The star of “Politically Incorrect” returns to perform in front of a live audience in the comedy special “Bill Maher: I’m Swiss” (9 p.m. today, HBO), taped some months back in Portland, Ore.

As host of his long-running series on Comedy Central and ABC, Maher was an equal-opportunity satirist. With “Swiss,” Maher abandons all pretenses of even-handedness and spends much of his time trashing the current administration. And while this may serve as an exercise in catharsis for those disappointed by last November’s election, “Swiss” already seems dated and out of touch with recent events that might have provided amble fodder for satire.

This is the problem that comedians face when they abandon the opportunity to be funny about practically any subject and focus exclusively on politics. Real comedy is universal and timeless. We still love “Lucy” after 50 years and laugh at Shakespeare after 400. Maher’s comedy special demonstrates how even clever comedy dedicated exclusively to political topicality can seem as stale as last month’s newspaper.

¢ Happy, happy, joy, joy! Original episodes of “The Ren & Stimpy Show” return (6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. today, Nick Toons) return. The adventures of an overcaffeinated, asthmatic Chihuahua and a dim cat, “Ren & Stimpy” was part of the primetime cartoon revival of the early 1990s that included “The Simpsons,” “Beavis and Butt-head” and MTV’s influential “Liquid Television” showcase.

Today’s highlights

¢ Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges star in the 2001 sci-fi drama “K-PAX” (7 p.m., ABC).

¢ Without the 1977 comedy “Smokey and the Bandit” (7:10 p.m., CMT), there would be no “Dukes of Hazzard” show or spin-off movie. Blame it on Burt.

¢ Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (9 p.m., CBS): an attempt to solve two 30-year-old murders.

Sunday’s highlights

¢ Scheduled on “60 Minutes” (6 p.m., CBS): interviews with Vladimir Putin and Jane Fonda.

¢ Scheduled on “Dateline” (6 p.m., NBC): bitter court rivals unite to help their son.

¢ A widow’s prayers answered on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (7 p.m., ABC).