What’s the name of this show? The Good Place
When does it premiere? There is a 60-minute premiere on Monday 19 September at 10pm ET right after The Voice so it can get plenty of attention. Then it settles into its regular time slot on Thursday at 8.30pm ET, right after Superstore.
Oh man, NBC Thursday comedies have sucked lately. Yes, they sure have. The network went broad and multi-camera in a bid to be CBS and grab some of that Big Bang Theory syndication cash. But that didn’t work (RIP Sean Saves the World) so The Good Place is a return to form of those great Thursdays of years past when 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation and The Office would rule. Mike Schur, who worked on both The Office and Parks and Rec, created this show.
So, what is The Good Place? It’s heaven, silly. Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) dies – she’s hit by a billboard truck advertising an erectile dysfunction drug – and winds up in heaven. The problem is those at the pearly gates think that she is Eleanor Shellstrop, a selfless attorney who got innocent men off death row, but she is really Eleanor Shellstrop, a selfish jerk who sold fake medicine to elderly people.
Is heaven a bunch of fluffy clouds with angels playing lyres? No, heaven looks sort of like a very spiffy suburban strip mall with countless frozen yogurt stores, restaurants with punny names (The Good Plates), and, seemingly, an endless supply of stores selling sherbet-colored cardigans and bow ties. Everyones lives in tacky McMansions that you say you would never live in but you totally would if given the chance. This is just one “neighborhood” of heaven and this one’s architect is Michael (Ted Danson), an angel who has been apprenticing for 200 years and this is his first solo project. Each person who gets to heaven is also awarded a soulmate. Eleanor’s is Chidi (William Jackson Harper), a Nigerian ethics professor who can’t decide whether he should help Eleanor stay in The Good Place or send her downstairs.
What happens when this bad girl gets into heaven? She literally breaks it. When she steals shrimp from a party, the finely calibrated divine mechanism of eternity is broken and it results in her neighborhood being attacked by giant flying shrimp. Yes, super gross. What’s great about this construction is that it allows for Eleanor’s bad behavior to have immediate and disastrous results, only amplifying how horrible she is and leading her on a path to correct it. This is a great engine for a sitcom because the consequences are extreme and the fixes easy and predicated on being good so that everyone can hug their kids and tell them the world is beautiful before sending them off to bed.
Is it funny? Just imagine a woman whose favorite book is Kendall Jenner’s Instagram living in a neighborhood with 322 of the most altruistic, giving, selfless people in creation. Bell’s golden girl looks and devilish behavior are a perfect combination for this role (as is her wonderful comedic timing). Danson proves yet again why he’s one of the best in the business as a hapless angel not used to being human and trying to cover up his errors before any of the higher ups get angry.
The jokes let us have it both ways. We get to indulge the devil on one shoulder with Eleanor when she picks on the priggish Chidi, her snooty British neighbor Tahani (Jameela Jamil), or the stuffy customs of the do-gooders in heaven. But then we also get to focus on the angel on the other shoulder when Eleanor gets her over-sized, slapstick comeuppance for behaving abominably. It’s like all the drinking with none of the hangover – just like in heaven.
Should I watch this show? Yes, you should. It’s not going to revolutionize television comedy, but it’s a wonderfully sweet, candy-colored confection that’s a little bit edgy but still has the wholesome values that will make it acceptable for the whole family.
