The Most Optimistic Shows

I could use a little hope right now. How about you?

Look, the mood in the nation is not good. Every time we think we’ve hit rock bottom, it gets worse. We struggle to write basic emails because it feels off to say, “Hi, I hope all is well!” or whatever we used to say in normal times.

When I need a pick-me-up, I reach for shows about good people trying their best and working together to get through this thing we call life. I chose these specific shows because they’re not blindly optimistic, not like one of those happy people who you know are just in deep denial, but knowingly optimistic, showing us a world at its best that could conceivably come out of the reality we live in (yes, even this current reality). I’m assuming you know about Parks and Recreation and Ted Lasso—though they’re always worth a rewatch!—given how much I’ve written about them here.

Meanwhile, some other mood-lifters to check out:

ABC

Abbott Elementary

A few years ago, Abbott Elementary became a rare network sitcom hit with a straightforward formula. Using the mockumentary format popularized by The Office in the 2000s, it tackles another workplace—an elementary school. We follow Janine Teagues (creator Quinta Brunson), an idealistic second-grade teacher, and her coworkers as they try to make their school better despite meager budgets, encroaching charter schools, mismanagement from above, and, luckily, also just general hijinks. There’s also a very compelling/truly adorable simmering romance with fellow teacher Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams).

NBC

The Good Place

I admit I was a touch skeptical when I heard about this sitcom version of Dante’s Inferno-meets-philosophy class. But its cast is as winning as a sitcom cast can get—Kristen Bell! Ted Danson!—while the set design is candy-coated fun and the plot twists are at least as good as the best Lost episode. As our characters navigate the ups and downs of the afterlife together, they also happen to solve the meaning of life and give us a blueprint for living better. And yes, they totally stick the landing.

FX

Reservation Dogs

Reservation Dogs is, at its heart, a teen show: a group of four scrappy kids with big dreams come of age on an Oklahoma reservation. It’s just like The O.C.—funny sometimes, serious other times, with generous helpings of adult drama from family and friends, and loads of hijinks—except, of course, that these kids are quite poor, and, in fact, are trying desperately to save enough money to go to California, which they imagine will solve all of their problems. The kids, crucially, are a great hang: Devery Jacobs as the take-charge Elora, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as the emo Bear, Lane Factor as the laid-back Cheese, and Paulina Alexis as tomboy Willie-Jack. And the show, created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, takes viewers inside Native American life without playing to a white crowd, presenting references and traditions without explanation, making for an authentic experience unlike any seen on television before.

Pop TV

Schitt’s Creek

This got me through the early days of the pandemic, and I know I’m not the only one. It’s a premise that could come off mean, dark, and bitchy: a rich family is Madoffed into selling off nearly everything they own and moving to a small town named Schitt’s Creek, which dad Johnny Rose (Eugene Levy) bought for son David (Dan Levy). Instead, particularly as it goes on (it doesn’t get great until late in the second season), it becomes a show about how the quirky townspeople change the Roses—and vice versa. Johnny, David, daughter Alexis (Annie Murphy) and matriarch Moira (Catherine O’Hara) all recover their souls while retaining the essence of who they are, becoming crucial parts of the town along the way. And the finale wedding between David and the very grounded Patrick (Noah Reid) is one of the greatest ever committed to screen, the perfect mix of silly, hilarious, and heartwarming.

Apple TV

Shrinking

Shrinking is not a perfect television show, but if you can take your critic’s hat off and enjoy, it is a cozy one. It follows a therapist named Jimmy (Jason Segel) as he grieves the unexpected death of his wife in a drunk driving accident, and struggles to be present for their teenage daughter. But really, it’s mostly a hangout show about him and his fellow therapists, including a mentor played by Harrison Ford (doing his funniest version of cranky) and a coworker/sometime lover played by the underrated Jessica Williams, as well as his next-door neighbors, played by Christa Miller and the show’s slow-burn standout, Ted McGinley. Oh, also, there’s Jimmy’s best friend Brian, played by Michael Urie. There are too many people on this show, but you get the feeling that creators Bill Lawrence, Segel, and Brett Goldstein just can’t stop hiring affable actors to come be on the set. Just enjoy it.

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Other Stuff

• Pop Culture v. Authoritarianism: Oscar Edition: This Wednesday, my friends at the Ministry of Pop Culture and I are holding a live online discussion about films in the Oscar conversation that address authoritarianism. Read here why I think KPop Demon Hunters fits that bill, and sign up to join us here.

• 2026 Pop Culture Predictions: My fellow ministers and I shared ours, and graded our prediction accuracy from last year. Mine involve AI, the culture wars, and Katy Perry.

• The Best Pop Music Podcasts: I live and breathe pop music podcasts, and they’re a particularly handy respite from the news when you need one. I recommend my faves here.

• Inside the Drama, Heartache—and Fun—of Local News: As a former local newspaper reporter, I absolutely love the recent shows The Lowdown and The Paper, which go inside local news reporting in very different ways. I wrote about them both for the Peabody Awards.