Parks and Recreation (also known as Parks and Rec) is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 episodes, over seven seasons. A special reunion episode aired on April 30, 2020. The series stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a perky, mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks Department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. The ensemble and supporting cast features Rashida Jones as Ann Perkins, Paul Schneider as Mark Brendanawicz, Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford, Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson, Aubrey Plaza as April Ludgate, Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer, Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt, Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger, Jim O'Heir as Garry "Jerry" Gergich, Retta as Donna Meagle, and Billy Eichner as Craig Middlebrooks.
The writers researched local California politics for the series, and consulted with urban planners and elected officials. Leslie Knope underwent major changes after the first season, in response to audience feedback that the character seemed unintelligent and "ditzy". The writing staff incorporated current events into the episodes, such as a government shutdown in Pawnee inspired by the real-life global financial crisis of 2007–08. Real-life political figures have cameos in later episodes such as John McCain, Michelle Obama and Joe Biden.
Parks and Recreation was part of NBC's "Comedy Night Done Right" programming during its Thursday night prime-time block. The series received mixed reviews during its first season (including comparisons to The Office, a sitcom also produced by Daniels and Schur), but, after a re-approach to its tone and format, the second and subsequent seasons were widely acclaimed. Throughout its run, Parks and Recreation received several awards and nominations, including 14 Primetime Emmy Award nominations (two for Outstanding Comedy Series), a Golden Globe Award win for Poehler's performance, and a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. In Time's 2012 year-end lists issue, Parks and Recreation was named the number one television series of that year. In 2013, after receiving four consecutive nominations in the category, Parks and Recreation won the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy.
Cast and characters[]
- Amy Poehler - Leslie Knope
- Rashida Jones - Ann Perkins
- Paul Schneider - Mark Brendanawicz
- Aziz Ansari - Tom Haverford
- Nick Offerman - Ron Swanson
- Aubrey Plaza - April Ludgate
- Chris Pratt - Andy Dwyer
- Adam Scott - Ben Wyatt
- Rob Lowe - Chris Traeger
- Jim O'Heir - Garry "Jerry" Gergich
- Retta - Donna Meagle
- Billy Eichner - Craig Middlebrooks
International broadcast[]
| Country | Network(s) | Local title |
|---|---|---|
| United States | NBC, Esquire Network, WGN America, FXX, Comedy Central, IFC, E!, Hulu, Peacock | Parks and Recreation |
| Worldwide | Netflix, Amazon Prime Video | |
| Australia | Seven Network, 7mate, The Comedy Channel, ABC TV Plus | |
| Canada | City, The Comedy Network, Much, M3 | |
| Denmark | DR HD | |
| Germany | Glitz* | |
| India | Zee Café | |
| Ireland | RTÉ Two | |
| Italy | Joi | |
| Netherlands | Comedy Central, RTL 7, Viceland | |
| Norway | TV 2 Humor, HBO Nordic | |
| Philippines | Jack TV | |
| Singapaore | Mediacorp Channel 5 | |
| South Africa | M-Net | |
| Sweden | TV4 Komedi | |
| United Kingdom | BBC Four, Dave, Sky Comedy | |
| Arab World | MBC 4, OSN | الحدائق والمنتزهات |
| Brazil | Globoplay | Confusões de Leslie |
| Finland | MTV3 Komedia | Puisto-osasto |
| France | Canal+ Séries, MyCanal, Salto | Parcs et Loisirs |
| Germany | Comedy Central | Parks & Recreation – Das Grünflächenamt |
| Hungary | Comedy Central | Városfejlesztési osztály |