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Created by Michael Schur, The Good Place debuted in 2016. It’s like someone dared to mash up philosophy class, fantasy, and a sitcom, then just ran with it. Here, people land in what looks like heaven, but, you know, everything’s a little… off. The jokes are off, and the existential dread is funny. Plus, The Good Place sneaks in all this deep stuff about ethics and redemption.
In The Good Place, you’ve got Eleanor, who’s a hot mess and knows she doesn’t belong in this so-called paradise. Then there’s Chidi, the human embodiment of an ethics textbook meltdown, Jason the dim-witted DJ, and Tahani, who could probably humblebrag her way out of a paper bag.
They’re all stumbling through the afterlife, aka The Good Place, asking big questions about what it even means to be decent, and the show doesn’t let anyone off easy.
The reason The Good Place hits different is because it manages to sneak Kant and utilitarianism into punchlines, and somehow, you don’t even want to skip the ethics lesson.
So, if you’re still mourning the end of The Good Place and want more shows that mess with your brain (in a good way), make you laugh, and maybe get you thinking about being a better person, we’ve got you.
Here are 10 other sitcoms that capture that same magic as The Good Place—witty, thoughtful, packed with lovable disasters, and guaranteed to scratch that itch. Stick around for the list; maybe you’ll find your next obsession.
10 shows like The Good Place
Community
Community is just pure chaos in the best possible way, like The Good Place. It features a bunch of total randos thrown together at Greendale Community College. You’ve got Jeff Winger, this smooth-talking ex-lawyer who’s more interested in flirting with Britta than actually studying. He ropes a bunch of oddballs into a Spanish study group, except nobody’s really there to learn Spanish.
There’s Abed, who might be living inside a movie 24/7. Troy, the ex-jock who’s way funnier than he thinks. Shirley, the mom who could bake you cookies and then guilt-trip you into attending church. Annie’s the over-caffeinated try-hard, Pierce has more money than sense, and Señor Chang…well, that dude’s just unhinged.
But underneath all that meta-joking and parody madness, there’s actually some real heart. So if you loved The Good Place, you must give Community a try.
Release: Premiered September 17, 2009
Finale: June 2, 2015
Seasons: 6
Episodes: 110
Where to watch: Originally on NBC (first five seasons) and Yahoo! Screen (final season).
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation is Michael Schur’s love letter to weird small-town government nonsense. There's Leslie Knope, who’s caffeine in human form, running around Pawnee’s Parks Department trying to make everything better.
Her boss, Ron Swanson, is the ultimate bacon-loving libertarian, somehow surviving on meat and scowls. Then there’s Andy, who’s a golden retriever in human skin, and April, who’s allergic to enthusiasm but still weirdly lovable.
The show’s shot like a mockumentary, so you get all those awkward glances into the camera and people muttering under their breath. It’s got this perfect mix of goofball humor and weirdly touching moments, like The Good Place.
Release: Premiered April 9, 2009
Finale: February 24, 2015
Seasons: 7
Episodes: 125
Where to watch: Originally on NBC.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
With Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Michael Schur strikes again. The show features a bunch of lovable characters running around a Brooklyn police precinct, led by Jake Peralta, who’s a grown-up kid with a badge and a killer Die Hard obsession.
There's Captain Holt, who’s so deadpan he makes statues look expressive, Rosa being an absolute awe-inspiring cop, and Gina... honestly, Gina’s just living on her own planet.
The best part is that this show somehow manages to crack you up with one-liners and absurd hijinks, but then sneaks in sharp commentary on racial profiling or LGBTQ+ issues, and it does it without ever feeling preachy.
Plus, the squad has this chemistry that makes you want to hang out with them, just like The Good Place.
Release: Premiered September 17, 2013
Finale: September 16, 2021
Seasons: 8
Episodes: 153
Where to watch: Originally on Fox (seasons 1–5), then NBC (seasons 6–8)
Schitt’s Creek
Schitt’s Creek is about this filthy rich family, the Roses, who get wrecked by life and end up broke in a tiny dump of a town called... Schitt’s Creek. They literally bought the place as a joke back when they were loaded. Now, you’ve got Johnny, his wife Moira, who’s a walking melodrama in a wig, and their adult kids, David and Alexis, who’ve never worked a real day in their lives.
They stick out like sore thumbs in this weird little town, but they start to get their act together. The writing’s sharp, the characters are lovable disasters, and the show deserves all the hype for how it handled LGBTQ+ storylines seamlessly.
If you liked the warm fuzzies and weird humor of The Good Place, you’ll be cackling through Schitt’s Creek.
Release: Premiered January 13, 2015
Finale: April 7, 2020
Seasons: 6
Episodes: 80
Where to watch: Originally on CBC (Canada) and Pop TV (USA)
Fleabag
Fleabag features Phoebe Waller-Bridge cracking open her brain and pouring it onto the screen. You’ve got this messy, hilarious, heartbreakingly honest woman stumbling through London, juggling her disasters.
She stares straight into the camera, spilling all the juicy, awkward, cringeworthy details. The jokes are sharp enough to leave a mark, but then suddenly you’re rethinking your own life choices because the show cuts deep. In all the chaos, it nails what it feels like to be lonely and messed up.
If The Good Place gave you an existential crisis or made you laugh-cry, Fleabag is basically the next level.
Release: Premiered July 21, 2016 (BBC Three)
Finale: April 8, 2019
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 12
Where to watch: BBC Three (UK), Amazon Prime Video (internationally)
30 Rock
Tina Fey cooked up this sitcom and then starred in it herself. The show takes you backstage at this bonkers sketch show called “TGS with Tracy Jordan,” and it’s just a mess. You’ve got Liz Lemon (that’s Tina), who’s trying to wrangle her over-the-top boss, Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), plus Tracy Jordan, who’s basically a human tornado, and a bunch of truly weird coworkers.
The jokes come at you so fast you may need to pause and rewind just to catch all the ridiculousness. They’ll break the fourth wall and parody their own network. But somehow, there are real, sweet moments tucked in there, too.
If The Good Place made you all sentimental about life and the afterlife or whatever, 30 Rock’s gonna give you a new kind of comfort.
Release: Premiered October 11, 2006
Finale: January 31, 2013
Seasons: 7
Episodes: 139
Where to watch: Originally on NBC
The Office (US or UK)
The Office has two versions. You’ve got the OG UK version with Ricky Gervais acting like the king of cringe, and then there’s the US one, which basically took over the world. Both are shot like some weird documentary where the camera crew just refuses to leave these people alone.
The US version is set in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Michael Scott is running the circus, and the whole office is overflowing with characters you’ll probably recognize from your own job. People love this show because it’s equal parts painfully awkward and weirdly heartwarming.
If you binged The Good Place, now you can just fire up The Office.
The Office (US):
Release: Premiered March 24, 2005
Finale: May 16, 2013
Seasons: 9
Episodes: 201
Where to watch: NBC, later streaming platforms
The Office (UK):
Release: Premiered July 9, 2001
Finale: December 27, 2003
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 12 (+2 Christmas specials)
Where to watch: BBC
Modern Family
Modern Family is like your awkward family reunion, but with way better writing. You’ve got the Pritchetts, Dunphys, and Tucker-Pritchetts, all tangled up in LA, trying (and usually failing) to keep it together.
The show just nails all that messy stuff—parenting fails, relationship drama, weird family traditions—but somehow keeps it hilarious without getting all didactic.
Plus, the cast is total gold. No shocker, it snagged a truckload of Emmys. So, if you’re still mourning the end of The Good Place, Modern Family’s just waiting to fill that sitcom-shaped hole in your heart.
Release: Premiered September 23, 2009
Finale: April 8, 2020
Seasons: 11
Episodes: 250
Where to watch: Originally on ABC
Pushing Daisies
If you want to know about Pushing Daisies, imagine a pie maker—Ned—who can literally bring the dead back to life just by poking them. However, a second touch will kill them again, permanently. He teams up with this private investigator, and together they’re out here solving murders, straight-up interrogating corpses for clues.
Visually, the thing’s a candy store explosion with bright colors. It also has this storybook, fairy godmother narration thing going on. It has everything from romance, mystery, and humor, and it will definitely fill The Good Place-shaped hole in your heart.
Release: Premiered October 3, 2007
Finale: June 13, 2009
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 22
Where to watch: Originally on ABC
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is an offbeat musical comedy-drama about Rebecca Bunch. She is a high-powered lawyer, but with a giant question mark hovering over her happiness. One day, she just snaps, ditches New York, and lands in West Covina, California, chasing after her old high school boyfriend.
What sets this show apart is that it has original songs. A lot of them. And they’re not just there for show—these tunes dig deep into stuff like love, and mental health, all while making you laugh and wince at the same time.
If you finished The Good Place and you’re missing that weird, smart comedy vibe that also makes you think about your life choices, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is basically your next obsession.
Release: Premiered October 12, 2015
Finale: April 5, 2019
Seasons: 4
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Episodes: 62
Where to Watch: Originally on The CW
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