Schur strikes again: NBC’s ‘The Good Place’ is the perfect show to follow ‘Parks and Recreation’

Mike Schur is a name most television fans will know and hold close to their heart. The man has produced hit after hit, and yet every show is like a shiny new toy.

With shows across various network platforms such as Netflix, Fox and NBC, Schur is quite possibly one of the only people that can bring peace to the menacing world of TV.

In his first stint as a producer, “The Office” was a smashing success, to say the least. Then came a brigade of hit shows which people of all ages love and cherish, such as “Parks and Recreation,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Master of None.” After Lorne Michaels, Schur is the godfather of saving the careers of “Saturday Night Live” alumni.

While most of Schur’s shows are widely known and have been hailed as some of the most creatively crafted works on TV, one of his most recent shows flew under the radar. NBC’s “The Good Place” is Schur’s latest show. Its first season premiered last year, but didn’t create a lot of buzz until it was available on Netflix last month.

With a great mix of veteran actors like Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, as well as some fresh new faces, this show is on the right track to be a hit going into season two.

One of the most significant aspects that made “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” cult hits was the cast. In spite of never having put a person of color in the lead, Schur’s casts are pretty diverse.

The same trend is followed in “The Good Place” as Kristen Bell takes the lead, and supporting characters include a Pakistani-born British philanthropist, an ethics professor from Senegal and a Filipino wannabe DJ from Florida. And the casting for these characters is unique and incredibly perfect.

“The Good Place” follows a different format, too. All these shows, with the exception of “Master of None,” are set in a kind of a work environment. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” too, is set in a police station.

“The Good Place” shakes things up by being set in a nondenominational version of heaven, hence called the “The Good Place.” This show can be considered a breakthrough in Schur’s creations since its conception is out of this world. Literally.

Its theme of the afterlife does make “The Good Place” a much more dramatic show than the others mentioned. While Jim and Pam’s turbulent relationship or Leslie’s loss to Bobby Newport may have been some of the more dramatic aspects of Schur’s previous shows, this one explores life and death and what is the fundamental meaning of “being good.” Watching the show after a philosophy class is highly recommended because it will make you rethink life itself.

And yet it manages to stay lighthearted and humorous. The jokes are original and extremely relevant to pop culture today. This is one of the funniest shows in a while. But the best part about this show is that it keeps you on your toes.

With every episode you watch, you want to know what happens in the next. You’ll be able to binge-watch the show in under a few days and not feel bad about doing so. While it may get tedious to drag through the show, sit tight because the first season finale has plot twists almost as good as “Game of Thrones.”

So get watching, because we may have found a new cult hit.

Malvika Randive is a sophomore psychology major. Her column appears weekly in Pulp. She can be reached at mnrandiv@syr.edu.