Most sitcoms are built around just that — a situation. There might be a kooky family or a unifying setting, but they ultimately revolve around the little things. More recent entries to the genre have played with the standard format: the mockumentary, the pop culture parody or the musical. But it’s hard for a sitcom to build an entire world around one premise.
One exception is “Parks and Recreation.” After a dismal debut, the show found a genie to grant its wishes over the break. When the comedy returned the next year, a show that seemed derivative of creator Greg Daniel’s previous hit, “The Office,” suddenly came into its own. “SNL” vet Amy Poehler plays Leslie Knope, a tireless deputy in the Indiana City of Pawnee’s Parks Department who dreams big and acts even bigger. “Parks and Recreation” is presented in the same mockumentary style as “The Office,” but surpasses that waning program by offering a younger, hipper and more topical style. At its core the series is a workplace comedy, but the spotlight has expanded from the office, to the whole building, then an entire town.
Whether through a series of town hall meetings, a look into a local family’s sweets conglomerate or such episodes that revolve around Pawnee’s historical art, the show digs deeper than pratfalls and punch lines in a way no sitcom has even dared since “Arrested Development” was cancelled.
The real stars of the show are the cast. Standouts include the aforementioned Leslie Knope, socially awkward but ambitious and honest; her ubermensch boss Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman); local nurse Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones), the core of much of the show’s romantic entanglements; Aubrey Plaza’s apathetic intern April; Aniz Ansari as a playboy assistant; and Chris Pratt’s hapless man-child Andy.
The cast has expanded to include Rob Lowe as Chris and Adam Scott as Ben. Both exuberant additions to the series, they play budget hawks sent in to keep Pawnee in the black. Lowe’s character is almost scarily optimistic, playing the good cop to Scott’s bad cop Ben. The duo gave a shot in the arm to a show that was already running on a full tank.
Season three, which premiered last month after an extended pregnancy-induced delay, ups the ante with the government back in session on a limited basis, but with no fewer goals. This time the show has created a season-long arc moving away from the normal sitcom structure. Leslie is working to reinstate the annual Pawnee Harvest Festival in an effort to prove the worth of the Parks Department. Episodes that find the humor in flu season, “Twilight” fans and The Swanson Pyramid of Greatness are laying the foundation for the best season yet.
Proving that not all government programs deserve fire and brimstone, “Parks and Recreation” is the shining star in NBC’s Thursday comedy lineup. With its perfect storm of engaging characters and smart humor, this sitcom is the heir apparent to “The Office.” Besides, now that Steve Carell is leaving, don’t you want — need — a workplace comedy that reminds you of the golden seasons of that show? You don’t even have to go through any paperwork.
”Parks and Recreation” airs Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. on NBC.
