The Good Place and the Sitcom That Was Allowed to Think
Why NBC bet on a network comedy about death, ethics and the afterlife, and why it paid off.
By Gabriel Lugo Barrera
The Good Place is a network sitcom that both breaks and reworks classic sitcom tropes. To judge its writing and production fairly, we first have to talk about the relationship between NBC and the show's creator, Michael Schur.
If the name doesn't ring a bell, the shows under his belt will. He wrote and produced The Office, created Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine with his writing partners, and executive produced Master of None. Most of them share one thing: workplace comedy, with memorable characters who come to life in one key location. Over years of hits, Schur earned something rare in network television: trust. So when it came time for his next show, NBC let him follow his gut. And Schur had different plans. Having already made great workplace comedies, he wanted to prove to others, and to himself, that he could make something completely different but just as funny. That's how The Good Place started.
What sets it apart from his other sitcoms is its high concept and its focus on plot. Fans of The Office loved the status quo and resisted any new character or plot point that shifted familiar dynamics. When you comfort watch, you rarely want change or challenge. The Good Place, on the other hand, immediately drops you into morally gray dilemmas and heavy subjects like death and the afterlife, and somehow keeps it all lighthearted and funny. These are subjects most networks avoid at all costs so they don't divide their audience. NBC clearly trusted Schur and the audience he attracts, not only by picking the show up but by letting it end on its own terms after four seasons.
That's how it got made. Another secret to its success is the cast, a mix of established stars and fresh faces. Ted Danson and Kristen Bell are the heavy hitters, and without them the show would have struggled, both in the ratings and in the network's confidence. Danson and Bell share two things. Like the network, they trust and admire Schur's projects and work ethic. More than that, each brought a moral curiosity that let them be genuinely moved by the show's central theme: ethics. You heard that right. This is a network sitcom about philosophy.
This is where the production team stands out from most network crews. They found clear, accessible ways to convey challenging ideas that make you think. You know, the opposite of most network series. They brought paradise to life through CGI and incredible set design, and one of their hardest jobs was bouncing between the afterlife and planet Earth. That's where they prove they're just as creative as the writers. Blink and you'll miss the small visual callbacks to earlier episodes. The attention to detail is immersive, from relatable settings like an apartment or a university square to otherworldly, yet accessible, sets for the Good Place itself. Los Angeles residents may even recognize some of the real locations.
As a writer, I always return to the concept and the intention behind a show, and I don't think I'll ever see one quite like this: a sitcom that constantly pushes its plot forward and isn't afraid of heavy subjects. It's a series about what makes us human, and about the choices our morals and ethics guide us to make. It takes the idea of being the best version of yourself for the people around you and makes it entertaining and accessible, comforting you while it challenges your beliefs. Listen to the show's podcast and you can tell everybody loved working there. It was clearly a collaborative effort, but we all have one person to thank for bringing it to life: Michael Schur.
