NBC is home to some of the greatest sitcoms to ever air, such as The Office, 30 Rock, Cheers, Community, Friends and Scrubs. There is, however, a relatively new series on the network that has the makings of a classic. Debuting in 2015, Superstore follows employees at a Cloud 9 superstore as they tackle wacky events that happen while working at a superstore, from strange and rude customers to fighting for a pay raise and health benefits.
On top of a concept never before seen on TV, though, Superstore also features a brilliant and exciting aspect that pushes it above the competition: diversity.
While the concept of diversity is no stranger to modern television, Superstore transcends the tiptoeing that most shows do when tackling diversity. For starters, the diversity of the cast is never used as a joke. There is never an instance where someone's ethnicity is used for laughs or played as a stereotype. The characters pay respect to their nationality and culture, making the show a true representation of a modern workplace.
Outside of just racial diversity, Superstore also includes disabled characters whose conditions are never used as a way to drive the story. For instance, Garrett is in a wheelchair, but he is also a huge sneaker-head and gamer with a cold but caring stance towards life and his fellow employees. Then there's Nikki, a character with Osteogenesis Imperfecta who naturally joins the cast as just another employee.
Superstore also tackles LGBTQ characters with Mateo, who is one of the show's standouts. The series takes an approach similar to Schitt's Creek by including zero homophobia, choosing to give Mateo real relationship issues like any other character would have. By taking this approach, the show provides its audience with a depiction of an LGBTQ character that's seldom seen on TV, especially in the world of sitcoms.
In truth, by having LGBTQ and disabled characters and POC of every shape, size and ethnicity, Superstore makes itself easy to relate to as nearly every group of people is represented. While the series is currently airing its sixth and final season, the show's first five seasons are available to watch on Amazon Prime and NBC's streaming service, Peacock, meaning even when it's gone, Superstore will still be fighting the good fight.
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