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Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears
I come to rec this programme, and to praise it.
I need to make an important announcement: Netflix TV programme, now also just started on E4, The Good Place is a sitcom. I repeat, The Good Place is a sitcom, a series of 22 minute comic episodes about a bunch of people in an amusing situation. Starring Ted Danson (you'd think that would give it away).
Those of you who have seen it may think this is obvious, but no! Over the last year or so quite a few places/people have tried to rec The Good Place to me, but did any one of them do so by saying "It's a light-hearted sitcom that will raise a smile on a December evening?" They did not. No. It got recced to me as a thought-provoking programme about philosophy and ethics, possibly the most off-putting thing that you could tell me about a mainstream US drama beyond "a heart-warming tale of Mormon family life."* I know what US TV does with philosophy and ethics: I've seen House, and again and again thought "There's definitely standard clinical practice for that conundrum."** Give the babies one potential cure each and observe, FFS! Also the Faculty of Philosophy are downstairs in my office building and the last people I'd take philosophical and ethical advice from.***
Finally my sister asked me why I wasn't watching it. It's funny! she told me. It has Ted Danson in it and he's really good. It's a sitcom!
Reader, I watched it and I recommend it. It is a sitcom, it's well-put together, and it's very funny. Contrary to this (impressively spoiler-free) article you won't learn a thing from it to improve you as a human being. But hopefully you'll have 22 minutes of enjoyment.
*I tell a lie, I'd watch that for the cultural interest, at least if it were really well-acted.
**Not to mention "And just let House and Wilson get together." Now I want a House/The Good Place crossover.
***I was going to elaborate, but then I'd have to lock the post.
NB I'm up to episode 3 of series 2. No spoilers, please!
I come to rec this programme, and to praise it.
I need to make an important announcement: Netflix TV programme, now also just started on E4, The Good Place is a sitcom. I repeat, The Good Place is a sitcom, a series of 22 minute comic episodes about a bunch of people in an amusing situation. Starring Ted Danson (you'd think that would give it away).
Those of you who have seen it may think this is obvious, but no! Over the last year or so quite a few places/people have tried to rec The Good Place to me, but did any one of them do so by saying "It's a light-hearted sitcom that will raise a smile on a December evening?" They did not. No. It got recced to me as a thought-provoking programme about philosophy and ethics, possibly the most off-putting thing that you could tell me about a mainstream US drama beyond "a heart-warming tale of Mormon family life."* I know what US TV does with philosophy and ethics: I've seen House, and again and again thought "There's definitely standard clinical practice for that conundrum."** Give the babies one potential cure each and observe, FFS! Also the Faculty of Philosophy are downstairs in my office building and the last people I'd take philosophical and ethical advice from.***
Finally my sister asked me why I wasn't watching it. It's funny! she told me. It has Ted Danson in it and he's really good. It's a sitcom!
Reader, I watched it and I recommend it. It is a sitcom, it's well-put together, and it's very funny. Contrary to this (impressively spoiler-free) article you won't learn a thing from it to improve you as a human being. But hopefully you'll have 22 minutes of enjoyment.
*I tell a lie, I'd watch that for the cultural interest, at least if it were really well-acted.
**Not to mention "And just let House and Wilson get together." Now I want a House/The Good Place crossover.
***I was going to elaborate, but then I'd have to lock the post.
NB I'm up to episode 3 of series 2. No spoilers, please!