brent johnson looks at what he believes is the funniest show on TV today …
Theoretically, it’s a show that shouldn’t work. A half-hour sitcom on prime-time network television … about a local parks department. In Indiana. Where the boss is a mustached Libertarian with a fondness for woodworking.
But Parks And Recreation is the best comedy on television today. Maybe since Seinfeld.
Grandiose statement? Sure. But it’s an important one to make after what happened at NBC this week.
In recent years, Thursday nights on the Peacock Network have changed the modern sitcom with a string of smart, whacked-out shows where laugh tracks aren’t needed and humor isn’t broad. The Office and 30 Rock anchor the evening — two aging but veteran shows with a cache of Emmy awards and decent-enough ratings to make them among the few hits on the slumping network. But the night’s most creative — read: weird — programs are Community and Parks And Recreation, two critical darlings with only niche audiences. Both have ranked near the bottom 100 in the ratings for their timeslots over the last few years.
Then, on Monday, it happened. NBC announced that it was taking Community off the midseason schedule and putting it on hiatus. Executives say it will be back at a later date. Fans cried foul — especially since Whitney, a laugh-track, lowest-common-demonator sitcom about the yuckiness of relationships, managed to stay on the block. It was a reminder that truly daring comedy often doesn’t click with a country that prefers Two And A Half Men.
It’s unlikely Parks And Rec will suffer the same fate. Its ratings are slightly better, and its lead actor is not only an NBC stalwart but a name: former Saturday Night Live star Amy Poehler. But maybe it’s time to let the millions who aren’t watching know what they’re missing.
1. The Pedigree
Part of what made The Office so endearing early in its run was that the show took a familiar atmosphere — the everyday workplace — and filled it with characters that remind you of yourself (Jim, Pam) and characters you have dreaded knowing in real life (Dwight, Michael). Parks And Rec — created by Office writers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur — tweaks that idea. It uses the same framing device (a mockumentary where the characters talk to the camera) and focuses on a another odd group of people. But the setting is less familiar: a local city hall. The show, though, deftly mines comedy from the most unexpected places: a ghastly construction pit in the middle of town, a mixed-gender hunting trip and, yes, town hall meetings. You won’t stop laughing at the local looney who shouts about Laura Linney during an open public forum.
2. Leslie Knope
We all have known a Leslie Knope. The Girl Scout who could whittle soap into a horse. The student council president who yearned to be president. The Type A workaholic who never fails to get things done. Knope is the deputy parks director of (fictional) Pawnee, Ind. — a sugar-fueled go-getter who’s as quick and intelligent as she is manic. Poehler plays her so effortlessly that you completely forget the crazed characters she used to perform on SNL. Knope will make you laugh, but she will also win your admiration. Noted TV critic Alan Sepinwall says Parks And Rec is rooted in a new kind of comedy: where nice, everyday people do extraordinary things. There’s something refreshing about that.
3. Ron F—ing Swanson
Ever meet a guy who teaches children why government is wretched? Who wraps bacon around a turkey leg? Who idolized Bobby Knight and keeps a gold gun on his desk? We haven’t either. That’s what makes Ron Swanson, Pawnee’s reluctant parks director, so much fun to watch. There hasn’t been a supporting character this unique and fully realized since Kramer or Costanza. It’s a crime that while the show garnered Emmy nominations for Best Comedy and Best Actress for Poehler last year, Nick Offerman went nod-less for playing Swanson. He’s a sight to be seen.
4. The Others
M*A*S*H. Cheers. Seinfeld. All three were classic comedies with a similar critical element: a deep, reliable supporting cast. A large reason why Parks is so amazingly strong week after week is that at any time, the show can turn to one of its seemingly endless supply of characters to carry the laughs … Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari), the lazy assistant who yearns to be P. Diddy. April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza), the bone-dry intern who has two boyfriends — both of whom are gay. Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones), a sweet local nurse who has somehow fallen into this wacky world. Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt), city hall’s shoeshine guy and the lead singer of Pawnee’s favorite alt-rock band, Mouse Rat (formerly Scarecrow Boat). Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott), a finance guru and the former 18-year-old mayor of a midwest city that he bankrupted with a hockey rink called Ice Town. Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe), the uber-peppy city manager who vows to literally live until he’s 150 thanks to veggie burgers and lunch-time chin-ups in his office doorway.
5. Random-Yet-Sweet Comedy
At its best, The Office showed that truly transcendent comedy is when you meld offbeat laughs with relatable sweetness. You want the audience to not only chuckle, but to feel something. That’s because life is really about how we rebound from failure and how we interact with the people we love. It’s a delicate balancing act Parks And Rec nails almost every week. Few shows are as consistent in their blend of humor and pathos. One minute, NBA star Detlef Schrempf is making a guest appearance. The next, two characters are boosting each other’s spirits over waffles and scrambled eggs. One minute, you’re learning that the next time you order a cake, you can also call it ‘a big ol’ cookie.’ The next, two characters in love are taking an impromptu road trip to gaze at the beauty of the grand canyon.
But you know what? Just tune in tonight at 8:30 on NBC. Like all the truly great things in the world, no amount of words will do Parks And Recreation justice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjer4H7me_g
Comments are closed.