LAUGHS STOP BEFORE HBO'S COMEDIES DO.

Byline: David Kronke Television Critic

As season three of ``Entourage'' opens, ``Aquaman'' -- the movie that promises to transform Vince Chase (Adrian Grenier) from B-lister to megastar -- is opening nationwide imminently. Through the three episodes of the series that HBO made available for review, we discover the film's box-office fate, but what we don't learn is whether ``Aquaman'' is actually any good or not.

There's no audience reaction at the premiere, nor any mention of the film's reviews, nor is the Valley audience with whom Vince and his hangers-on watch the movie on its opening weekend allowed to offer any opinion.

This could be because the show's writers are being coy, or because the real-life James Cameron -- portraying the fictitious James Cameron, director of ``Aquaman'' -- played along with the producers and they didn't want to suggest he made a junky movie.

Or it could be yet another industry-insider joke in a series chockablock with them -- whether the movie is good or awful is irrelevant; it's all about the box office, baby.

``Entourage'' kicks off a most curious block of comedies debuting on HBO tonight -- its sleek polish segues into the lowbrow posturing of comedian Louis C.K.'s sitcom deconstruction ``Lucky Louie,'' which will find favor mainly with nonreligious fans of ``Blue Collar TV.'' That, in turn, gives way to the amorphous absurdities of stand-up comic Dane Cook, whose material amuses younger audiences but scarcely anyone over, say, 30.

So the evening lacks what broadcasters would call ``flow.'' Or, more to the point, it's almost pathologically schizophrenic.

Back to ``Entourage'' for a moment. As Vince threatens to blow up big-time, the show itself has assumed a becoming modesty. In tonight's episode, Vince beseeches his neurotic mother (Mercedes Ruehl) to fly in to be his date for his potential blockbuster's premiere. Next week, an unfortunate series of events directs Vince and the gang to a high-school graduation party in Northridge, where they give a boost of self-confidence to the class nerds. After spending the entire episode railing against the lowly San Fernando Valley, Vince's brother, Drama (Kevin Dillon), begrudgingly admits the place ain't so bad.

And in the third episode, a caustic buddy from the gang's past reappears, threatening rifts in the close-knit pack of horndogs.

Even Ari (Jeremy Piven), Vince's evil-genius agent, cavorts with less vitriolic swagger than usual.

Why HBO thinks ``Entourage's'' fan base will likewise embrace ``Lucky Louie'' is anyone's guess. Louis C.K. -- who has written for Conan O'Brien and Chris Rock and is a decent stand-up in his own right -- has reimagined ``The Honeymooners'' as a vehicle for masturbation jokes.

But rather than parody the sitcom, he's stripped the genre of nuance: Whereas Art Carney's Ed Norton worked in New York's sewer system, here, that's where everyone's mind is. Studio audiences guffaw every time characters say naughty words or express naughty thoughts or engage in naughty activities.

``Lucky Louie'' opens with a typical sitcom moment -- a beleaguered dad (C.K.) sits with his eternally curious daughter, who challenges his every statement with a plaintive ``Why?'' After a protracted sequence, an exasperated Louie blurts out, ``Because God is dead and we're alone,'' satisfying her inquisition but, nonetheless, seeming a long way to go for that mild laugh.

Moreover, the show's writers are unburdened by the notion of character development. Tonight, Louie and wife Kim (Pamela Adlon) haven't had sex for months; next week, they're upon one another like ferrets. Tonight, Louie's pot-dealing pal is divorced; in a future episode, Louie tells him, ``If you ever get married...''

The show's plots and performances ape particularly lame sitcoms -- some moments are genuinely embarrassing -- which means the only real ``joke'' is that the studio audience is laughing at such rote material.

HBO declares the show to be ``the end of the sitcom as you know it,'' but does so with a pride that the show itself does not merit.

After that comes ``Dane Cook's Tourgasm,'' a lazy, home-movie-type show focusing on people who are clearly confident that they're far more inherently interesting than they actually are. Comics are needy types in the first place, so those Cook -- who comes off as an affable guy if not a particularly incisive comedian -- has recruited are particularly adept at mugging desperately for the cameras.

For his comedy tour, Cook brought three other stand-up pals along for the ride. Only one, Gary Gulman, betrays any talent; the brief glimpses of his live performances are uniformly entertaining.

The other two just seem like jerks -- Bobby Kelly is fairly hostile; Jay Davis is pretty whiny. The series follows the guys as they reconnoiter the country, with staged bits (scooter races, horse rides, faux-rock climbs) added to alleviate their tour-bus claustrophobia and to wring some vestige of ``drama'' from the proceedings.

``Years down the line, I'm gonna look at this and it's going to be very close to my heart,'' Cook explicates earnestly. Well, that makes one of us.

David Kronke, [phone] [e-mail]

Vince's (Adrian Grenier) neurotic mom, played by Mercedes Ruehl, flies out to be his date for the big ``Aquaman'' premiere on the hit ``Entourage.''

Dane Cook takes his comedian pals on the road in ``Dane Cook's Tourgasm.''

Pamela Adelon and Louis C.K. star in ``Lucky Louie,'' which ought to amuse viewers who laugh when they hear naughty words on television.

ENTOURAGE - Three stars

What: Bad behavior in Hollywood? Say it isn't so!

Where: HBO.

When: 10 tonight.

In a nutshell: As Vincent (Adrian Grenier) threatens to become bigger than life, the show itself tones down the swagger a notch.

LUCKY LOUIE - Two stars

What: Comic Louis C.K. stars in, essentially, a profane ``Honeymooners.''

Where: HBO.

When: 10:30 tonight; also midnight Tuesday and 10 p.m. Wednesday.

In a nutshell: If the mere utterance of dirty words gets you chortling, here's your show.

DANE COOK'S TOURGASM - Two stars

What: The popular comic brings some friends and a camera crew along on his comedy tour.

Where: HBO.

When: 11 tonight; also 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and midnight Thursday.

In a nutshell: Comic Gary Gulman's incisive wit enlivens what otherwise would be a fairly self-indulgent exercise in glorified home-movie-making.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) Vince's (Adrian Grenier) neurotic mom, played by Mercedes Ruehl, flies out to be his date for the big ``Aquaman'' premiere on the hit ``Entourage.''

(2) Dane Cook takes his comedian pals on the road in ``Dane Cook's Tourgasm.''

(3) Pamela Adelon and Louis C.K. star in ``Lucky Louie,'' which ought to amuse viewers who laugh when they hear naughty words on television.