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The fact that “The Good Place”\u00a0exists at all is rather impressive. The initial premise seems sitcom-y enough, where\u00a0Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) winds up in a version of heaven, despite being a bad person while she was alive. She learns about ethics and uncovers one mystery after the next until the shocking season 1 finale completely flips the script<\/a> about everything you’ve seen thus far. It could’ve easily functioned as a perverse miniseries, but the show continued, pointing out flaws within capitalism and really diving into what it means to be “good”\u00a0in the modern age.\u00a0<\/p>\n But it’s not just one long philosophy lesson, because “The Good Place”\u00a0is also incredibly funny. The mixture of jokes and thought-provoking discussions is what makes it one of the best sitcoms of all time<\/a>, and after finishing all four seasons, you might find yourself as lost as Chidi (William Jackson Harper) when presented with too many possible choices. The best shows like “The Good Place”\u00a0don’t just make you laugh. They make you ponder the universe’s deepest questions or simply encourage you to be a better person to ensure your own placement in whatever good place may be out there in the afterlife.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here are the best shows like “The Good Place” that you should seek out right away.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Miracle Workers<\/p>\n
Tyler Golden\/TBS<\/p>\n If you want more afterlife-related shenanigans, you’d do well to watch “Miracle Workers,”\u00a0or at least the show’s first season. “Miracle Workers”\u00a0is an anthology series where each season focuses on a different set-up, setting, and roster of characters, although there are always some familiar faces. That first season sees Steve Buscemi play God, who’s ready to destroy Earth, so it’s up to Craig (Daniel Radcliffe)\u00a0and Eliza (Geraldine Viswanathan) to answer one impossible prayer to spare humanity.\u00a0<\/p>\n After those initial seven episodes, the series resets and each subsequent season with focuses on the Dark Ages, Oregon Trail, and post-apocalyptic future, respectively. “Miracle Workers” is a testament to how effectively a show can reinvent itself, something “The Good Place”\u00a0had to figure out after that massive season 1 twist. And like “Good Place,” “Miracle Workers”\u00a0is always about finding hope in the darkest periods, no matter what zany situation the characters find themselves in.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Pushing Daisies<\/p>\n
ABC<\/p>\n Revolving a comedy around the concept of death is tricky. Either death isn’t given the weight it deserves, or the whole thing can feel in poor taste. Fortunately, “The Good Place” handled it well, and the same could be said of “Pushing Daisies,”\u00a0a comedy about a pie-maker, Ned (Lee Pace), who has the ability to bring anything he touches back from the dead, including his recently deceased crush, Chuck (Anna Friel).\u00a0<\/p>\n Of course, there are stipulations to Ned’s gift (curse?) that he has to navigate to ensure he doesn’t harm more people than necessary. The show’s unique premise was bolstered further by the creative, colorful dialogue. Think “Gilmore Girls”\u00a0with more corpses. While the dialogue was a stand-out in the series, producer\u00a0Barry Sonnenfeld felt it ultimately undermined the show’s more dramatic heft, leading to its early cancellation<\/a> after two seasons. “Pushing Daisies”\u00a0may have gone to an early grave, but it’s essential viewing for anyone with a more morbid sense of humor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Ghosts<\/p>\n
Bertrand Calmeau\/CBS<\/p>\n “The Good Place”\u00a0and “Ghosts”\u00a0both contend with the afterlife, but they also have premises that lend themselves to big, outlandish characters interacting with one another when normally they’d have no reason to hang out. “Ghosts”\u00a0follows a couple, Sam (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar), inheriting a home that’s filled with ghosts only Sam can see and interact with. The ghosts come from all different periods of history, so you wind up with a hippie from the 1960s doing bits with an uptight woman from the 1800s.\u00a0<\/p>\n While “Ghosts”\u00a0deals with death, it’s a very light touch. It’s actually a very wholesome show, as the ghosts mostly want to do their own things. This has been a real strength throughout its myriad seasons, as episodes can shift focus to a completely new ghost and give them the spotlight. It’s not meant to be a gritty exploration of death but an exercise in absurdity. It also helps that unlike a lot of sitcom couples, Sam and Jay genuinely seem to love each other and are always there to lend a hand when needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Bojack Horseman<\/p>\n
Netflix<\/p>\n There’s a lot to love with “Bojack Horseman.”\u00a0The writing is spectacular, with pretty much every episode packed to the brim<\/a> with so many subtle jokes and references that you have to rewatch them repeatedly to catch everything. However, it seems like most people remember it for being kind of depressing. The series would frequently tackle dark topics, like corporate greed and the #MeToo movement, but it would also hone in on individual failures and whether people can truly change.\u00a0<\/p>\n That’s probably what makes “Bojack” so similar to “The Good Place.”\u00a0Both Bojack (Will Arnett)\u00a0and Eleanor begin the series as pretty awful protagonists. They want to change for the better, but their respective shows put one obstacle after the next to deter them. Additionally, there’s the question as to whether change even matters when you’ve already put so much bad energy into the world. They’re both philosophically-rich shows, but if you just want wordplay and silly people doing silly things, they have plenty of that, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Upload<\/p>\n
Prime Video<\/p>\n With its humor and commentary on late-stage capitalism, “Upload”\u00a0manages to be one of the best science-fiction series on Prime Video<\/a>. Computer programmer Nathan Brown (Robbie Amell) winds up dead and has his consciousness uploaded into a virtual afterlife where he’s looked after by his possessive girlfriend as well as his living handler Nora (Andy Allo).\u00a0<\/p>\n “The Good Place”\u00a0is focused on whether anyone can be a “good” person within our modern economic system. “Upload”\u00a0pursues a different path at the afterlife, as it digitizes the idea and makes it incredibly similar to the world we have now. That includes different types of afterlifes depending on how much money someone wants to spend as well as microtransactions for extra amenities. Honestly, it sounds like hell for everyone, but that’s the idea. Both shows offer commentary on how everyone needs to start doing better now because no one knows what comes after. But maybe we can create a good place, or maybe even a great place, here on Earth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Not Dead Yet<\/p>\n
Disney\/Temma Hankin<\/p>\n Obituaries are weird. Every person leads a complex, eclectic existence, and then their very being gets boiled down to a few sentences like, “He liked watching Monday Night Football.”\u00a0The short-lived “Not Dead Yet” takes a quirkier look at the afterlife by honing in on obituary writer Nell Serrano (Gina Rodriguez) who has the supernatural ability to talk with the dead. Specifically, she talks with the people she’s writing about, learning more about them as well as the living.<\/p>\n If there’s a message to take away from “Not Dead Yet,”\u00a0it’s that so much of our legacies come down to the people we knew. Nell’s a bit of a loner at first; she doesn’t want to rely on anyone but needs to learn how to rely on others. She also comes to the realization that there’s not a correct way to live. The ghosts she talks to all have varied experiences, and they’re all valid. To feel content in life, you need to stop comparing yourself to others.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Man on the Inside<\/p>\n
Colleen E. Hayes\/Netflix<\/p>\n “The Good Place” creator Michael Schur has worked on numerous sitcoms, including “The Office,”<\/a> but you don’t want to overlook what’s bound to be a new classic, “A Man on the Inside.”\u00a0The Netflix series feels like lower stakes compared to the afterlife-altering events of “Good Place.” Widower\u00a0Charles Nieuwendyk (Ted Danson) gets hired to go undercover at a retirement home to see who’s behind a mysterious theft.<\/p>\n If “The Good Place”\u00a0examines life from the perspective of deceased, “A Man on the Inside”\u00a0looks at it as a person approaches the end. Charles has already gone through his wife’s death following Alzheimer’s, so he’s ready to pack it in at first. But taking the undercover job gives him a new lease on life. He actually gets a chance to interact with other people, and he starts being more open with his daughter. But even if you don’t want to think about death all the time, “A Man on the Inside”\u00a0is the perfect comfort watch. It’s cozy yet engaging, with Danson as lovable as ever.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Dead Like Me<\/p>\n
Showtime<\/p>\n Bryan Fuller had a keen interest in death in the 2000s. In addition to creating “Pushing Daisies,”\u00a0he also developed an underrated gem called “Dead Like Me.” George Lass (Ellen Muth) has a shaky relationship with her family, and before that can get resolved, she gets killed by a falling toilet seat. She, in turn, becomes a grim reaper, one of many who’s job is to collect souls of those about to die, and she’s frequently paired up with an excellent Mandy Patinkin as a far more experienced reaper, Rube.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Dead Like Me” is great<\/a> because it perfectly balances the absurdist humor inherent within its premise with the dark reality of grief. George often contends with absurd death scenarios, but her family, without getting any closure, is left to pick up the pieces, acting out in self-destructive ways. Death isn’t the end of George’s journey, but for her family, it’s the end of any possibility of getting their relationships back on track.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Russian Doll<\/p>\n
Netflix<\/p>\n Few shows live up to their name better than “Russian Doll” because just when you think you’ve figured out all the thematic meaning, there’s another layer to unravel. Season 1 involves Nadia Vulvokov (Natasha Lyonne) falling into a time loop where every time she dies she has to relive the same period all over again, ultimately finding Alan (Charlie Barnett) who’s stuck in the same predicament. Season 2 trades time loops with time travel<\/a> with Nadia going back in time to exist as her mother in 1982.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Russian Doll,” particularly season 1, is all about death<\/a>. Nadia and Alan have to go through it over and over again, and they pursue various avenues to figure out how to break the cycle. At one point, they each turn to religion to see if they can determine any higher meaning. But it also tackles addiction and trauma, including generational trauma, which can become its own inescapable loop in a sense. Of course, the whole thing is bolstered greatly by Lyonne being as fun to watch as ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n School Spirits<\/p>\n
Paramount+<\/p>\n A lot of TV shows about death and the afterlife venture into dark comedy territory, but anyone wanting more teen angst with their untimely demises would do well to watch “School Spirits.”\u00a0Maddie Nears (Peyton\u00a0List) is stuck haunting her old high school as a ghost whose mission is to uncover the individual behind her death<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n “School Spirits”\u00a0is for anyone who thought “Pretty Little Liars”\u00a0would be made better with the ghosts. There are some really fun spirit dynamics, as the school is haunted by deceased students from various decades. And while there are moments of humor, the show doesn’t shy away from the very dark idea that these are all ultimately teenagers who have died. They’re all grieving the fact they were taken from this world far too soon and never got chances to live up to their fullest potential. It’s a coming-of-age series where many of the characters can no longer age,<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The Comeback<\/p>\n
HBO<\/p>\n “The Comeback” has all of the cringe comedy and focus on becoming a better person that made “The Good Place”\u00a0a delight to watch. Instead of satirizing the concept of ethics, “The Comeback”\u00a0is more concerned about the entertainment industry, as Lisa Kudrow played Valerie Cherish, a popular sitcom actress from the ’90s who wants to reinvent herself into relevancy in the modern day.\u00a0<\/p>\n It’s easily one of the most underrated HBO series ever<\/a>, especially since it does a much better job poking fun at filmmaking and actors than another HBO property, “Entourage.”\u00a0But “The Comeback” will probably get the last laugh in the end. The first two seasons came out in 2005 and 2014, respectively, and a third is on the way after more than a decade. There are zero qualms about regularly checking in with Valerie to see how much she’s changed (or hasn’t as the case may be).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Superstore<\/p>\n
NBC<\/p>\n “Superstore” works so well with an incredible ensemble cast. All these disparate personalities come together in really fun and interesting ways, as they all work for the same big box retail store.\u00a0There are plenty of jokes that anyone who worked retail in their lives can relate to, especially when it comes to the ridiculous demands of certain customers.<\/p>\n It might seem like any other workplace comedy, but through that broad lens, the sitcom was able to tackle a lot of pertinent real-world issues, from wage stagnation to immigration. Like “The Good Place,” it manages to be funny while talking about not-very-funny subjects. And “Superstore”\u00a0manages to hit all the typical sitcom beats with aplomb, including a particularly thorny will they\/won’t they romance between Amy (America Ferrera)\u00a0and Jonah (Ben Feldman)<\/a>. Plus, the show didn’t back down from tackling COVID-19 better than almost any other TV series. It would’ve been interesting to see how the show continued to evolve, but alas, it ended in 2021 after six seasons<\/a>.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Abbott Elementary<\/p>\n
Disney\/Gilles Mingasson<\/p>\n Many TV shows on this list focus on people trying to do good within a fundamentally flawed system. Nowhere is that more apparent than “Abbott Elementary,” a hilarious, must-watch sitcom<\/a> about a group of teachers in an underfunded Philadelphia school. Janine Teagues (Quinta Brunson), in particular, is always trying to do right by her students, even if it comes at great cost of her own sanity.<\/p>\n A great deal of the humor comes from the different perspectives of the fun cast, like Principal Coleman (Janelle James) being more invested in her side hustles than ensuring kids get a good education. With solid themes and a barrage of jokes every episode, “Abbott Elementary” is a refreshing sitcom in the modern television landscape. It feels like a natural progression of the network sitcom, leaving edgier jokes for all those streaming shows. “Abbott Elementary” proves that a series doesn’t always need to reinvent the wheel; it just needs to be really funny while giving audiences characters they want to stick with.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Parks and Recreation<\/p>\n
NBC<\/p>\n Before making “The Good Place,” Michael Schur co-created “Parks and Recreation” alongside Greg Daniels, who also made “The Office.”<\/a>\u00a0You can tell Schur’s DNA is in both series as they each have a pretty optimistic viewpoints toward humanity despite showcasing the worst it’s capable of. Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler)\u00a0perpetually wants what’s best for Pawnee, even if they’d rather drink far too much soda than listen to her advice. It’s amazing (and a little sad) that many social issues “Parks and Rec” tackled years ago are still topics of contention to this day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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