Quality comedy is in a ‘Good Place’ on NBC
Kristen Bell (“House of Lies”) plays a young woman named Eleanor who gets hit and killed by a tractor-trailer within the first few moments of the pilot.
Eleanor is one of the lucky ones because she’s done good things in her life, working to win release for innocent people condemned to death row.
There’s no question that he and NBC are taking a chance with this tangy fantasy froth, but the necessary elements for a successful comedy are there, including the chemistry between Danson and Bell.
Danson, of course, is one of the most versatile actors in TV.
Whether his character is essentially good or evil, he can play off a genial exterior personality to perfection.
The one danger of a high-concept comedy like “The Good Place” is figuring out how to keep the story going once we get the setup.
David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle and co-host of “The Do List” every Friday morning at 6:22 and 8:22 on KQED FM, 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento.
Two-episode premiere, special day and time, 10 p.m. Monday, before moving to its regular time slot, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, on NBC.