# Parks and Recreation (2009)

> An irrepressibly optimistic mid-level bureaucrat in Pawnee, Indiana tries to beautify her town and win over a deadpan, rules-loving staff.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/7968

## Facts

- Seasons: 7
- Episodes: 122
- Episode runtime: 22 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Michael Schur, Greg Daniels
- Network: NBC
- Cast: Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Paul Schneider, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott
- TMDB rating: 8.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1266020/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: earnest, optimistic, deadpan, warm, whimsical

## What critics say

Viewers broadly acclaim the series as a warm, joke-dense workplace comedy whose ensemble and optimistic lead carry it across seven seasons.

## Synopsis

Parks and Recreation (2009-2015) is an American network sitcom created by Michael Schur and Greg Daniels for NBC. Amy Poehler plays Leslie Knope, an irrepressibly earnest mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana, who wants to beautify her town and advance her career. Her quest runs into lawsuits, tangled city codes, cranky neighbors, and single-issue fanatics. Around her orbit a sardonic libertarian director played by Nick Offerman, the scheming Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford, the deadpan April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza), and the perpetually confused Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt). Each episode is built from a small civic project, a council vote, or a petty feud, while the seven-season run keeps a loose thread of workplace relationships moving. Shot as a mockumentary with confessional talking-head interviews, the show balances relentless optimism with dry, deadpan awkwardness. Its tone is warm, wistful, and affectionate toward its misfit ensemble. Fans of The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Veep will find resonance in its mix of political satire and found-family comedy.

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