25 feel-good shows to start 2018 off right

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The premise: It’s a workplace comedy set in a police precinct in Brooklyn. The squad is comprised of a handful of eclectic and unusual characters ranging from superbly competent to completely absurd and worthless. Although it’s a collaborative effort, I guess the main protagonist would be Detective Jake Peralta, played deftly and with extreme balance by Andy Samberg. He shares the spotlight, however with his captain, Ray Holt, played with the driest of wit by Andre Braugher. Other castmates include Melissa Fumera as Jake’s girlfriend, Amy Chelsea Peretti and Terry Crews.

Why it’s so good: This may seem like a weird thing to say about a network comedy, especially one airing on Fox, but it’s so well-rounded. Sure, that feels like something you put on a resume, but in Brooklyn Nine Nine’s case, it means that it does pretty much everything it attempts really well. It’s goofiness and slapstick always land really well, and its use of the hilarious Terry Crews is always well done. It develops the characters while also allowing room for us to learn things about them, and also laugh at them. It also addresses some pretty serious stuff, having one character come out as bisexual, and another constantly grapple with his childhood abandonment and PTSD.

It is also steadily and consistently funny. For a show that’s been on for four and a half seasons, it still feels fresh and surprising. Although it relies on running gags and standing bits, none of the jokes feel old or recycled. You can always count on it to deliver, and that’s a rare commodity on television these days.

How to watch: All episodes are available on Hulu.