Plot
In the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, Leslie Knope (Poehler) is Deputy Director of the Parks And Recreation department. After local nurse Ann Perkins (Jones) asks that a local construction pit be filled in, Leslie attempts to transform it into a park…
Review
It’s impossible to talk about the first season of Parks And Recreation without comparing it to the U.S. version of The Office. Created by the same people (primarily, showrunners Greg Daniels and Michael Schur), co-starring the strikingly gorgeous Rashida Jones and shot in the same mockumentary format, the similarities in tone and style will be obvious to Office fans. Another workplace comedy, there are also notable shades of Steve Carell’s Michael Scott in Amy Poehler’s lead character, as she too is enthusiastic, naive, good-hearted and child-like.
Moreover, The Office didn’t find its own voice and identity till season two – and you get the feeling that the same is true here. For while Parks And Recreation is reasonably charming and promising, it’s only starting to come together towards the end of its six episode run. Sure, local government isn’t as relatable as the soul-killing monotony of office life, but with a nice cast and talented creative team, season two should be much better.
Verdict
The first season is Office-lite and still finding its own voice, but season two should be much better.
