19 feel-good shows to start 2019 off right

Superstore

The what: Superstore may be another workplace comedy, but it has its own brand of wit and sincerity. Set in a giant box store (which looks a lot like Walmart) in St. Louis, the show focuses on the interactions between a handful of employees at Cloud 9. American Ferrara plays Amy, a sardonic and clever manager, tasked with wrangling other employees and navigating the interpersonal nonsense every day brings.

The feels: The show is reliably funny, often laugh out loud so. However, it’s also sentimental and sweet. The more the cast gels and the characters’ lives intertwine, the better the show becomes at making us love them.

In a TV moment when we’re fascinated with witches, billionaires, and serial killers, these working-class characters are among the most fascinating. Their lives feel familiar, although maybe a little more absurd than ours, and that makes their shenanigans and tribulations all the more intriguing. There are few shows that can take a weekly staff meeting and make it one of the funniest moments of the TV week.

The deets: The first three seasons are available on Hulu, in full, as well as the first half of the latest season. You can the remaining episodes on the NBC website or app. Ferrara might be the most well-known of the cast, but Ben Feldman plays her perfect antagonist and love interest, Jonah. Lauren Ash plays Amy’s foil, Dina, and she is woefully under-appreciated and needs more love for this performance.