How Some Good News restored my faith in humanity

Some Good News (SGN) is a fresh
weekly 15ish minute comedy news segment hosted by John Krasinski on YouTube. What
sets it apart when streaming services are flooded with Late Night hosts under
lockdown?  Honest good humour.

Tuning in to Krasinski’s show is like being given the perfect, unexpected gift. It’s a happy reinvention of the news talk-show format which achieves warmth through sincerity. The Office alum confesses he does not know what he’s doing, encourages viewers to rip him off, and invites submissions of good news stories from social media.

“I’m very well aware,” Krasinski says, “I am only delivering the good news. You are the good news.”

Now that one-liner could have
been beyond cheesy, if the show didn’t deliver on its titular promise. But here’s
the thing: it does. Krasinski’s focus is not on misdirected resources, political
gaffes, or climbing rates of infection.

Featured stories include efforts
to supply health care workers with protective equipment, an interview with a
15-year-old cancer survivor, and a birthday surprise from the original cast of
Broadway’s Hamilton. The latter moment is a highlight of the show’s
second episode, soaring to hit every note Gal Gadot’s cover of Imagine sunk.

Naturally, a host like John Krasinski can draw considerable star power. His guests so far exceed all expectations. Robert de Niro, Brad Pitt, and Ryan Reynolds have each had a stint as SGN‘s deadpan weatherman. SGN’s YouTube Live prom event boasted musical performances by Billie Eilish, Chance The Rapper, and The Jonas Brothers, a 20 minute line-up that even Global Citizen could not match in eight hours. In the show’s most recent segment, a virtual graduation for the global Class of 2020, viewers were treated to commencement conversations with Steven Spielberg, Malala Yousafzai, Oprah Winfrey, and John Stewart. If that isn’t a mic drop line-up, I don’t know what is.

As Krasinski himself points out, he is not the only entertainer trying to put a positive spin on recent events. However, his is probably the most successful attempt. Over the past weeks, we’ve watched the show go on. Late-night hosts exchanged brightly lit studios for living rooms, attics, and garages.

The shift has given some
comedians a popularity boost. Jimmy Fallon has successfully incorporated his
family (dog, kids, wife, indoor slide, and all) into his show’s Home Edition
with specialised hashtags, and kid-drawn title cards. Trevor Noah, Stephen
Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Seth Myers have been less successful probably
because they’re trying too hard to be normal. Ironically their efforts create
tense performances that remind the audience just how abnormal these circumstances
are.

Krasinski’s delivery makes you
wonder why it took a pandemic to get him his own talk show. He is comfortable
where Kimmel is tense. He is genuine where Colbert is contrived. Where Noah maintains
his routine of mocking America’s leaders, Krasinski spotlights the internet
tales that should have gone viral, all by telling jokes with unscripted ease. This
is The Office’s Jim Halpert at his funniest, Amazon Prime’s Jack Ryan
at his most charming, and John Krasinski at his smartest. The guy is enjoying
himself, and his audience loves it.

There are two ways this show could better itself. The first is by continuing beyond the current global crisis, and it looks like it will. Some Good News’ first episode was watched more than 13 million times in the week since it aired. Episode two racked up 3.5 million views in less than a day. Yes, I’ll admit maybe ten of those views are linked to my own IP address. Still, with 2.2 million subscribers on YouTube, and six viral episodes under the belt, it’s clear I’m not the only one cheering Krasinski on.  

The second improvement I’d
suggest is the show give some Kiwi heroes a piece of the stage. The good news
is, by simply jumping on social media, we can make it happen.

Some Good News makes me believe anything can happen.