Rating: 5/5
Three-Word Summary: Hilarious local government
Parks and Recreation is honestly one of the best television shows that I’ve ever seen.
Quality entertainment can instill a more positive outlook on humanity, which is exactly what this program does. It’s funny, touching and inspirational.
Essentially, the show is about the Parks and Recreation Department of the small, fictitious town of Pawnee, Indiana. But generally, its an introspective of local government and the quirky operations of American communities.
As with all things, the show relies on indelible characters, especially the indomitable Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler.
As the assistant director of the Parks department, Knope is the motivating force behind the other characters and the proverbial straight man to their varieties of humor.
Over the arc of the show, Leslie and the rest of the department grow and develop into rich and full individuals. This development is what makes the story so satisfying.
At the end of the show’s seven seasons, the audience feels a true connections with this people, as though we had adventured with them during the course of the show.
It’s no surprise that Parks and Recreation was created by the same people who made the American version of The Office. Besides the same type of cinematography, both shows demonstrate a deftness at character development and storytelling.
These elements are what made both shows so popular and well-loved.
There aren’t many individuals like Leslie Knope in television or in the actual government. Which is what makes a show like Parks and Recreation so special.