20 Great Shows Like The Good Place That Are Worth Your Time

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https://www.looper.com/797865/great-...rth-your-time/

BY OLIVIA TYPALDOS/MARCH 14, 2022 2:20 PM EDT

Michael Schur's "The Good Place" takes the central existential question that's plagued philosophers for centuries –- what does it mean to be "good?" –- and attempts to answer it in the form of a sitcom. Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) is a person of questionable morals who's prone to cheating, light thievery, and calling people basic. When she's hit by a knock-off Viagra truck and sent to the afterlife, she winds up in the Good Place — a heaven-like utopia for morally upstanding folks. Eleanor knows she's in the wrong spot, so she decides to learn how to be a better person with the help of philosopher Chidi (William Jackson Harper). She also befriends Jason (Manny Jacinto), a dense criminal who also shouldn't be in the Good Place, and Tahani (Jameela Jamil), a self-centered philanthropist. Together, the four of them learn how to look both inside and out to find the goodness in themselves and others, all while discovering that their new surroundings aren't all that they seem.

While "The Good Place" follows many classic sitcom conventions –- friends who become like family, nonstop jokes, and even a leading performance from genre veteran Ted Danson -– the series stands out thanks to its philosophical and emotional depth. After all, how many sitcoms feature a moral philosopher as a main character or center around discussions of ethics? "The Good Place" explores questions of goodness, humanity, and family, playing heavily with the sitcom form in order to do so. Read on to find out what other comedies might surprise you with their thematic depth and occasional reflections on morality and mortality.