2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Peter Harris)
Writer Mike Schur's latest project, A Man on the Inside, is now streaming on Netflix, but it is one of his older shows, once dubbed 'uncomfortable', that I find myself watching from beginning to end, at least once every year. Originally pitched as a spin-off of the US version of The Office, it quickly became its own thing. While it would continue a similar style, with a mockumentary set-up and even characters speaking directly to the camera, its world and characters had nothing to do with Michael Scott and his paper company.
For those unfamiliar with the series, I have great news—it is available to stream for free on ITVX. Even better news: once you've watched all 126 episodes, you can move on to Mike Schur's follow-up shows Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, and A Man on the Inside, which are all available on Netflix. Schur co-created Parks and Recreation alongside Greg Daniels, who wrote on Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons and co-created King of the Hill.
However, the early days of Parks and Rec were a bit patchy. Any dedicated fan of the sitcom will no doubt follow up their recommendation with a "you can skip the first season" or "don't give up on it after the first couple of seasons; it gets so good, I promise." They would be right on both counts, although I wouldn't recommend anyone skip that difficult early season.
If anything, it just makes it more remarkable how good the show becomes. It also harkens back to a precious time when TV shows were given space to find their footing. Netflix would sooner swing the axe on a show that dares need a dozen more episodes for the ensemble to get into character.
That first season of Parks received a mixed critical reception. One reviewer for the New York Daily News even said, "Part of Parks and Recreation feels uncomfortable, which would be more tolerable if the rest of the show felt funny." There were only six episodes in that premiere season, which is a short amount of a US sitcom, so there is not a lot to have a go at.
The second season got a full order of 24 episodes and saw some significant changes, particularly to the protagonist, Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler. Her character wasn't immediately welcomed by audiences like Steve Carrell's Michael Scott, but season 2 of Parks saw her become softened slightly. It also establishes what she is all about: loving her job and doing the absolute best she can for the local government.
If only our own councils had a Leslie Knope. She's not the only one. Chris Pratt was only supposed to be a guest star, but his loveable goof Andy Dwyer is given more time to grow as part of the team, alongside Nick Offerman's Ron Swanson, serving as the exact opposite of Leslie.
While the show does have a difficult start, the second season is not to be skipped. It has some standout episodes, including Andy Samberg stealing the screen in Park Safety, introducing a new holiday on Galentine's Day and a hint of what could be one of the best sitcom couples of all time in Summer Catalog. By the show's third season, the cast undergoes a massive shakeup, losing one big name and gaining two.
Paul Schneider leaves to very little fanfare, and his character is literally never mentioned again. It can't be denied; he's not missed. However, he is replaced by the duo of Rob Lowe and Adam Scott, and the show never looks back.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Parks season one has a forgetful 68% but leaps to 96% for the second series. The new faces in season three help the show gain its first perfect 100% score. While the final season is the only time the score dips below 90% again, it is one of the strongest finales ever achieved in a comedy series.
Parks and Recreation started a trend in Mike Schur's created shows. While he began as a writer on The Office US, about workers at an apparent dead-end job, Schur instead turned his attention to workplace comedies where the job could actually be quite important. While there are still individuals demonstrating incompetence for comedic effect, Poehler's Leslie is an early example of 'what if the central character loves their job and worked so hard to excel at it?' As the show progresses, it rubs off on the rest of the ensemble.
I won't spoil how. But Schur would continue this with his follow-up comedy series, Brooklyn Nine-Nine - a workplace comedy about police detectives who love the work. He would do it again, arguably with The Good Place, a sort of workplace comedy, except the workers work in the afterlife.
A Man on the Inside, released earlier this week, switches it up slightly as the central premise surrounds the potential that someone may not be doing their job properly. When I watched the new series featuring Ted Danson for review, it just reminded me of my love for Parks. I find myself rewatching Knope's career and friendships at least once a year.
The show that was once labelled uncomfortable is my ultimate comfort watch. Not only does the show have jokes that make me laugh every single time ("Leslie, I put your symptoms into the computer, and it looks like you might have internet connectivity problems."), but it also makes me feel like there are still people in important positions doing the best they can.
It helps me believe that people can improve, achieve things we might not see possible at first, and change for the better (Ben Schwartz's Jean Ralphio is probably the exception). I envy anyone who can watch the show for the first time. Parks and Recreation is streaming on ITVX, A Man on the Inside is streaming on Netflix.
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