Parks and Recreation
Thursday, February 12th, 2009 | 597 commentsFeb. 1, 2009
Here is a promo of ‘Parks and Recreation.’
Jan. 26, 2009
- The show’s title is ‘Parks & Recreation.’
- During the Super Bowl this Sunday, NBC will be promoting its own shows, including this one: ‘The Office creator Greg Daniels has helped create an ad touting his next series, the untitled Amy Poehler sitcom premiering in March. “Amy will be in character,” Mr. Stotsky said, declining to give more details.’ Source
- The New York Times has reported that a possible name for the show is “Public Service.” Source
- Jan. 15: Premiere date announced: Thursday, April 9th, 8:30-9 ET. Source: TV Week
- Jan. 15: Here is NBC’s first official webpage on the show. (Nothing new. Boo!) Tipster: Red
- Jan. 15: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette provides more details:
Cameras follow Leslie Knope (Poehler), described as a “mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana.”
Leslie attempts to improve her town and advance her career by helping a local nurse (Rashida Jones, “The Office”) turn a construction pit into a park. They’re opposed by defensive bureaucrats, NIMBY neighbors and developers. She’s helped and hindered by Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari, “Human Giant,” “Scrubs”), another government official.
In the process, Leslie hopes to inspire her bored college intern (Aubrey Plaza) and reach her goal of becoming the first female President of the United States.
- Jan. 14: Hollywood Reporter states “NBC’s untitled Poehler project, from “The Office” masterminds Greg Daniels and Mike Schur, is set in the office of Amy (Poehler), deputy chairman of the department of parks and recreations in Pawnee, Ind. [Aubrey] Plaza will play April, an intern who shadows her.”
- Jan. 14: KorbiTV reports more details about the show’s premise — “… like The Office, it’s basically documentary style. Set in the parks & recreation department of a local city government in some podunk town, Poehler will play a delusional employee, totally unaware that she doesn’t work in high ranking politics. And of course there will be supporting players around to make fun of her foolish idiocy.” Tipster: Eric
- Jan. 13: another cast member announced — Aubrey Plaza of The Jeannie Tate Show. Tipster: Red
- Jan. 13: People Magazine talks to Amy Poehler — “We start shooting in February and it’s on in April,” she says of the show, which she describes as “like Tina Turner in [1985's Mad Max] Beyond Thunderdome. I am a boss; I have an office. It’s a whole different world. It’s not a spin-off, it’s a whole different place. [The Office's] Rashida Jones plays my friend.” Tipster: Kristin
- Nov. 18: “Jones is set to play Ann Logan, a nurse whose boyfriend has a strange injury. It’s that injury that leads Jones’ character into the world populated by Poehler and Aziz Ansari.” More at Variety.
- Nov. 18: The New York Post reported this morning that Rashida Jones is joining the cast. (Tipster: Paul) Immediately suspicious of this information, I contacted Michael Schur, one of the showrunners, who confirms “It’s true. She’ll be playing a nurse named Ann. (Not Karen Fillipelli.)” There you have it — an OfficeTally scoop. Thanks, Mike!
- Nov. 14: Tallyhead Matthew reports, “Tonight I saw Aziz Ansari do his stand-up act in Seattle. I asked him when the spinoff starts shooting and he said in February and that it should begin airing in April.”
- Oct 23: Amy Poehler, Beyond Thunderdome.
- Oct 16: Work begins on The Office spin-off.
- July 21: NBC Honchos Talk About the Future of the Office-verse.
- July 21: official press release from NBC about the new show. Funny quotes from Greg Daniels and Michael Schur!
- July 20: In TV Week’s interview with NBC’s Ben Silverman, Silverman says: “Mike Schur and Greg Daniels had a relationship with [Amy Poehler] and Mike actually had a really strong one from his work with Will Arnett when Mike was on “Arrested Development,” and then through his relationship with Amy directly when he was on “Saturday Night Live.” The opportunity to grab her was so exciting. Now the other side of it is that she’s pregnant …”
Read the complete interview - July 17: More Info About ‘The Office’ Spin-Off …
- July 17: Amy Poehler confirms she is going to new show.
- July 17: The Daily Show’s Only Female Writer Leaving For The Office Spinoff.
- July 16: Michael Ausiello weighs in — ‘Office’ 2.0 DOA?
- July 15: Amy Poehler may be ‘Office’ bound.
- July 15: Poehler to join post-’Office’ show; show to be new series, not spin-off.
- July 15: SNL’s Amy Poehler to star in ‘Office’ spinoff?
- June 12: Aziz Ansari hired for ‘Office’ spinoff.
- June 12: Watch With Kristin — Rumor Patrol: Rashida Jones in Office Spinoff?
- June 9: Watch With Kristin — ‘Steve Carell makes my heart sing by telling us: “As far as I know, nobody is leaving ship. At least at this point, from what I’ve heard, I don’t think it’s based on any of the characters from the existing show. It’s an entirely new setup with new characters.’
- May 29: ‘The Office’ spinoff: Did someone forget to tell the actors about it?
- May 23: Spinoffs becoming ever more common. An interesting quote from Lost’s co-creator Damon Lindelof about ‘The Office.’
- May 15: Watch With Kristin: Steve Carell Rings In Tonight’s Season Finale — “I’m hearing that it has been decided who it’ll be, that Greg Daniels and actor/producer Mike Schur (Mose) are helming it and that tonight’s episode will pave the way for what it will be …”
- April 29: Watch With Kristin: Office Scoop on Finale and Spinoff.
- April 8: Ask Ausiello: read the second question, “What do you know about the Office spin-off?”
- April 2: Watch With Kristin: The Party Line on the Office Spinoff … and the Real Story from Insiders Who Know.
- April 2: New York Times: A New Thursday Night Sitcom.
- April 2: NBC.com: The Office Spin-Off.
- April 2: NBC.com: NBC showcases Greg Daniels’ “The Office” and his new “Office” spinoff in coveted post Super Bowl timeslot.
- April 2: Watch With Kristin: The Office Opens a New Branch?!
- April 2: Variety: Full NBC schedule takes shape.
- April 2: Ausiello Report: NBC Fall Schedule Scoop.
- April 2: Hollywood Reporter: NBC greenlights ‘Office’ spinoff.
Tipsters: MG714, Michael, Red, Ms. J to the B, Lynn, sorano916
Pages: 1 2
Follow OfficeTally
Upcoming Episodes
- Mar 25: Happy Hour
- Apr 1: Niagara (r),
The Delivery (r) - May 20: tba (season finale)
- 6 episodes left in Season 6!
Current Episodes
- Mar 18: New Leads
- Watch 'The Office' online
- The Office Episode List
- Nielsen and fan ratings
- Season 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
Quick Links
Get Stuff
OfficeTally Exclusives
OfficeTally Archives
Advertisement
Other TV Shows
Wow it actually looks like a documentary, wish the office would have stuck with that docu-look.
Haha “I thought the slide was too fast so I put in speed bumps.” hahah I’m liking this new show more and more.
Love the name Leslie knope!
Ok, so there is a new promo up on nbc.com and I laughed far more than I did not! Yay! “I thought the slide was too fast, so I put in speed bumps.” lol!
so, I live in Indiana and work in the field of parks and recreation. I am psyched!!
Woohoo! Give it up for Hoosiers! Go Fort Wayne!
I have high hopes for this show now that we know the title. Parks and Recreation, what a fresh idea!
Parks & Recreation! Finally it’s not untitled! Can’t wait!
I actually interned at NBC Universal this fall and came across a copy of the pilot script, which I read immediately of course… I was surprisingly unimpressed.
It did feel a lot different than the Office… maybe more 30 Rock in style. But kind of boring. Amy’s character is kind of fun, but nobody else jumped out of the script. Hopefully it will come across better in live action.
As a Hoosier working in small town city government, I think this is great! Anyone have a contact number for me to call to get on as a paid “consultant”!!!
Agreed Lynda. I was more interested before I read the plot description.
Erm, this plot sounds really dopey. I hope they punch it up before filming the pilot.
Did anybody go to “A Night of Funny People” where Apatow shot Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen for a scene in the movie? Aziz Ansari did an act. He was absolutely hysterical.
I think I could really dig this. Hey, NBC is not really coming up with fresh scripted television and comedies lately. It’s all Howie Mandel, Reality shows and Jay Leno at 10pm each night. This is the only prominent sitcom in development that is getting buzz. Besides, it sounds funny to me. I’ll take what I can get. Another workplace comedy is cool. And the added bonus is Amy, Rashida and Aziz getting scripts written by Michael Schur. You can’t go wrong. I’m staying positive.
so it’s like the Office, only it isn’t the Office?
Remember in 2005 when Steve Carell appeared in the first few episodes of the series in the Spring and the show was on the verge of not making it until Carell appeared in an Apatow-directed movie over the summer? It’s almost happening all over again, except the two people in the non-spinoff and the Apatow movie are not the leads in either.
A little off topic, in regards to #576’s comments about Jenna Fischer, I would like to see her in another Apatow picture, maybe even headline one if Apatow allows a female lead. And on a more personal note, I’d like to see her alongside the top dog star of Funny People, Adam Sandler, especially if she’s playing the kind of role Drew Barrymore had in her movies with Sandler.
it sounds like it is going to focus on the idea of amy’s character being self important and thinking that she is involved in “politics” which is different. although the david brent character was, michael scott is not arrogant. having worked in a small city’s parks and rec department i am actually looking forward to the show. and i have no problem with it being similar to the office – if it’s funny then who cares?
Is there room for another mockumentary on TV? Absolutely.
Is there room for another office-centered comedy? Definitely.
But another office-centered mockumentary? I dunno…
For some reason I’m still feeling apprehensive about this non-spin-off show. It just sounds like The Office with different people, in a different work setting, and I don’t want to see a re-hashing of the wonderful original (and yes, I know the UK Office was THE original, but I’m just talking in US terms, here). I’m definitely going to give the new show a try. I’d love for there to be another show that I love as much as TO, but I hope they make it sufficiently different so I don’t feel like I’ve seen it all before.
This sounds like a show I’m already watching… The Office.