Parks and Recreation

lynchpin

Just a heads up that the new Greg Daniels' comedy "Parks and Recreation" is starting tonight in America. Have been looking forward to this as it stars
the very funny Amy Poehler and Aziz Ansari who was last seen in Scrubs(playing new intern Ed).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parks_and_Recreation

Linku

Had been looking forward to this, as I love Amy Poehler, but I was over in the states last week and the previews looked dire.
It's going to have to be great to survive alongside 30 Rock and The Office, I hope for Amy's sake its good!

Mr E

I read some reviews on AICN this morning. Sounds good to me. However getting an endorsement from those guys can be a kiss of death.

Linku

I forgot to say that I've recently come to the conclusion that no show ever has an amazing first episode, there's just too much exposition to do, so I'll try and not come back here and bitch about it too much when I see it! :P

lynchpin

Agree completely about the first episode thing.
The review on tv.ign.com came to the same conclusion.
Even if it is half as good as the Office then it will still be worth watching.

Linku

Watched the first episode just now. Good job I thought for a first episode, they didn't shoehorn in explanations of every character just yet.

However, this show is just way too like The Office as stands. It's filmed identically, right down to camera angles, and they really need to differentiate Leslie from Michael Scott. Most the time they just felt like the same character - they should go more with the overly optimistic attitude she had in a few of the scenes, to contrast with the rest of the characters who seem worn down working in a bureaucratic government job.

I do think it will pick up though, and hopefully when we get to know the supporting characters, they will be what separates this from The Office!

Basq

God, that wasn't very good at all.. the bit with the drunk in the slide got a giggle but very little else!

It's simply Amy Poehler trying really REALLY REALLY hard to be funny!

And she's about as funny as some kind of terminal illness.. she's not likeable at all, and she has the comedic presence of an apple. She's the poor man's Tina Fey!

PopBeloved

I've recently come to the conclusion that no show ever has an amazing first episode

The pilots for Deadwood, Firefly and Miracles were as good as any of their other episodes. In the case of Firefly, I'd say the pilot was the best episode of the series and in the case of Miracles, I'd say it was one of the best hours of television I've ever seen. The problem with exposition in pilots is that the writer usually treats it like something to introduce quickly so they can get to the engaging part of the story when they should be making the exposition the engaging part of the story. Deadwood, for example, used the audience's uncertainty of what the different characters were capable of to cast the shadow of incipient violence over everything and it created a really cool tension in the pilot.

moshea

Despite what was said here, and despite not being a fan of the office (yeah, I know - shoot me now), I still went ahead and downloaded & watched it.

And surprise surprise ... emmm ... meah!

So, I guess I might say, if you're a fan of the office .. then you might give it a try, and who knows. But if you don't like that office type comedy .... then steer clear.

That said, I do have a thing for Rashida Jones (from Boston Public, not the Office )... but I'm not sure that'll be enough to keep me engaged.

lynchpin

It wasn't a great pilot at all. Hopefully it will pick up over the next few weeks.

I don't agree with the "poor man's Tina Fey" comment above with regards Amy Poehler but I admit that she was trying too hard in this.

Besides her and the Aziz Ansari characters, none of the other actors seem to possess any comedic timing, or indeed ability, at all although the student character did show some potential.

Dodge

lynchpin wrote: »

Besides her and the Aziz Ansari characters, none of the other actors seem to possess any comedic timing, or indeed ability, at all although the student character did show some potential.

But I kinda liked that not every charachter was trying to be hilarious in the first episode. Unlike Basquille, I like Poehler and given room to develop I'm sure she won't be the reason it fails (if it does fail)

Having said all that, I did find it a little too "officey" and her charachet a little too "michael scotty" but I'm willing to watch this series of 6 episodes and see what happens

PopBeloved

I don't agree with the "poor man's Tina Fey" comment above with regards Amy Poehler but I admit that she was trying too hard in this.

I agree. Amy Poehler's very funny but she was leaning too heavily on Steve Carell's performance. But then in the beginning Carell was leaning too heavily on Gervais' and, after a while, he stopped, so hopefully the same thing'll happen here.

lynchpin

PopBeloved wrote: »

I agree. Amy Poehler's very funny but she was leaning too heavily on Steve Carell's performance. But then in the beginning Carell was leaning too heavily on Gervais' and, after a while, he stopped, so hopefully the same thing'll happen here.

My sentiments exactly.

JP Liz

Is a spin off from The Office?

Dodge

JP Liz wrote: »

Is a spin off from The Office?

In the strictest sense of the term, no. No charachters will cross over.

Hoever its a similar set up "tv reality show" and the producers (Greg Daniels and Mike Schur) come form the office

The style was a little too similar for me, first time out

Sizzler

Clip -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mU2vct6yQA

Watched this last night. Forget about the office comparisons and just take it for what it is. Not a bad first episode I have to say, not LOL funny but has the same cringe factor that you might expect from the office environment. Its worth following imo

Basq

Second episode wasn't much better to be honest.

The

paedo when canvassing

was the funniest bit.. but could see that coming a mile away.

Dodge

Sizzler wrote: »

Forget about the office comparisons and just take it for what it is

Funny when tlking to a friend about this and I mentioned how similar it was to the office (as above) and he turned round and pointed out how I told him to avoid comparing the Uk and US offices and "just watch it for what it was"

I hate having things thrown in my face so I'm willing to look at it fresh :D

J-blk

I'll give it a chance - I remember not liking the US Office much at all for its' first season either and did feel they were trying to copy too much from the UK Office... But it got much stronger during its' second "full" season and I've watched it ever since (and love it mostly). "Parks and Recreation" also only has a 6-episode first season and I'd say that NBC will stick with next season too, which will be the point where the show either makes it big or gets canceled.

Besides, there are rumors of "My Name is Earl" going so besides "30 Rock" and "The Office", what else are NBC going to show on their Thursday night comedy line up?

JP Liz V1

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Parks-Recreation-Renewed-1014372.aspx

renewed for 3rd season

J-blk

It's well worth the renewal now - it has gotten much better over its' second season...

ColumnLunch

I must say that this show just keeps getting better and better and I am delighted that it got a renewal.

The Office has decreased in quality as of late due to poor story lines so thankfully this show is on the up and up.

I was very dubious after the first season but they have reigned in Amy Poehler's character and prevented her from becoming a carbon copy of Michael Scott.

On the downside, the secondary characters are not quite perfect except for the April character. Her cutting stare at the camera cracks me up each time.

Boom_Bap

ColumnLunch wrote: »

I must say that this show just keeps getting better and better and I am delighted that it got a renewal.

The Office has decreased in quality as of late due to poor story lines so thankfully this show is on the up and up.

I was very dubious after the first season but they have reigned in Amy Poehler's character and prevented her from becoming a carbon copy of Michael Scott.

On the downside, the secondary characters are not quite perfect except for the April character. Her cutting stare at the camera cracks me up each time.

i only heard about this recently and gave the first season a watch, so impressed with it that i got season 2 up to the latest and watched it over a weekend.

Some forgettable epsiodes but some great writing and delivery.

Ron Swanson would be the perfect boss.

Ron eating a banana was excellent.

http://nbcparksandrec.tumblr.com/post/47743917764

Damnit, wrong Parks and Rec thread.