Our Tax Dollars at Work: Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation, NBC (2009–2015).
City government never looked so funny.
Whenever my dad would see me watching Parks and Recreation, he would stop to watch for a little bit, and then, in a huff, say, “That’s not how it would happen!” His annoyance stemmed from the fact that he worked in local city government for his entire career, so he knew exactly how things would shake down had it been happening in a real city. Every time, I would have to tell him that it’s a fictional show, and to not take it so literally. By the time he would leave the room, I would be exasperated with him for making so many comments while I was trying to watch.
Parks and Recreation was created in part by Greg Daniels, the same guy who made the American version of The Office. I remember seeing previews for Parks and Recreation and wondering if it was just going to be another version of The Office but in a different setting; a lot of people had this same thought. Both shows are shot documentary style, both shows have short, one-on-one interviews with the characters as if they were in a real documentary, and they each take place in a small town. Besides those similarities, Parks and Recreation had its own style of comedy that did turn out to be different from The Office.
The series ended up running for seven seasons. In the beginning, the show wasn’t very popular, but it grew to be. Admittedly, the main character, Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, was kind of annoying at the start. She was a bulldozer in most situations, fighting to always get her way, and would ignore the advice of characters that were trying to help her. The writers eventually toned down this character trait and let the audience see that her heart was in the right place (most of the time), which led to Leslie becoming a beloved TV fixture.
Along with Leslie were other memorable characters. Ron Swanson, portrayed by the badass Nick Offerman, was her grumpy boss that became her biggest mentor. Andy Dwyer, the town buffoon with a heart of gold, was played by Christ Pratt. Then there was Leslie’s bff Anne Perkins, whose role was filled by Rashida Jones. Anne wasn’t Leslie’s friend in the first couple of episodes, but she grew to love Leslie just as the audience did. Adam Scott played Ben Wyatt, who became Leslie’s husband and fiercest supporter. There are other great characters, but these are probably the most important. Along with the main cast were side characters that would come and go, as well as cameos from some well-known politicians and public figures.
Once the show was up, running, and had found its audience, it became a fun ride that I would look forward to watching every week. The audience got to see the ins and outs of a fictional parks and recreation department in the city of Pawnee, Indiana, and the different hilarious situations the characters found themselves in. There are so many excellent episodes: the Leslie and Ben wedding episode, the one where Ron is accidentally shot by one of his co-workers, treat yo self day, and so many others, but these are just a few worthy of mentioning.
When the show announced that the seventh season would be the last, I was bummed. When I watched the last season, I was even more bummed… because it wasn’t as great as the other seasons. They did a time jump, a lot of the characters were no longer working in Pawnee, and it just seemed very unlike the previous seasons. Not only that, but it starts out with Leslie and Ron no longer talking to each other, which was off putting. When the last season ended, I felt let down by the show and had hoped for more.
It wasn’t until a year or so later when I rewatched the series that I felt okay with the last season, but it is for sure not one of my favorites out of the seven. It does end on a high note, which is fitting because the show did bring a lot of joy and laughter when it was on the air, and I think most people love seeing their favorite characters get what they want out of life.
Parks and Recreation streamed on Netflix for a number of years after its last air date, but Peacock (the studio that owns the show) eventually removed it. I feel like Leslie Knope would have a lot to say about Peacock making the show unavailable, but that’s a different article for a different time.