The Good Place

[AndrewCrossett]

Drew Goddard + Kristen Bell + Supernatural Comedy = Me There.

Unfortunately, I never even knew this show existed until I saw the article here on CBR, 24 hours before the series premiere. So not great promotion, and I fully expect this to be a ratings bomb regardless of quality. Nevertheless, I'll be watching tomorrow.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Drew Goddard + Kristen Bell + Supernatural Comedy = Me There.

Unfortunately, I never even knew this show existed until I saw the article here on CBR, 24 hours before the series premiere. So not great promotion, and I fully expect this to be a ratings bomb regardless of quality. Nevertheless, I'll be watching tomorrow.

I'm a major fan of Goddard and Bell and this is literally the first I've heard of it. Thanks for posting. I will watch until this gets cancelled, which admittedly'll probably be a couple of weeks. Maybe it'll find a home on streaming.

[AndrewCrossett]

Ted Danson co-stars in it, too. I don't know what NBC is thinking... if they're not going to promote this, what are they promoting?

[Kirby101]

I have been seeing commercials for this for months. The are promoting it as heavy as any of the new shows.

[AndrewCrossett]

It's probably not formulaic enough to succeed on one of the Big 4 networks. It's the kind of thing that might run a few seasons on the CW, but not on NBC.

The (positive) TV Guide review says it "feels different than anything that's come before." Which is the kiss of death, right there.

They'll have to find some way to turn it into a procedural.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I have been seeing commercials for this for months. The are promoting it as heavy as any of the new shows.

Dang, our outrage party upended by someone who actually watches NBC.

[Shawn Hopkins]

This is a really good, quirky show about morality. I find it hard to imagine that a show that name checks Kant will be a big enough hit to stay on the air, especially since this is filled with extremely expensive looking special effects, but I hope it gets a full season.

[AndrewCrossett]

Yeah, this reminds me of every Bryan Fuller series, even though it's not a Bryan Fuller series. They're probably hoping to get 13 episodes aired as an audition for Netflix.

But they put the premiere on after "The Voice", which means they're at least serious about giving it a chance.

Be interesting to see how this premise plays out in the long run.

[LordMikel]

Yes, I agree about the long run. I thought to myself, how can they keep this premise for 5 years. But then I realized, Three's Company kept the premise of Jack has to pretend to be gay for years on Three's Company. Than analogy annoyed my wife.

[AndrewCrossett]

I would say by the end of the initial 13 episodes, Michael has to figure out what's going on. Then he has to cover it up and try to keep Eleanor's secret so he doesn't lose his own job... but that's deception for selfish reasons, which causes his "neighborhood" to gradually start falling apart. We get a look at some of the other neighborhoods and maybe an insight into the authority structure that Michael reports to. Eleanor finds out that another woman with the same name died at exactly the same time, which is why they got mixed up... Good Eleanor mistakenly got sent to the Bad Place, and Bad Eleanor has to try and rescue her (with a lot of ethical prompting from Chidi.) So eventually we see the Bad Place, and find out that sound bite they heard was actually a wild party. At some point, we're gonna meet that 70's stoner whose picture is on Michael's wall. And eventually Eleanor will have the opportunity to go to the Bad Place where she can be herself, but decides she doesn't want to be that person anymore. Then the Good Place and Bad Place are brought together so the afterlife becomes pretty much like real life... only with flying, and nobody ever dies.

You could probably get 5 years of half-hours out of that.

[Ilan Preskovsky]

Man, what a brilliant start. Michael Schur scores yet again!

Sigh. It's gonna get cancelled, isn't it?

[AndrewCrossett]

It got a 2.3/8 rating for its premiere episode(s) with 8 million viewers. Of course, it was on after the season premiere of The Voice and is moving out of that slot to Thursday nights. I'm pretty sure it will get through its initial 13-episode order. After that, who knows? High concept shows like this are a big risk, especially on the broadcast networks where viewers are used to funny lines rather than funny stories.

[AndrewCrossett]

A reminder that episode 3 is on tonight at 8:30.

Which I think is dumb. People don't expect a show to be on twice in the same week. A lot of people are going to miss it.

[Sandy Hausler]

Drew Goddard + Kristen Bell + Supernatural Comedy = Me There.

Unfortunately, I never even knew this show existed until I saw the article here on CBR, 24 hours before the series premiere. So not great promotion, and I fully expect this to be a ratings bomb regardless of quality. Nevertheless, I'll be watching tomorrow.

I enjoyed the first two episodes that were aired this week, but I don't see the premise as one that can sustain an on-going series. Oh, and you forgot to mention Ted Danson.

Sandy Hausler

[Sandy Hausler]

I have been seeing commercials for this for months. The are promoting it as heavy as any of the new shows.

I found about it through a sign on the side of a bus, so it's getting some promotion.

Sandy Hausler