‘Parks and Recreation’: You be the critic
‘Parks and Recreation’
7:30 p.m. Thursdays, beginning tonight (April 9) on NBC (Channel 5)
Grade: incomplete
I’m stuck on the fence about “Parks and Recreation.” In limbo, or possibly denial. Wanting it to be better; hoping it will get better; wondering if, maybe, the comedy from executive producers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur of “The Office” is actually better, funnier, than I thought it was on two viewings of the premiere.
I should be able to embrace this show. Love “The Office”? Check. Adore star Amy Poehler? Check. Crazy for dry, whimsical, awkward humor? Check, check, check. But “Parks and Recreation” somehow managed not to make me laugh, and you know what a comedy that doesn’t make you laugh is — not a comedy.
But “Parks and Recreation” has a pedigree that suggests it could soar. “The Office” started slow; either that or it took awhile even for people who became its biggest fans to adjust to its awkward tone. “30 Rock” (created by and starring Poehler’s “Saturday Night Live” pal Tina Fey) was weak to the point of near-disaster in its first few episodes, only to rebound brilliantly.
So I’m withholding final judgment on “Parks and Recreation” until I see at least one more episode. If I gave it a grade today, that grade would be C. After you watch tonight, ponder what your grade would be and let me know here. PS: Remember, if you’re gonna be a critic, you actually have to watch the show.
Amy is terribly miscast. She’s a wisguy sparkplug, not an affect-less, benighted idealist.
I watched it because of its Office connection and in spite of Amy Pohler. Over all I would say the show is pointless in that it is just a carbon copy of The Office. I can imagine that meeting, ”Hey, the Office is doing well, give me another Office”. BTW, the Office is getting weak. They need to get back on track. Having Michael out of the office is like when they put Earl in jail. It doesn’t work, they have mucked up the whole dynamic.
Tim, you hit it spot on. This is just another attempt by the networks to clone one success into seven or eight more — and it failed miserably. And The Office is getting weak, but I don’t necessarily know if it’s the Michael’s out thing or if it’s just not a sustainable environment. I mean, how long can that tension between being edgy and pushing just up to the line be maintained before you either cross the line into “jumping the shark” or just sort of lose the tension at which point it isn’t funny anymore? I’m just saying it’s not reasonable to think that’s a forever thing, so maybe a show like The Office has a short shelf life.
Parks and Recreation was very disappointing.
Ehh I thought it was fine but I didn’t have really high expectations either. Maybe it just takes a while for it to grow on you like the Office, 30 Rock and Arrested development. In all of those shows the pilot episodes were never the funniest ( well at least in my opinion). Personally I liked her boss because I know people who want to run for office who hate government and would be exactly like him.
After watching it last night, I could not decide how I felt… after reading this and thinking about it, I realize that not having a real reaction is a bad thing. I expected to love it and laugh, and I did not. I would maybe give it one or two more tries, but then I’ll move on.
Meg, I always thought it was funny that this “documentry” has been filming for five years. How much do they need?
Compared to the ten minutes of “Kath & Kim” I watched, “Parks & Recreation” was Shakespeare. I think they did a pretty good job of setting up all of the back story in 20-odd minutes, and we ended up with her getting the mandate she wanted.
Next week she begins her quest, tilting at local, self-important politicians. This may hit pretty close to home for citizens of the St. Louis region.
I’ll watch a couple more episodes before I make a final judgement. The talent pool definitely has a deep end.
I am not a lover of “the Office” - way too rude and mean. Parks… has an awkward sense of humor - but still with a nice quality. I certainly like it much more than the Office.
This show has cancelled written all over it. The problem is the actors are good and doing their best, but the storyline and dialogue by the writer’s (along with the current premise) is really really really bad. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention awful. Somebody must be connected, because they wrote the story before they hired the cast. Besides the writer, ther person who needs to be fired is the studio executive that gave this awful show a green light. There is no way this looked better on paper, too many time someone well liked has been put on a lame show and it bombed. By now upu woould think someone would know this was bad work by the writers.