The Good Place

This bright charmer is a delightful and surprisingly deep exploration of the complexities of being, well, good. The Good Place, it turns out, is a series of sprawling suburbs, each one designed to meet all the needs of its (un-?) dead population and stocked with neighbors selected to harmonize with one another. Eleanor's heavenly neighborhood is one of green lawns and yogurt shops (but then, those are everywhere: "People love frozen yogurt," shrugs Michael), with shops such as the Small Adorable Animal Depot and a house that's supposedly specially made for Eleanor, with a primary color scheme and many pictures of clowns.

Of course, Eleanor doesn't fit -- not into the house, not into the neighborhood, not into this heaven cognate, and soon her snark and selfishness cause unforeseen consequences. She doesn't want to go to the Bad Place that people talk darkly but vaguely about, so her only choice is to try to improve herself enough to keep her spot in the neighborhood. It's hardly an original setup, but the jokes are fun (a list of everyone in the Bad Place includes Elvis, Mozart, and every American president but Lincoln), and Bell retains the flip, mouthy attitude that made her a breakout star on Veronica Mars, while Danson radiates a Willy Wonka-esque appeal. It all comes together in a show that's mild but fun and good for whole-family watching with tweens on up.