was pretty much a one-woman show.  Lena Dunham is the creator-write-director-producer-star.  It's an ensemble cast, but Girls reflects her sensibility.  If it succeeds or fails, she deserves the credit or blame.