11 underrated shows you probably aren’t watching but should be
By Sundi Rose
The Good Place, NBC
The premise: Eleanor (Kristen Bell) is a terrible human with questionable morals and little to no personal values. She dies in an extremely unseemly way, and is accidentally sent to “the good place” instead of the other. Once she’s there, she meets Michael (Ted Danson), the architect of her good place, and she tries to earn her spot by learning how to be a decent human. This is harder than it seems, as old habits die hard. She is paired with her “soul mate,” Chidi (William Jackson-Harper), who happens to be a former ethics professor. He takes it on himself to tutor her, and Eleanor desperately tries to fit in. It’s a lot harder than it seems, especially when her bad decisions have major consequences on the good place.
Why you’ll love it: For a show dealing with humans’ eternal fate, The Good Place keeps its charm and affability at all times. It doesn’t hurt that you get Kristen Bell at her snarky best, playing opposite everybody’s favorite uncle, Ted Danson. Together, they take a show about heaven and hell, and turn it into a lovable comedy about human nature. Although, at its core, it’s about the premise of good and bad, it’s really funny and smart. It never tips over into finger-waggy or gimmicky, and the casting machinations run so smoothly, you would think these folks have known each other their whole lives.
How to watch it: You can watch full episodes of season 1 on NBC.com or on Hulu. Season two premieres on NBC on September 28th.