The Good Place

The Good Place
Genre Fantasy
Sitcom
Created by Michael Schur
Starring
Composer(s) David Schwartz
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 9 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Michael Schur
David Miner
Morgan Sackett
Drew Goddard
Producer(s) David Hyman
Joe Mande
Megan Amram
Editor(s) Colin Patton
Matthew Barbato
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 22 minutes
Production company(s)
Distributor NBCUniversal Television Distribution
Release
Original network NBC
Original release September 19, 2016 (2016-09-19) – present
External links
Website

The Good Place is an American fantasy sitcom television series created by Mike Schur, starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson. NBC placed a 13-episode, straight-to-series order for the show in August 2015.[1] The series debuted on Monday, September 19, 2016, it then moved to its Thursday night 8:30 pm (EDT) time slot on September 22, 2016.[2] A preview trailer was released on May 15, 2016.[3]

Synopsis

After she is struck and killed by a tractor-trailer carrying a billboard for erectile dysfunction products, a woman named Eleanor Shellstrop wakes up to discover she has entered the afterlife. When she is told by Michael, her facilitator, that she is in "The Good Place" (located in sector 12358w) because of her good deeds by helping get innocent people off death row, plus other international humanitarian work, she realizes that a mistake has been made as people think she is someone else with the same name. Additionally, upon arrival, she learns that each person in the good place has a soulmate with whom they are matched and, accordingly, will forever live with in eternity.

Now in a world where nobody can curse or experience a hangover and everyone always acts kindly towards one another, Eleanor finds herself trying to stay in The Good Place. She must hide her morally imperfect behavioral past from everyone (except for her assigned soulmate Chidi, who was a university professor of ethics in life) to avoid being sent to "The Bad Place". Chidi tries to teach Eleanor how to become a good person so that she can stay in The Good Place. Shortly thereafter, Eleanor realizes that some of her behavior and actions can and do catastrophically affect their world, causing negative and sometimes disastrous events in the neighborhood in which she was assigned to live (and which was personally designed and built by Michael). She soon learns that she isn't the only "mistake" that was sent to this afterlife, indicating there may be others like her hiding behind a precarious facade.

At the end of the first season, Eleanor exposes her secret, prompting the villainous Trevor, who represents The Bad Place, to arrive by train and bring another Eleanor Shellstrop, who was originally meant for The Good Place. Michael promises to protect both women and consequently declares war on The Bad Place.

Each episode features flashbacks to one of the good place's residents and their perfect and/or imperfect lives (done in a light dramatic fashion), and ends with a twist or cliffhanger that leads into the following episode.

Cast and characters

Recurring

Episodes

According to series creator Schur, the episodes are referred to as "Chapters."[9]

No.TitleDirected byWritten byFeatured characterOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Everything Is Fine"Drew GoddardMichael SchurEleanorSeptember 19, 2016 (2016-09-19)8.04[10]
Eleanor Shellstrop wakes up in an afterlife utopia called "The Good Place," where she is welcomed by her "neighborhood" architect Michael. Admission is based on doing good in the world, and only a very small percentage of people qualifies. Michael praises Eleanor for being a lawyer who helped innocent people off death row, then escorts her to a home designed with all of her preferences in mind where she can access memories from her life. Everyone in the good place has a soulmate; Eleanor's is Chidi, a Senegalese ethics professor. Eleanor tells Chidi that all of Michael's information about her is wrong: the biography, memories, and house are someone else's. Eleanor made a living by knowingly selling a worthless supplement to the sick and elderly and was crass and uncaring. Chidi experiences a moral crisis over whether or not to help Eleanor stay in The Good Place. Eleanor becomes frustrated and angry at a party hosted by her neighbors, soulmates Tahani and Jianyu. The next morning, the neighborhood comes under attack by representations of elements from Eleanor's life and her misbehavior since arriving in The Good Place.
2"Flying"Michael McDonaldAlan YangEleanorSeptember 19, 2016 (2016-09-19)8.04[10]
Eleanor avoids suspicion in the aftermath of the chaos, while Michael fears he has failed in his first big project. Tahani organizes a clean up day, but anyone who volunteers will miss out on the opportunity to fly. Chidi considers teaching Eleanor to be a good person and forces her to volunteer in order to prove that she has the capacity for selflessness. She does, but she hides the trash to go flying after all, causing a trash storm to occur. Chidi loses faith in her and refuses to help. That night, Eleanor feels guilty and cleans the neighborhood herself. Chidi sees her and agrees to teach her to be good. A note is slipped under Eleanor's door, warning her that she doesn't belong in The Good Place. Flashbacks to Eleanor's life show that she habitually shirked the responsibility of acting as a designated driver.
3"Tahani Al-Jamil"Beth McCarthy-MillerAisha MuharrarEleanorSeptember 22, 2016 (2016-09-22)5.25[11]
Eleanor suspects Tahani of writing the note but ultimately accepts that Tahani is genuinely good and begins to form a real friendship with her, comforting her over her dissatisfaction with Jianyu's vow of silence. Michael tries to get Chidi to take up a hobby, but Chidi only wants to work on his ethics manuscript. After Michael admits that it is terribly written, he agrees to become Chidi's advisor in rewriting it. Janet cycles through a series of bizarre personalities. Michael recruits Eleanor to help investigate the problems in the neighborhood. That night, Jianyu finally speaks aloud when he tells Eleanor that he wrote the note, explaining that he also doesn't belong in The Good Place. In Eleanor's flashbacks, her boyfriend Andy makes a conscious effort to be good, but Eleanor concludes that being good is pointless and too much work in a world full of bad things.
4"Jason Mendoza"Payman BenzJoe MandeJasonSeptember 29, 2016 (2016-09-29)4.45[12]
Jianyu tells Eleanor he is really Jason Mendoza, a Filipino American drug dealer and amateur DJ from Jacksonville, Florida who has gone along with the fiction of being a monk because the supposed vow of silence enables him to avoid detection. Jason decides to express his true identity, while Eleanor and a stunned Chidi try to convince him to stay hidden, fearing Eleanor will also be exposed. Tahani helps plan the gala opening of Patricia's restaurant. When Jason plans to share the real details of his life at the event, Eleanor creates a distraction by destroying Patricia's masterpiece cake, causing a sinkhole to open. Jason agrees to join Chidi's ethics class, but is an even less apt student than Eleanor. Tahani discovers that the sinkhole is growing, not closing as Michael expected. Flashbacks show that Jason Mendoza was hired as a famous DJ's stand-in and was rejected by the crowd when he played his own music. He tells a friend that he longs to be appreciated as his authentic self—and then vandalizes the DJ's boat.
5"Category 55 Doomsday Crisis"Morgan SackettMatt MurrayTahaniOctober 6, 2016 (2016-10-06)4.97[13]
Eleanor is pleased that she is learning to be considerate of others, but Chidi is dissatisfied with spending all of his time teaching Eleanor. Michael protects the neighborhood from the sinkhole by quarantining all of the residents. He insists that Eleanor and Chidi host a couple who live near the sinkhole; the observant couple concludes that Chidi is hiding something. Chidi admits he never had a real relationship with a woman before; Eleanor realizes he's disappointed that she's not his true soulmate and decides to be a better friend to him by arranging the exact leisure activities he described to her. Meanwhile, Tahani reads Michael's private documents and learns that she has the second-lowest score in the neighborhood. She tries to raise it by aiding Michael, who has to save her from the sinkhole; he tells her that scores don't change after death and that she should be satisfied to be one of the best people who ever lived. The sinkhole closes after Eleanor's kind gesture and Michael informs her that she must help him uncover the cause. Tahani's flashbacks show that she lived her entire life in the shadow of her sister, Kamilah, finally deciding to live independently after their parents' deaths.
6"What We Owe to Each Other"Tucker GatesDylan Morgan & Josh SiegalEleanorOctober 13, 2016 (2016-10-13)4.23[14]
Eleanor distracts Michael from his investigation in order to avoid detection. He tells her that architects don't normally live in neighborhoods; doing so was his own idea and will be discredited by his failure. Meanwhile, Tahani tries to bond with Jianyu, forcing Chidi to go to great lengths to protect Jason's secret. Chidi and Tahani end up bonding, but Tahani ultimately accepts Jianyu as her soulmate after he gives her a gift that Chidi arranged. Michael concludes that he is the cause of the problems and announces his impending departure. In the past, Eleanor ditches house-sitting for a friend in order to attend a Rihanna concert, resulting in her friend's dog suffering a permanent disability; Eleanor doesn't care.
7"The Eternal Shriek"Trent O'DonnellMegan AmramChidiOctober 20, 2016 (2016-10-20)3.79[15]
Michael announces that his "retirement" will consist of eternal torture. Rather than tell the truth, Eleanor decides to "kill" Janet because only she can initiate Michael's retirement. She and Chidi argue over activating Janet's kill switch, and Chidi ends up pushing the button while trying to stop Jason from doing so. Chidi agrees to keep their secret, even though it will make him miserable. Meanwhile, Tahani plans a somber retirement party for Michael; Michael then blames Tahani for distracting him from Janet but soon apologizes. Janet is rebooted with no memories and operates at diminished capacity. Michael announces he will remain in the neighborhood to investigate Janet's murder, which he says means there is a problem beyond himself. Eleanor tells Chidi she loves him, then admits to everyone that she is the problem because she was brought to The Good Place by mistake. In flashbacks, Chidi fibs that he likes a coworker's unattractive boots; he obsesses over the lie for three years and finally confesses after the coworker survives a difficult surgery.
8"Most Improved Player"Tristram ShapeeroDan SchofieldEleanorOctober 27, 2016 (2016-10-27)3.89[16]
Michael interviews Eleanor, Chidi, Tahani, and Jason about Eleanor and Janet's death. After finally getting Eleanor's actual file from Janet (who is still re-learning things and had been only producing different types of cactus beforehand), he learns of Eleanor's ruining a friend's dress, which led to a lawsuit bankrupting an innocent dry cleaners, the public humiliation of the friend, and Eleanor's personal profit from t-shirts insulting her friend. This leads to Michael calling The Bad Place to pick up Eleanor. A train from The Bad Place arrives, bringing Trevor, a cruel and sleazy representative, to take Eleanor. After Chidi confesses that he killed Janet, and that Eleanor is learning to be a better person, Michael and the others arrive at the train station to prevent Trevor from taking Eleanor. Trevor agrees to let the matter be discussed if he can continue to keep the real Eleanor Shellstrop, who was meant for The Good Place and is then led off the train.
9"...Someone Like Me as a Member"Dean HollandJen StatskyEleanorNovember 3, 2016 (2016-11-03)3.68[17]
As negotiations begin to determine the fates of the Eleanors, Michael uses Tahani's house as a meeting place, only for the Bad Place demons to turn the event into a party, where they walk all over Michael, much to Tahani's dismay. Meanwhile, Chidi and the real Eleanor bond over dinner with Eleanor and Trevor. During the main negotiation session, Michael stands up to Trevor and his demons, and declares war on The Bad Place, promising to fight for Eleanor. Trevor promises to get Sean, an eternal judge, involved. Michael ultimately throws the demons out of the Good Place. That night, Jason finds Tahani in his "meditation room" and learns that she knows he is a fake, so she demands to know who he really is. In flashbacks, Eleanor is shown to dislike joining social groups.
10"Chidi's Place"[18]TBATBATBAJanuary 5, 2017 (2017-01-05)TBD
11"What's My Motivation"[18]TBATBATBAJanuary 12, 2017 (2017-01-12)TBD

Production and development

When a summary of the show was first announced in January 2016, the show was set to revolve around Eleanor designing her own self-improvement course with Michael acting as her guide.[19] Chidi was named Chris,[20] Tahani was named Tessa,[21] and Janet was described as a "violin player with a checkered past".[22] After casting was completed, the afterlife element was introduced to the show and Janet's character and purpose in the series was completely re-worked.

According to Schur, the premise and idea was to include religious elements into the series after doing research on various faiths and groups, but he decided to scrap the plans, instead going for a concept that included all faiths that was diverse and free of religious views. "I stopped doing research because I realized it’s about versions of ethical behavior, not religious salvation," he says. "The show isn’t taking a side, the people who are there are from every country and religion." Schur also points out that the setting (shot in San Marino, California's Huntington Gardens) already had the feeling of a pastiche of different cultures, stating that the neighborhoods will feature people who are part of nondenominational and interdenominational backgrounds that interact with each other regardless of religion.[23]

The series' setting and premises, as well as the serialized cliffhangers were modeled on Lost, a favorite of Schur. One of the first people he called when he developed the series was “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof. "I took him to lunch and said, ‘We’re going to play a game ‘Is this anything?'” He then added “I imagine this going in the ‘Lost’ way,” with cliffhangers and future storylines.[24]

Critical reception

The Good Place has received positive reviews from television critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the season has a rating of 89%, based on 47 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Kristen Bell and Ted Danson knock it out of the park with supremely entertaining, charming performances in this absurd, clever and whimsical portrayal of the afterlife."[25] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 78 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[26]

The editors of TV Guide placed The Good Place second among the top ten picks for the most anticipated new shows of the 2016–17 season. In its review from writer Liam Matthews, "NBC's new comedy has an impressive pedigree" (referring to Mike Schur, and stars Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, the latter cited as "arguably the greatest sitcom actor of all time.") Matthews concludes that "The hope is that their combined star power can restore NBC's tarnished comedy brand to its former glory. It won't be the next Friends, but it's something even better: a network comedy that feels different than anything that's come before."[27]

Ratings

No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 DVR
(18–49)		 DVR viewers
(millions)		 Total
(18–49)		 Total viewers
(millions)
1 "Everything Is Fine" September 19, 2016 2.3/8 8.04[10] 1.2 3.65 3.5 11.69[28]
2 "Flying" September 19, 2016 2.3/8 8.04[10] 1.2 3.65 3.5 11.69[28]
3 "Tahani Al-Jamil" September 22, 2016 1.4/5 5.25[11] N/A 2.39 N/A 7.64[28]
4 "Jason Mendoza" September 29, 2016 1.3/5 4.45[12] 0.8 2.24 2.1 6.68[29]
5 "Category 55 Doomsday Crisis" October 6, 2016 1.4/5 4.97[13] 0.8 2.01 2.2 6.98[30]
6 "What We Owe to Each Other" October 13, 2016 1.2/5 4.23[14] 0.8 N/A 2.0[31] N/A
7 "The Eternal Shriek" October 20, 2016 1.0/4 3.79[15] 0.8 2.02 1.8 5.80[32]
8 "Most Improved Player" October 27, 2016 1.2/4 3.89[16] 0.7 N/A 1.9[33] N/A
9 "...Someone Like Me as a Member" November 3, 2016 1.2/5 3.68[17] 0.6 N/A 1.8[34] N/A
10 "Chidi's Place" January 5, 2017 TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD
11 "What's My Motivation" January 12, 2017 TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

References

  1. 1 2 3 NBC press release (January 12, 2016). "Ted Danson and Kristen Bell Join Cast of Michael Schur's New NBC Comedy "Good Place"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "NBC Sets Fall Premiere Dates, Gives 'Good Place' a Choice Preview Slot" from The Hollywood Reporter (June 15, 2016)
  3. ↑ Abrams, Natalie (May 15, 2016). "NBC fall trailers: Timeless, This is Us, The Good Place". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  4. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 11, 2016). "'Good Place' NBC Comedy Series Casts William Jackson Harper". Deadline.com. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  5. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 25, 2016). "'Good Place': British Presenter Jameela Jamil Cast In Mike Schur NBC Series". Deadline.com. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  6. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (March 14, 2016). "'Good Place': UCB Performer D'Arcy Carden Cast In Mike Schur NBC Series". Deadline.com. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  7. ↑ Petski, Denise (March 3, 2016). "'Good Place' NBC Comedy Series Casts Manny Jacinto; Julie Goldman Joins ABC's Weeks/Mackay Project". Deadline.com. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
  8. ↑ http://www.avclub.com/article/adam-scott-ascending-good-place-multiple-episodes-244626
  9. ↑ "The Good Place Is Unlike Any Network Comedy You've Ever Seen" from TV Guide (September 15, 2016)
  10. 1 2 3 4 Porter, Rick (September 20, 2016). "Monday final ratings: 'Big Bang Theory' and 'Gotham' adjust up, 'Kevin' and 'Good Place' hold". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  11. 1 2 Porter, Rick (September 23, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Superstore' and 'Good Place' adjust up, 'Notorious' adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  12. 1 2 Porter, Rick (September 30, 2016). "Thursday final ratings: 'Superstore' and 'The Good Place' adjust up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  13. 1 2 Porter, Rick (October 7, 2016). "'Superstore' adjusts up, 'Grey's' and ABC adjust down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  14. 1 2 Porter, Rick (October 14, 2016). "'Notorious' adjusts down, final NFL numbers: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  15. 1 2 Porter, Rick (October 21, 2016). "'The Good Place' and 'Legends of Tomorrow' adjust up: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  16. 1 2 Porter, Rick (October 28, 2016). "'The Good Place' and 'Chicago Med' adjust up, 'Pure Genius,' other CBS shows adjust down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  17. 1 2 Porter, Rick (November 4, 2016). "'Big Bang Theory,' 'How to Get Away' adjust up, 'Great Indoors' and NBC adjust down: Thursday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  18. 1 2 "The Good Place - Episode Guide". Zap2it. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  19. ↑ http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2016/01/12/ted-danson-and-kristen-bell-join-cast-of-michael-schurs-new-nbc-comedy-good-place-202113/20160112nbc03/
  20. ↑ http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2016/02/11/development-update-thursday-february-11-785302/11625/
  21. ↑ http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2016/02/25/development-update-thursday-february-25-417314/11638/
  22. ↑ http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2016/03/14/development-update-monday-march-14-47110/11656/
  23. ↑ "How Will NBC's 'The Good Place' Tackle Religion?" from The Hollywood Reporter (September 15, 2016)
  24. ↑ "‘The Good Place’ Boss Mike Schur: The Model in My Head is ‘Lost’" from Variety (August 16, 2016)
  25. ↑ "The Good Place (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  26. ↑ "The Good Place: Season 1 reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 2, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Our 10 Most Anticipated New TV Shows of Fall 2016" from TV Guide (September 16, 2016)
  28. 1 2 3 Porter, Rick (October 4, 2016). "'Designated Survivor' is your premiere week DVR champion: Broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  29. ↑ Porter, Rick (October 11, 2016). "'Designated Survivor' posts more big DVR gains: Broadcast Live +7 ratings for Sept. 26-Oct. 2". Tv by the Numbers. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  30. ↑ Porter, Rick (October 19, 2016). "Rich get richer as 'Empire,' 'Big Bang,' 'Designated Survivor' lead broadcast Live +7 ratings for Oct. 3-9". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  31. ↑ Porter, Rick (October 27, 2016). "'This Is Us,' 'Big Bang,' 'Designated Survivor' lead broadcast Live +7 ratings for Oct. 10-16". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  32. ↑ Porter, Rick (November 4, 2016). "'This Is Us' and 'Agents of SHIELD' score in broadcast Live +7 ratings for Oct. 17-23". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  33. ↑ Porter, Rick (November 10, 2016). "'This Is Us,' 'Designated Survivor' stay on top in broadcast Live +7 ratings for Oct. 24-30". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  34. ↑ Porter, Rick (November 17, 2016). "13 shows double, 'This Is Us' & 'Big Bang' lead broadcast Live +7 ratings for Oct. 31-Nov. 6". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 17, 2016.

External links

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