There are times when Miracle Workers, a new limited series comedy on TBS, feels a little like those Twitter threads where God designs animals and the angels react in horror — but reimagined as a workplace comedy. And then there are times when the show captures some of the loopy, bittersweet vibe of creator Simon Rich’s previous series, the three-season FXX sketch rom-com Man Seeking Woman.
Miracle Workers
TBS’s goofy comedy makes genial fun of heavenly bureaucracy.
TBS
Emily St. James was a senior correspondent for Vox, covering American identities. Before she joined Vox in 2014, she was the first TV editor of the A.V. Club.
Rich’s work occupies a weird in-between space in the comedy world. His shows don’t fit comfortably into the realm of sketch comedy, but they aren’t traditional sitcoms, either. Hence, Miracle Workers is set in heaven, among the angels who grumble about their boss (God), while also sharing some DNA with series like The Office or Superstore.
The show’s terrific cast includes an incredibly game Daniel Radcliffe, who finds laughs even in lines that aren’t explicitly written as jokes; Steve Buscemi as a bumbling, kinda bored God, who maybe can’t read when you come right down to it; and an excellent breakout performance from young actress Geraldine Viswanathan. Miracle Workers’ parts are probably greater than its whole, but the parts are a lot of fun.
“Its short run makes Workers not a particularly Earth-shattering series. But it’s a charming, chipper story that suggests humans are inevitably good.” Kelly Lawler, USA Today
Metacritic score: 61 out of 100
Where to watch: Miracle Workers airs Tuesdays at 10:30 pm Eastern on TBS. Previous episodes are available to stream on the network’s website.
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