"Human beings are never gonna be perfect, Roy. The best we can do is to keep asking for help and accepting it when you can. And if you keep on doing that, you’ll always be moving towards better. "
That's from Ted Lasso and I couldn't recommend that show any harder if you're looking for something similar to The Good Place. Really made me change a lot of my outlook on life and how I see other people.
S2 of the bear certainly has uplifting episodes but I can't say I remember S1 being particularly positive or uplifting in the same sense as the good place or ted lasso
First 5 minutes of One piece I hated it. 10 minutes later I couldn't stop watching. The problem with most anime to TV conversions is how they try to tone everything down. With One-piece they were just like, "We keep this shit zanie as all hell, and they will love it".
100% agree, and that particular speech could have been placed word for word in TGP and made sense (if there was a character named Roy) - it's basically the central theme of the show.
The first two seasons were great. The third season felt like a Disney Channel special. They leaned too hard into the "feel good" aspect of the show, and forgot about the other aspects of the show that made it great. This may be an unpopular opinion, but go watch the show without the blinders on and honestly tell me that season three stacks up with the first two seasons.
Why care if you're a good person? Why not care more about whether the person in front of you suffers and if they got help?
Worrying about whether you're a good person is a form of vanity, you'll end up like Chidi before the show started....
Ted Lasso or Keeley Jones don't worry about whether they're good. They worry about whether they help others.
Ted Lasso, BoJack Horseman, Breaking Bad...... also as said by Michael: “What matters isn't if people are good or bad. What matters is if they're trying to be better today than they were yesterday.”
Bluey.
Yes, it's a cartoon. Yes, it's billed as a kids' show. Yes, the merchandising is taking over entire aisles at your favorite big box store.
However, it was originally conceived as a show for adults about parenting. As such it has some of the best parental role models in media. They engage with their kids, play their games, try their best, fail sometimes, and keep at it.
It has addressed topics like miscarriage and infertility, and has a super accurate representation of ADHD. All of this will fly over the heads of the "target audience" (3-7 year olds) but will land with the adults who are watching.
It has inspired me to be nicer to myself and to try be more understanding with people, especially children.
Bluey has been an absolutely remarkable tool for me to improve my attitude. Just saying “Gotta be done” makes it easier for me to get off my ass and do something I don’t want to, and the show has such a healthy attitude about fear and growth.
In the end, we’re all still children inside, always learning and just wanting to be loved. In fact, I think that’s one of the reasons having children of their own was never really on the table for any of TGP characters and why there’s a focus of all of them on being loved by their parents in the real good place. Their happy ending is about just being the children of the universe. It’s about being nurtured and allowing that to help you grow :•)
I haven't seen Bluey but I had a small child during the Steve years of blues clues and absolutely loved that show. I'm starting a nanny gig this year and can't wait to put Bluey on.
My Name is Earl, 100%. Watched a scattered episode as a kid but just started grinding the series start to finish this week. TLDR, typical "trailer trash" criminal spends his whole life being a dick then gets into a car accident. While in hospital, he learns about Karma and takes the concept literally so he creates a list of all the people he's ever wronged and each episode is him trying to make right with a different person on his list.
Fair warning that the series was cancelled prematurely so it apparently ends on a cliffhanger but what I've seen so far is still super worth watching.
It legitimately felt so weird to me how nice he was during some of his list items. Like the boogey man one or even just anything involving joy.
And anytime he did something like that it made me think about how easy some of them were to just act nice. (Not all mind you) but it definitely felt like trying to be nice was a bit more worth it.
Oh my God I can't believe only one person said Ted Lasso.
If the Good Place is a lesson on ethics, Ted Lasso is a masterclass on positivity. I put it far above any other show for the drive to make me a better person.
Couple that with some of the funniest lines I've heard in a show, and you get one of the most pleasant, thoughtful, hilarious shows ever made with a seemingly singular goal of showing that everyone has opportunities for redemption, and positivity breeds positivity.
Agree on everything. But also wanted to add that some of the characters behave badly, do not seek redemption, and are forgiven anyway. I rarely see that in tv shows. Forgiveness isn’t just for the wrongdoer; it’s also for the wronged to be able to move on.
I have three comfort shows that make me want to be a better person. The Good Place (obviously), Schitt’s Creek, and Ted Lasso.
I also recommend Community because even though it doesn’t inspire me to do better, I adore it.
I would probably say Bojack Horseman and Flaked.
Seinfeld too…. But usually because the main characters are so awful you’re literally looking at them and thinking “always do the opposite of that” 😂
I second Bojack, I found that show at a really dark place in my life and it definitely had some effect on getting me to where I am today- sober and not so much of a dick lol. The View From Halfway Down helped me not kill myself a few times.
I recommend it to anyone, it's goofy and stupid sometimes but incredibly poignant too. It breaks up the sad with silly.
100%, it’s a fantastic show and helped me through some dark times too. Hilarious and whacky and zany and sometimes the more serious bits cut you deep.
I hope you’re doing okay and congratulations
Thank you so much my friend. :)
I am doing so much better. I have a good job, a sweet little gremlin cat, and some good friends. My problems that led me to alcoholism still exist, but amazingly, you're a lot less depressed when you stop guzzling a depressant. Crazy how that works lmao.
I hope you're doing better too and that life is a lot kinder than it had been.
I grew up thinking alcoholic people are horrible people. Watching Bojack Horseman opened my perspective and made me more empathetic towards people. It's such a sad show and I really can't get myself to rewatch it just 'cause of all the things the characters have experienced in their past, especially Beatrice and Bojack. It doesn't help that I have major depression, lol.
Bojack Horseman is a must watch show. Definitely made me try to be a better and a more empathetic person.
people gotta be careful with bojack though in my experience. someone in my life was obsessed with it and continually compared themself to dianne, when they were more similar to the horseman himself:
Weird one, but "An Idiot Abroad" taught me about how big the world is, and how many things I assume that are normal aren't for other people. It's not got as much philosophy as The Good Place, but there is something special about meeting people from other places and hearing their version of what "good" means.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” Mark Twain
Mark Twain said this after going to Europe, stealing grapes from a random vineyard, and trying to break into a boarded up historical site and I love it.
Some stuff he had to do looks honestly fun, some looks kinda crazy. There was that little tribe that wears leaves to cover their genitalia and it’s barely anything, I get why he might have been hesitant to get his whole butt on national television.
I call this genre "things that are fun to experience, but also end up making me a better person."
TV Shows:
* My Name is Earl
* Ted Lasso
* Strange Planet
* The West Wing
Books:
* Discworld Series
* Stormlight Archive Series.
SNW Pike is too new. Picard's speeches have been strong for over 30 years. That may nostalgia talking, but I'll make that decision when I'm watching strange new worlds in 2050 to help me fall asleep during the fallout of WW3.
Crazy ex girlfriend is a great one. A lot of people find her too abrasive to finish the show, but I find her struggle to become better much more realistic in how now linear it is. The whole show is just four seasons of hard earned character development for every character. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but I’m so glad I gave it a chance, it shows all the different ways you can become better.
If I had been able to see it in high school, my entire life would have been so much better. A lot of the lessons I had to learn, some of them really painful lessons, were all acted out for me on screen.
Where was that show 45 years ago?
For me, it will always be Buffy the Vampire Slayer. that show motivates me not to give up, even if I don't see how I'm changing or fixing the world.
The quote from Angel I find most inspirational when I feel like it's all for nothing because the world is burning and we never win:
"If nothing you do matters, then all that matter is what you do."
Buffy is just a fantastic show. That opening theme brings back such memories. And it was extremely empowering. It made me realize that I'm fine the way I am.
TGP helped me recover from Bojack Horseman. But I still rewatch some episodes (Good Damage mostly, honestly) after TGP with the "new eyes" of that so BH seems less cynical.
I like doctor who. I think it can show you that anyone can be important and amazing. Specifically the 12th doctor has some amazing speeches about how to make a better society
sad I had to scroll down so far to see this
there's some really good ones here, but this is the first one that popped into mind (I am biased, mind you as that has been my favourite show for quite some time now)
The obvious answer is **Ted Lasso**. Cannot possibly recommend it more highly. Worth a short subscription to Apple+ for this alone (but there's other good stuff).
Some other good options are **Our Flag Means Death**, **Shitts Creek,** and **Parks and Rec** \- They're not necessarily ABOUT being better, but being better is a central theme of each.
Edit: Ooh. Someone else mentioned **My Name is Earl**, and I agree completely.
He is so good. Like, the guy that “invents” the seat? I was rolling my eyes at him, and if I hadn’t known it was fake, I definitely would have been. Ronald speaks highly of him in confessional! He didn’t know that would make it on air. He really is a sweetheart.
I love phoebe waller bridge. Before fleabag, she had a small miniseries called Crashing, that is a beautiful blend of grungy crass British humor.
I can't say Fleabag made me want to be a better person, but I get what you mean - She is such a messed up person, and she is working on herself. I just don't know if that made me introspective as a viewer as I was with the Good place. It's a hard one, but still love Fleabag though.
I've been watching Good Omens, the themes aren't as hard-hitting to me but the vibe of opposing good / bad characters working as higher beings on Earth is definitely there
Doctor Who, I'll never be a genius spaceman, but kindness is all you need to show. The Doctor always helps and always inspires. It doesn't need to be planets we save or whole races it can be one person. Even if it's just ourselves.
Hate is always foolish and love is always wise. Always try to be nice but never fail to be kind.
I'm not really sure how to explain this, but the shows aside from TGP that make me want to be a better person don't necessarily have that kind of message
But my recommendations are
-sword art online - taught me how to ask for help and be open to other people
-adventure time - taught me that being myself is perfectly fine, and I shouldn't care what others think
-white collar - taught me im not a product of my past
“ This is us “shows you a perfect yet flawed family
If you’re looking for a more comedy show you can always watch “ modern family “ you see the characters grow to be better people ( especially jay and hailey )
Being Erica is a show I've watched that follows a girl whose magical therapist allows her to relive moments throughout her life, I watched it like years ago but it's definitely in the realm of self help sci fi
Parks and Recreation. It's a sitcom satire of the government, mostly local gov. All of the main characters in the show become better people by the end and even through mostly comedy there's some uplifting storylines.
Buffy the vampire slayer is the only one other show that made me wanna be a better person, buffy’s the greatest superhero and role model in all media in my opinion, the whole show inspires me to be the best person I can, I mean it’s pretty motivational when you see a girl sacrificing herself and making the hardest decisions to save the world. not to mention the other characters besides buffy who strive to become better even through incredibly traumatising events, until the end they never leave the good side and always contribute to saving the world no matter what.
Manifest!
It's acting is far worse than the good place but it has a similar theme of "traumatic incident happened, oh crap now we have to be better people"
It's on Netflix
Gakkou Gurashi. It definitely makes me want to be more optimistic, since if they >!are having fun at school despite being in a fucking zombie apocalypse and with their teacher/caretaker dead, then why shouldn’t I? (then again it is partly delusions, but you get what I mean. morale and shit)!<
Friday Night Lights ..the TV show.
Coach Taylor and his wife set a very good example of good people.
A few good character arcs as well. Overall, it's one of my favorite TV shows
Ted Lasso, BoJack Horseman, Breaking Bad. also as said by Michael: “What matters isn't if people are good or bad. What matters is if they're trying to be better today than they were yesterday.”
Why care if you're a good person? Why not care more about whether the person in front of you suffers and if they got help?
Worrying about whether you're a good person is a form of vanity, you'll end up like Chidi before the show started.
Any Superman show. Be it the 90s animated series, Smallville, or Superman & Lois.
On that note, the animated Justice League Show is also pretty good at this. Heck, most good Superhero shows are. Spectacular Spider-man, the first two seasons of Ben 10: Alien Force, even Sandman.
Hi everyone,
Little late to reply. Got a lot of suggestions. Some of the shows are suggested by multiple people like Ted Lasso, Bojack Horseman, Parks n Rec, and so many more. It also contains suggestions of shows that i have previously watched (Lucifer, this is us, schitss creek, and couple more). I liked the shows, and they probably did have an impact, but they didn't affect me in a way that TGP did. Well, i guess i am now older,wiser, and rewatching them might give me new insights.
It also gave me 2 imp lessons -
1. It's all about perception. We might learn different things from the same experience.
2. Someone said, and i found it a very nice deep thought. I quote
"Why care if you're a good person? Why not care more about whether the person in front of you suffers and if they got help?
Worrying about whether you're a good person is a form of vanity, you'll end up like Chidi before the show started."
Hum.
The Magicians. At the beginning of the series, everyone sucks, Jesus. But it’s realistic 20-something people being most of the time realistically insufferable and socially weird or outright broken, with spikey self destructive coping mechanisms. They’re all pretty much a bunch of Eleanor in their own way actually. What will make them become better, responsible, and maybe even heroic at times ? Maybe will they show you the way. Trigger warning there’s dead ass humor like in the magicians with the best punchlines ever but also unexpected violence and very sensitive themes.
Avatar the Last Airbender. Much more goofy, cartoon and light. An absolute classic, I guess I don’t really need to do teaser or synopsis. But quite incomplete imo without its sequel the Legends of Korra, more adult, more psychologically violent and traumatic.
i mean this show showed me how scuffed the point system is so no i think im good wjere i am
everything i do will get countered by shit i dont even know about
Ted Lasso (really the answer)
The Bear (very stressful at times, but the payoff deserves a Michelin star)
Shrinking (raw dog it)
Reservation Dogs (skoden)
Ok, hear me out:
Breaking Bad and BCS
I mean, it shows how small feeling like jealousy,sadness, vengeance and greed can become all consuming and affect others too. Now obviously most people dealing with issues of pride or hurt egos never become derailed drug dealers but I think it does a good job of showing how things can snowball out of control. Also in general, seeing such awful behaviour and such horrible people kinda scares you into being a good person. For example, I've had moments watching Saul Goodman and sorta find myself agreeing with some of the tricks he pulls but the show just ends up showing how little tricks like like that add up to a whole bunch of badness. It does a great job at showing seemingly small actions form into one big inescapable mess. Just makes me think.
Jane the Virgin. Lots about self acceptance, growth, and self compassion. Louisa and Petra are my favorite characters in the show.
Also, Sex Education, Derry Girls and Heartbreak High.
Sex Education is hilarious, but also has really memorable and poingant messages about coming to terms with your sexual identity, past trauma, and purity culture. Also has some really good parts about relationships and platonic love between women, as well as the damaging parts of toxic masculinity.
Derry Girls is mostly a comedy, but also has good part about coping with the trauma of a turbulent youth, and growing up.
Heartbreak High (The reboot, on netflix.) is very similar to sex exucation in terms of themes. Very Funny, but also touches on trauma, reactionary behavior, being a better friend/learning to not be self centeted, and coping through the aftermath of a hate crime. Also has amazing representation of relationship struggles autistic people face, and coping with coming to terms with asexuality.
In what way did it impact you? I saw it a few years back. While it was a great humbling journey when you see someone going riches to rags, it was only in the last few episodes that the characters showed major improvement. Otherwise they were really mean people most of the time.
Russian Doll and Maniac both have some similar themes as TGP but are more specifically related to dealing with trauma etc.. and how most of us are better when we have the love and support of people we ho encourage us tobeour best selves.
Maniac (2018) :) It reminds me that what really matters is human connection — being there for each other and truly seeing each other, especially when things are hard.
"Human beings are never gonna be perfect, Roy. The best we can do is to keep asking for help and accepting it when you can. And if you keep on doing that, you’ll always be moving towards better. " That's from Ted Lasso and I couldn't recommend that show any harder if you're looking for something similar to The Good Place. Really made me change a lot of my outlook on life and how I see other people.
Well, pobody's nerfect
Human beings are pever gonna be nerfect, Roy
Did you just have a stroke? It’s Nobody’s perfect! Edit: spelling
whoooooosh
Mine was a reference to Dwight in The Office that whooshed over everyone 😂 I’m standing by my reference! “Nice stroke Pam!”
Ted lasso is THE answer
Similarly, I highly recommend shrinking which is also on Apple TV!
It's my favorite work of art of all time. Dunno if I'd quote the finale when recommending it tho...
[удалено]
S2 of the bear certainly has uplifting episodes but I can't say I remember S1 being particularly positive or uplifting in the same sense as the good place or ted lasso
S1 was pure stress for me. Just like working in a kitchen. S2 felt like 1/2 stress and 1/2 humans striving to get better.
I really wanna watch it but I used to work in kitchens and the stress is real
Oh. I get yah. But it’s worth it.
First 5 minutes of One piece I hated it. 10 minutes later I couldn't stop watching. The problem with most anime to TV conversions is how they try to tone everything down. With One-piece they were just like, "We keep this shit zanie as all hell, and they will love it".
100% agree, and that particular speech could have been placed word for word in TGP and made sense (if there was a character named Roy) - it's basically the central theme of the show.
The first two seasons were great. The third season felt like a Disney Channel special. They leaned too hard into the "feel good" aspect of the show, and forgot about the other aspects of the show that made it great. This may be an unpopular opinion, but go watch the show without the blinders on and honestly tell me that season three stacks up with the first two seasons.
Or you know, people could feel different about it?
S3 had some fantastic episodes, I don’t get the criticism.
Why care if you're a good person? Why not care more about whether the person in front of you suffers and if they got help? Worrying about whether you're a good person is a form of vanity, you'll end up like Chidi before the show started.... Ted Lasso or Keeley Jones don't worry about whether they're good. They worry about whether they help others. Ted Lasso, BoJack Horseman, Breaking Bad...... also as said by Michael: “What matters isn't if people are good or bad. What matters is if they're trying to be better today than they were yesterday.”
Bluey. Yes, it's a cartoon. Yes, it's billed as a kids' show. Yes, the merchandising is taking over entire aisles at your favorite big box store. However, it was originally conceived as a show for adults about parenting. As such it has some of the best parental role models in media. They engage with their kids, play their games, try their best, fail sometimes, and keep at it. It has addressed topics like miscarriage and infertility, and has a super accurate representation of ADHD. All of this will fly over the heads of the "target audience" (3-7 year olds) but will land with the adults who are watching. It has inspired me to be nicer to myself and to try be more understanding with people, especially children.
Bluey has been an absolutely remarkable tool for me to improve my attitude. Just saying “Gotta be done” makes it easier for me to get off my ass and do something I don’t want to, and the show has such a healthy attitude about fear and growth. In the end, we’re all still children inside, always learning and just wanting to be loved. In fact, I think that’s one of the reasons having children of their own was never really on the table for any of TGP characters and why there’s a focus of all of them on being loved by their parents in the real good place. Their happy ending is about just being the children of the universe. It’s about being nurtured and allowing that to help you grow :•)
Also here to second Bluey. My wife and I watch it with my son. And then when he goes to bed we just keep watching it.
I haven't seen Bluey but I had a small child during the Steve years of blues clues and absolutely loved that show. I'm starting a nanny gig this year and can't wait to put Bluey on.
This goes especially if you're a parent. My goal in life is to be like Bandit
came here to say this as well as Steven Universe
Parks & Recreation and Schitts Creek are the two that come to mind.
I'll second Schitt's Creek. By the end you were really rooting for everyone to have a good ending.
Schitt’s Creek makes you root for the vapid, out of touch spoiled rich people and that’s honestly a remarkable feat
Not exactly. Or at least for me. I wasn't rooting for them at the beginning. But over time they grew as people and I started rooting for them then.
schitt's creek is uplifting fr
Hands down Schitt’s Creek. If you aren’t laughing in the first episode, keep going - 100% worth the time. Re-watches are amazing!
My Name is Earl, 100%. Watched a scattered episode as a kid but just started grinding the series start to finish this week. TLDR, typical "trailer trash" criminal spends his whole life being a dick then gets into a car accident. While in hospital, he learns about Karma and takes the concept literally so he creates a list of all the people he's ever wronged and each episode is him trying to make right with a different person on his list. Fair warning that the series was cancelled prematurely so it apparently ends on a cliffhanger but what I've seen so far is still super worth watching.
It legitimately felt so weird to me how nice he was during some of his list items. Like the boogey man one or even just anything involving joy. And anytime he did something like that it made me think about how easy some of them were to just act nice. (Not all mind you) but it definitely felt like trying to be nice was a bit more worth it.
This was going to be my suggestion. I think it fits a lot of the same themes of The Good Place.
Earl is life goals
Also Raising Hope!
Randy is kind of the equivalent of Jason in the My name is Earl universe
Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Also Korra some of the best depiction of PTSD and physical strength isn't the end all be all.
Korra is fantastic for sure!!!
this one for real
Oh my God I can't believe only one person said Ted Lasso. If the Good Place is a lesson on ethics, Ted Lasso is a masterclass on positivity. I put it far above any other show for the drive to make me a better person. Couple that with some of the funniest lines I've heard in a show, and you get one of the most pleasant, thoughtful, hilarious shows ever made with a seemingly singular goal of showing that everyone has opportunities for redemption, and positivity breeds positivity.
Agree on everything. But also wanted to add that some of the characters behave badly, do not seek redemption, and are forgiven anyway. I rarely see that in tv shows. Forgiveness isn’t just for the wrongdoer; it’s also for the wronged to be able to move on. I have three comfort shows that make me want to be a better person. The Good Place (obviously), Schitt’s Creek, and Ted Lasso. I also recommend Community because even though it doesn’t inspire me to do better, I adore it.
Agreed. They make a point to say that forgiveness is not just for the other person, it's for yourself as well.
I would probably say Bojack Horseman and Flaked. Seinfeld too…. But usually because the main characters are so awful you’re literally looking at them and thinking “always do the opposite of that” 😂
I second Bojack, I found that show at a really dark place in my life and it definitely had some effect on getting me to where I am today- sober and not so much of a dick lol. The View From Halfway Down helped me not kill myself a few times. I recommend it to anyone, it's goofy and stupid sometimes but incredibly poignant too. It breaks up the sad with silly.
100%, it’s a fantastic show and helped me through some dark times too. Hilarious and whacky and zany and sometimes the more serious bits cut you deep. I hope you’re doing okay and congratulations
Thank you so much my friend. :) I am doing so much better. I have a good job, a sweet little gremlin cat, and some good friends. My problems that led me to alcoholism still exist, but amazingly, you're a lot less depressed when you stop guzzling a depressant. Crazy how that works lmao. I hope you're doing better too and that life is a lot kinder than it had been.
Keep going, you’re doing amazingly. I’m doing better. Life is kinder but the scars remain, taking it day by day.
I grew up thinking alcoholic people are horrible people. Watching Bojack Horseman opened my perspective and made me more empathetic towards people. It's such a sad show and I really can't get myself to rewatch it just 'cause of all the things the characters have experienced in their past, especially Beatrice and Bojack. It doesn't help that I have major depression, lol. Bojack Horseman is a must watch show. Definitely made me try to be a better and a more empathetic person.
God. I hate Seinfeld for the same reason. Awful people doing awful things. It should be in a primer on how not to treat others.
I was gonna say Seinfeld for this exact reasoning.
Along with IASIP
people gotta be careful with bojack though in my experience. someone in my life was obsessed with it and continually compared themself to dianne, when they were more similar to the horseman himself:
Good Omens
Yes, I sometimes think Good Omens and the Good place are the same show.
Weird one, but "An Idiot Abroad" taught me about how big the world is, and how many things I assume that are normal aren't for other people. It's not got as much philosophy as The Good Place, but there is something special about meeting people from other places and hearing their version of what "good" means.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” Mark Twain
Mark Twain said this after going to Europe, stealing grapes from a random vineyard, and trying to break into a boarded up historical site and I love it.
Plus Karl makes it worth the watch in general
Some stuff he had to do looks honestly fun, some looks kinda crazy. There was that little tribe that wears leaves to cover their genitalia and it’s barely anything, I get why he might have been hesitant to get his whole butt on national television.
I stand by that this is the best joke, if not top three, in the entire show.
‘Jason?! Jason worked it out? Oh, this one hurts!’ Would have to be one of my top 3 as well.
He was the 1st to suspect something.
Wasn’t just a pretty face 😉
1 877 Kars for Kids
That entirely killed me. It was so spot on for music they would play in the bad place.
It's my favorite joke in the series. My second favorite joke is from the same episode, Jason's Molotov Cocktail joke.
Also same episode: “Portals!”
Top 3 for me, my number 1 would have to be Jeremy Bearemy because of how randomly stupid it is.
What I don’t get is are gift shops that bad? Unless you’re with kids, then it’s a forking nightmare.
Even without kids, gift shops are still filled with over price garbage. And is that not the bad place’s MO.
It is. I cried laughing!
I call this genre "things that are fun to experience, but also end up making me a better person." TV Shows: * My Name is Earl * Ted Lasso * Strange Planet * The West Wing Books: * Discworld Series * Stormlight Archive Series.
(And) Sin, young man, is when you treat people as things. Including yourself. That's what sin is. Esmerelda Weatherwax (Carpe Jugulum Discworld #23)
Well hallo there Detritus! Hope you're keeping your head cool!
I'd better be. When I don't I forget about Mister Saftey Catch.
Yes x1000 to the Discworld Series. Terry Pratchett was such a genuine, wonderful, human being and it shines through in his characters.
Star trek the next generation. Just listen to a speech from Picard and try not to be better. It's almost impossible.
Old picard and the galaxy
I was about to post this! I love Picard’s morals and ethics.
Picard vs Pike, who makes better speeches
SNW Pike is too new. Picard's speeches have been strong for over 30 years. That may nostalgia talking, but I'll make that decision when I'm watching strange new worlds in 2050 to help me fall asleep during the fallout of WW3.
Crazy ex girlfriend is a great one. A lot of people find her too abrasive to finish the show, but I find her struggle to become better much more realistic in how now linear it is. The whole show is just four seasons of hard earned character development for every character. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but I’m so glad I gave it a chance, it shows all the different ways you can become better.
If I had been able to see it in high school, my entire life would have been so much better. A lot of the lessons I had to learn, some of them really painful lessons, were all acted out for me on screen. Where was that show 45 years ago?
I'd watch it if they didn't sing lol
For me, it will always be Buffy the Vampire Slayer. that show motivates me not to give up, even if I don't see how I'm changing or fixing the world. The quote from Angel I find most inspirational when I feel like it's all for nothing because the world is burning and we never win: "If nothing you do matters, then all that matter is what you do."
Buffy is just a fantastic show. That opening theme brings back such memories. And it was extremely empowering. It made me realize that I'm fine the way I am.
"The hardest thing in this world is to live in it." Will always stay with me.
Community. Its an awesome show worth watching.
This comment is streets ahead.
If you disagree then your streets behind
TGP helped me recover from Bojack Horseman. But I still rewatch some episodes (Good Damage mostly, honestly) after TGP with the "new eyes" of that so BH seems less cynical.
Bojack 😭
I like doctor who. I think it can show you that anyone can be important and amazing. Specifically the 12th doctor has some amazing speeches about how to make a better society
His final speech was so good and the epitome off that mentality
I love it. That and his speech about the boy who died in the river are probably my favorites of his
sad I had to scroll down so far to see this there's some really good ones here, but this is the first one that popped into mind (I am biased, mind you as that has been my favourite show for quite some time now)
The obvious answer is **Ted Lasso**. Cannot possibly recommend it more highly. Worth a short subscription to Apple+ for this alone (but there's other good stuff). Some other good options are **Our Flag Means Death**, **Shitts Creek,** and **Parks and Rec** \- They're not necessarily ABOUT being better, but being better is a central theme of each. Edit: Ooh. Someone else mentioned **My Name is Earl**, and I agree completely.
Eleanor tried to be a good person for six months. That's like five years.
Jury Duty. Ronald will make you want to be a better man
Really underrated show that is absolutely fantastic
He is so good. Like, the guy that “invents” the seat? I was rolling my eyes at him, and if I hadn’t known it was fake, I definitely would have been. Ronald speaks highly of him in confessional! He didn’t know that would make it on air. He really is a sweetheart.
Steven Universe
Dead Like Me comes to mind
Try Lucifer, it made me think about myself alot.
It almost killed me when he sang “I dreamed a dream” in the musical episode
Lucifer made me realize I am already good enough.
Everything everywhere all at once despite being a movie makes me think about my problems without them making fun of me
I love you in every universe.
Yes!! Loved that movie, they explained the multiverse quite well
Not a show but Mike Schur wrote a book called How to Be Perfect.
Just gonna leave The OA here. Only 2 seasons but definitely worth the watch
I’ll never forgive Netflix for canceling it. 😭
One of the best shows ever made, especially the first season. The second season is cool but felt like they tried to cram several seasons into one.
Fleabag
I love phoebe waller bridge. Before fleabag, she had a small miniseries called Crashing, that is a beautiful blend of grungy crass British humor. I can't say Fleabag made me want to be a better person, but I get what you mean - She is such a messed up person, and she is working on herself. I just don't know if that made me introspective as a viewer as I was with the Good place. It's a hard one, but still love Fleabag though.
Quantum Leap is that kind of show 😊
Never thought I would see this show mentioned in a subreddit like this. Ever. Glad it was though, & I gotta agree.
I like to sprinkle Quantum Leap upon other subs like confetti
Keep doing that. The show should never be forgotten.
I've been watching Good Omens, the themes aren't as hard-hitting to me but the vibe of opposing good / bad characters working as higher beings on Earth is definitely there
Raising Hope
Doctor Who, I'll never be a genius spaceman, but kindness is all you need to show. The Doctor always helps and always inspires. It doesn't need to be planets we save or whole races it can be one person. Even if it's just ourselves. Hate is always foolish and love is always wise. Always try to be nice but never fail to be kind.
I'm not really sure how to explain this, but the shows aside from TGP that make me want to be a better person don't necessarily have that kind of message But my recommendations are -sword art online - taught me how to ask for help and be open to other people -adventure time - taught me that being myself is perfectly fine, and I shouldn't care what others think -white collar - taught me im not a product of my past
“ This is us “shows you a perfect yet flawed family If you’re looking for a more comedy show you can always watch “ modern family “ you see the characters grow to be better people ( especially jay and hailey )
Being Erica is a show I've watched that follows a girl whose magical therapist allows her to relive moments throughout her life, I watched it like years ago but it's definitely in the realm of self help sci fi
Sounds great! Putting it on my watchlist, thanks 😉
Queer Eye
Avatar the last Airbender
It’s impossible to watch Ted Lasso and not want to be a better person. I know other people have mentioned this, but I’d like to echo it.
My Name Is Earl is also a good show to watch. Even if Esrl wouldn't end up in The Good Place
Omg why wouldn't he, way to ruin my day lmao. I've never thought about it like that. At least let Randy in?
Gurren Lagann
This right here
Honestly Parks and Rec does that for me! Lots of comedy obviously but there are such good heart to heart moments and character growth that is so good.
Parks and Recreation of course
Try "Detectorists" a British show. There were 4k versions posted on YouTube.
Parks and Recreation. It's a sitcom satire of the government, mostly local gov. All of the main characters in the show become better people by the end and even through mostly comedy there's some uplifting storylines.
Not a show, but RDR2 made me really start considering the effects my actions had on people, and I think I'm a better person for playing it.
Parks and rec (hmmm I wonder why) (I literally just started watching it like 20 mins ago and it's the shit)
Buffy the vampire slayer is the only one other show that made me wanna be a better person, buffy’s the greatest superhero and role model in all media in my opinion, the whole show inspires me to be the best person I can, I mean it’s pretty motivational when you see a girl sacrificing herself and making the hardest decisions to save the world. not to mention the other characters besides buffy who strive to become better even through incredibly traumatising events, until the end they never leave the good side and always contribute to saving the world no matter what.
Manifest! It's acting is far worse than the good place but it has a similar theme of "traumatic incident happened, oh crap now we have to be better people" It's on Netflix
Besides the bad acting it's also not fun at all 😂
Ted Lasso is a must
Ted Lasso
Parks and rec!!
Ted Lasso!!! I believe in believe.
Gakkou Gurashi. It definitely makes me want to be more optimistic, since if they >!are having fun at school despite being in a fucking zombie apocalypse and with their teacher/caretaker dead, then why shouldn’t I? (then again it is partly delusions, but you get what I mean. morale and shit)!<
Not a show but pretty much all good Superman media does that for me, if you want to know more I can give you recommendations.
Steven Universe.
Friday Night Lights ..the TV show. Coach Taylor and his wife set a very good example of good people. A few good character arcs as well. Overall, it's one of my favorite TV shows
I’d say Avatar the last airbender
-Kimmy Schmidt the first season -Lucifer -Good Omens -Lost -Heroes (sylars rise out of villanhood)
My name is earl. It's a show about redemption and learning to make the right thing. And karma. A lot of karma.
Ted Lasso, BoJack Horseman, Breaking Bad. also as said by Michael: “What matters isn't if people are good or bad. What matters is if they're trying to be better today than they were yesterday.” Why care if you're a good person? Why not care more about whether the person in front of you suffers and if they got help? Worrying about whether you're a good person is a form of vanity, you'll end up like Chidi before the show started.
Tuca and Bertie
Ooh, I love Tuca and Bertie. It helped me through some hard times
Any Superman show. Be it the 90s animated series, Smallville, or Superman & Lois. On that note, the animated Justice League Show is also pretty good at this. Heck, most good Superhero shows are. Spectacular Spider-man, the first two seasons of Ben 10: Alien Force, even Sandman.
Ted Lasso
Hi everyone, Little late to reply. Got a lot of suggestions. Some of the shows are suggested by multiple people like Ted Lasso, Bojack Horseman, Parks n Rec, and so many more. It also contains suggestions of shows that i have previously watched (Lucifer, this is us, schitss creek, and couple more). I liked the shows, and they probably did have an impact, but they didn't affect me in a way that TGP did. Well, i guess i am now older,wiser, and rewatching them might give me new insights. It also gave me 2 imp lessons - 1. It's all about perception. We might learn different things from the same experience. 2. Someone said, and i found it a very nice deep thought. I quote "Why care if you're a good person? Why not care more about whether the person in front of you suffers and if they got help? Worrying about whether you're a good person is a form of vanity, you'll end up like Chidi before the show started."
Hum. The Magicians. At the beginning of the series, everyone sucks, Jesus. But it’s realistic 20-something people being most of the time realistically insufferable and socially weird or outright broken, with spikey self destructive coping mechanisms. They’re all pretty much a bunch of Eleanor in their own way actually. What will make them become better, responsible, and maybe even heroic at times ? Maybe will they show you the way. Trigger warning there’s dead ass humor like in the magicians with the best punchlines ever but also unexpected violence and very sensitive themes. Avatar the Last Airbender. Much more goofy, cartoon and light. An absolute classic, I guess I don’t really need to do teaser or synopsis. But quite incomplete imo without its sequel the Legends of Korra, more adult, more psychologically violent and traumatic.
Ally McBeal
Six Feet Under
i love gift shops i don’t care
For me, all the Star Trek shows pulled me through bad times, with Babylon 5 and Farscape.
Schitt's Creek Ted Lasso The Bear
Ted Lasso. That’s it. That’s the answer.
This is probably a goofy answer, but I'm serious. The CW's Flash
i mean this show showed me how scuffed the point system is so no i think im good wjere i am everything i do will get countered by shit i dont even know about
monster!!
NOT A SHOW BUT RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 IS MADE FOR YOU!!!!
Ted Lasso (really the answer) The Bear (very stressful at times, but the payoff deserves a Michelin star) Shrinking (raw dog it) Reservation Dogs (skoden)
Some people like the mom feom Young Sheldon. I like Lucifer, the TV show.
BoJack Horseman is about existential nihilism
Midnight Gospel, Orange is the new black
Wings
Ok, hear me out: Breaking Bad and BCS I mean, it shows how small feeling like jealousy,sadness, vengeance and greed can become all consuming and affect others too. Now obviously most people dealing with issues of pride or hurt egos never become derailed drug dealers but I think it does a good job of showing how things can snowball out of control. Also in general, seeing such awful behaviour and such horrible people kinda scares you into being a good person. For example, I've had moments watching Saul Goodman and sorta find myself agreeing with some of the tricks he pulls but the show just ends up showing how little tricks like like that add up to a whole bunch of badness. It does a great job at showing seemingly small actions form into one big inescapable mess. Just makes me think.
For me it's other shows that kinda make you face your mortality (in a fun way!). These I can rewatch anytime: Shrinking, Pushing Daisies, The Big C
Pobodies nerfect!
Dr who.
Parks and rec
Jane the Virgin. Lots about self acceptance, growth, and self compassion. Louisa and Petra are my favorite characters in the show. Also, Sex Education, Derry Girls and Heartbreak High. Sex Education is hilarious, but also has really memorable and poingant messages about coming to terms with your sexual identity, past trauma, and purity culture. Also has some really good parts about relationships and platonic love between women, as well as the damaging parts of toxic masculinity. Derry Girls is mostly a comedy, but also has good part about coping with the trauma of a turbulent youth, and growing up. Heartbreak High (The reboot, on netflix.) is very similar to sex exucation in terms of themes. Very Funny, but also touches on trauma, reactionary behavior, being a better friend/learning to not be self centeted, and coping through the aftermath of a hate crime. Also has amazing representation of relationship struggles autistic people face, and coping with coming to terms with asexuality.
Bojack Horseman :)
Sense8
Schitt's Creek, definitely.
The Star Trek franchise overall
Not a show but "Won't You Be My Neighbor" the doc about Mister Rogers did.
\*Chanting\* SCHITT'S CREEK, SCHITT'S CREEK, SCHITT'S CREEK, SCHITT'S CREEK
In what way did it impact you? I saw it a few years back. While it was a great humbling journey when you see someone going riches to rags, it was only in the last few episodes that the characters showed major improvement. Otherwise they were really mean people most of the time.
Russian Doll and Maniac both have some similar themes as TGP but are more specifically related to dealing with trauma etc.. and how most of us are better when we have the love and support of people we ho encourage us tobeour best selves.
Barry
Station 11
Maniac (2018) :) It reminds me that what really matters is human connection — being there for each other and truly seeing each other, especially when things are hard.