TV: Parks and Recreation

We were excited to hear that the makers of The Office, a show that we have watched and loved for years, were collaborating to create a new show, Parks and Recreation, based on local politics. It seemed like a funny idea for a show and we were pleased to see something new coming from a great team. The point is, we were giving it the benefit of the doubt. Imagine our disappointment when we got around to watching the pilot.

The show is exactly the same as The Office, but with less-developed characters and cheaper jokes. We really wanted this to be good, but it seems to be a poorly disguised knock-off of The Office. When this mockumentary style of television first came out, it was hilarious, raw, and different. It's surprising that a few years later it can feel so tired.


Quick vote: Don't bother.