Parks and Rec
The Underdog TV Show That Lit'rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America
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Parks and Rec
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About this listen
More than fifteen years after Parks and Recreation premiered, it has become a streaming and pop culture staple. It’s beloved for its jokes, characters, and expressions—the show even created a now widely observed holiday, Galentine’s Day. How did it all happen and how did the show transform from a ratings disappointment into a cult classic? Pop culture historian Jennifer Keishin Armstrong reveals all this and more in the definitive history of the show, which is as full of humor, optimism, and heart as Parks and Recreation itself.
Through new and exclusive interviews, as well as deep insight and smart and entertaining pop culture analysis, Armstrong tells the story of how Parks and Recreation came to be: how it grew from The Office’s success and Obama-inspired optimism, how producers assembled one of TV’s most lovable casts but barely survived a mediocre first season, how the show found its voice by getting more political and more romantic, and how it became a cultural force despite middling ratings during its network run, going on to become a television savior of the Trump era and a modern classic.
Lovingly told and deeply researched, Parks and Rec is the ultimate history of the show that taught us what’s important in life: friends, waffles, and work.
Critic Reviews
"Making Parks and Rec was fun, pure fun, achieved through joyous collaboration with an incredible collection of writers and actors and creative people. I miss it every day, and Jennifer Keishin Armstrong's book is as close as I (or anyone) can get to actually being there, working and laughing and making something we all loved so much." –Michael Schur, co-creator of Parks and Recreation
“Sweet as a plate of JJ’s waffles, Parks and Rec is a thoughtful celebration of the underdog sitcom that, for seven seasons, put an optimistic lens on liberal democracy and small-town life. Full of behind-the-scenes stories from the show’s writers, cast and crew, Parks traces the NBC sitcom’s transformation from mid-season misfire to witty, romantic television classic. A perfect gift for members of the Leslie Knope-o-verse— or anyone searching for a little sunlight in a dark time.”
–Emily Nussbaum, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Cue the Sun!
"What an incredible work. I was on the show for six seasons and reading the book gave me an entirely new understanding and appreciation of Parks and Recreation. This book truly is a study on how Hollywood sitcoms are envisioned, engaged, and then enjoyed. It makes me even prouder to have been a part." –Jay Jackson (aka Perd), actor, Parks and Recreation
“Armstrong is an engaging writer, and her enthusiasm for the series is enormously contagious…. More fun than watching Li’l Sebastian chow down on a waffle from JJ’s Diner.” –Kirkus
“Sweet as a plate of JJ’s waffles, Parks and Rec is a thoughtful celebration of the underdog sitcom that, for seven seasons, put an optimistic lens on liberal democracy and small-town life. Full of behind-the-scenes stories from the show’s writers, cast and crew, Parks traces the NBC sitcom’s transformation from mid-season misfire to witty, romantic television classic. A perfect gift for members of the Leslie Knope-o-verse— or anyone searching for a little sunlight in a dark time.”
–Emily Nussbaum, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Cue the Sun!
"What an incredible work. I was on the show for six seasons and reading the book gave me an entirely new understanding and appreciation of Parks and Recreation. This book truly is a study on how Hollywood sitcoms are envisioned, engaged, and then enjoyed. It makes me even prouder to have been a part." –Jay Jackson (aka Perd), actor, Parks and Recreation
“Armstrong is an engaging writer, and her enthusiasm for the series is enormously contagious…. More fun than watching Li’l Sebastian chow down on a waffle from JJ’s Diner.” –Kirkus
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