‘Parks and Recreation’ adds to already stellar network programs
A year ago, another season of the show “Parks and Recreation” seemed almost as guaranteed as a Kevin Federline child support payment.
But now, early into season three, the show has garnered a possibly rabid but definitely infected cult following. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the same people who created “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation” has seen its fair share of criticism, especially for being too similar to its cousin.
However, after multiple viewings, it becomes obvious there is really nothing like it on television.
“Parks and Recreation” takes place in Pawnee, Ind., which according to the show, is the fourth most obese city in the United States (Note: It’s not. It is actually San Bernardino, Calif.), inside a parks and recreation office.
Shocking.
The department is headed by Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), who may be the most underrated TV character. Directly beneath him is Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), the driving force behind the show. Without her, the show would lack its high energy and earnest appeal. The rest of the cast is comprised of relatively recognizable faces, including: Rob Lowe, Adam Scott, Rashida Jones and Aziz Ansari.
Like “The Office,” the show follows a mockumentary style and uses no laugh track. But unlike “The Office,” the show has a much stronger collection of characters and really doesn’t rely on just one person to carry the show. (I do not care how much you love “The Office,” Steve Carell is the show.) Now safely into the third season, “Parks and Recreation” has let its characters develop, and the main ones are all very easy to identify with, save Lowe’s turn as Chris Traeger, who is funny but very one-dimensional.
Although the show has been ridiculed for being cliché and formulaic, the third season should quickly and decidedly put those critiques to bed.
After viewing the first three episodes, there is a lot to be excited about this season. Admittedly, episode three was uncharacteristically weak, with paltry references to the abominable “Twilight” series, but the first two were extremely funny and highlighted Ron and Chris, who excluding Leslie, are the shows two strongest characters.
While “Parks and Recreation” is very good, it does have a few flaws that are hampering its ascension into the “Archer” and “30 Rock” range. The most obvious and possibly most disappointing is the underutilization of Ansari’s talents. His character, Tom Haverford, is entertaining but seems played out at times. Some of his jokes have a tendency to fall flat, which is a huge disappointment considering his potential. If the writers could figure out how to consistently have his character shine, it would enormously benefit the show.
“Parks and Recreation” can be added to an already stellar NBC comedy block, demonstrating that sometimes even large networks can get things right. Hopefully people will continue to tune into “Parks and Recreation” so that an “Arrested Development” early casualty does not result.