John Krasinski — who gave us the all-purpose incredulous stare as Jim Halpert on “The Office” and who currently plays the C.I.A. analyst Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime’s political thriller by the same name — could be considered an unlikely YouTube star.
As the actor says, smiling, on an episode of his new show, “Some Good News,” “for someone who only just got off dial-up this week, this whole internet thing continues to be a constant source of surprise and living nightmares.”
It’s precisely this truth that led him to create “Some Good News,” a weekly roundup of genuinely inspiring content culled from the hellscape that is social media. Seated in front of a colorful sign made by his young daughters bearing the letters S-G-N, Mr. Krasinski presents heartening scenes, such as an I.C.U. team forming a conga line to celebrate a patient being taken off a ventilator or an elderly couple singing together, separated by a closed window; special correspondents like the actors Steve Carell and Brad Pitt discuss entertainment and the weather. (“Looks, uh, pretty good,” Mr. Pitt reports.)
And, importantly these days, Mr. Krasinski also uses his celebrity power for good. For example, he, along with the former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, sent members of the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Covid-19 Unit in Boston to revel in an empty Fenway Park (spoiler alert: The episode culminates with the announcement that AT&T is offering nurses and doctors three months of free service).
Most recently, Mr. Krasinski threw a live-streamed prom for the class of 2020 — a recap of which was included on “SGN” — featuring performances by the Jonas Brothers and Billie Eilish. “Some Good News” is worth watching to find out what happens next, and a balm for these screen-filled times.
Source: Television - nytimes.com
