This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
"The Good Place" (9 and 9:30 p.m., NBC/Ch. 5) is one of this season's most surprising new shows. And a very pleasant surprise at that.
Kristen Bell ("Veronica Mars") stars in this comedy as Eleanor Shellstrop, a woman who recently died and has gone to heaven. Well, heaven-ish. She's gone to, yes, "The Good Place."
She's greeted there by Michael (Ten Danson, "Cheers"), a well-meaning angel (well, angel-ish) who's the architect of The Good Place. Only Eleanor has been been confused with a different Eleanor Shellstrop and she doesn't belong there.
Basically, this Eleanor was kind of a terrible person before her untimely death. (A hilarious death, as described by Michael.)
In The Good Place, the really good people get to live for eternity with the soul mates. Eleanor comes clean to her soulmate (well, the other Eleanor's soulmate), Chidi (William Jackson Harper), and talks him into trying to make her into a good person.
That's important, because her presence in The Good Place causes all sorts of problems. Really funny problems.
I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say that "The Good Place" doesn't go the way you think it will. And that it's a delight.
I've seen five episodes. Once I started watching, I couldn't stop. This show is offbeat, but it's definitely worth checking out.
(Another episode airs Thursday at 7:30 p.m. — the show's regular timeslot — on NBC/Ch. 5.)