When the first season of Parks and Recreation was announced, it was advertised as a spin-off of The Office, expected to maintain the quality and feel that the beloved series had. However, as Rotten Tomatoes showed, the series did not have the best start, having a 68% critics rating and a 71% audience rating for its first season. This is surprising, since a potential spin-off of a show like The Office should have easily gained good reviews.
What is even more fascinating is that the series has become iconic over time, boasting an overall score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. With this, one cannot help but wonder why the first season was so distinctively bad, and interestingly enough, it could have everything to do with Steve Carell’s series.
When Parks and Recreation first began its run, it seemed as though the series was trying to imitate exactly what worked in The Office. Michael Scott worked because of his ridiculousness, being unlike anything fans had seen before. The series used this to their advantage and created a character who was the butt of every joke.
Since Michael was a beloved and interesting character, Leslie Knope was also shaped in his light, having the same awkwardness. While this worked with Steve Carell’s character, the first few episodes of Amy Poehler showed us exactly why the storyline would not work, making Leslie seem like a female version of Michael instead of giving her an identity of her own.
While fans know Knope as a woman of action who will use all the power she has to make Pawnee better, the first season painted her in a completely different light. Things were simply happening to her, and the butt of the joke was the awkwardness felt by her or people around them.
Although such a comedy style worked excellently for Carell’s series, copying the same approach would not have been sustainable for long. Thankfully, Poehler’s series understood that it needed to stand out in its own manner, turning it into one of the best sitcoms of all time.
How Parks and Recreation Stepped Out of The Office’s Shadow
There is no denying that a show takes some time to understand what works for it. However, there is a very evident difference between the first two seasons of Parks and Recreation compared to the rest. Seeming as though the show went from trying to figure out what it wanted to be, to knowing exactly what it was, the difference in quality after the two seasons can be studied.
The writers’ decision to make Leslie her own character instead of a copy of Michael was certainly a big contributor to it. At the same time, the tonal shift, from cringy awkwardness to an absurdity that was heartwarming, was much bigger than the personality of one character. Starting off, the decision to write out Mark Brendanawicz from the story was an extremely wise one, seeming like deadweight in a story that did not need a cynical touch that wasn’t Swanson.
In addition to this, the series seemed to understand which character needed to play into which traits, making April darker and unhinged, Tom more dramatic, and Ron more himself. This set up a ridiculous environment within the Parks Department, which was only furthered by Leslie’s Type-A tendencies.
It also played into Rashida Jones’ comedic sense, allowing Ann to become funnier. Finally, it added interesting characters at the center of the story, with Ben and Chris being the best examples of the same.
Turning into something unrecognizable, the show found its rhythm and became one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time. With this, what Parks and Recreation change did you enjoy the most? Let us know in the comments below.
