The latest news and comment on Parks and Recreation
June 2023
Nick Offerman: ‘I was told I’d never not be Ron Swanson’
Parks and Recreation gave the midwestern actor the role of a lifetime – one that he struggled to escape. But now, with a stunning standalone episode of The Last Of Us and a new standup tour, he’s found there’s life after Ron
April 2023
Script, what script? Why Parks and Recreation star Ben Schwartz can’t quit improv
The beloved sitcom’s scene-stealer may now be hot Hollywood property, starring alongside Jim Carrey and Nicolas Cage, but he refuses to move on from his first love. As he scores a Netflix special and heads for the UK, he explains its allure
February 2023
Jenny Slate on making a film with her ex-husband: ‘I wouldn’t suggest it!’
The standup stole scenes in Parks and Recreation and won plaudits for Obvious Child. Now she is stretching herself further with Oscar-nominated passion project Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
December 2022
2022 in TV
‘There’s a reason for everything – even the goats’: Adam Scott on the eerie genius of Severance
With Mark, the microchipped office drone, the star has put ‘befuddled beta males’ behind him. He reveals why shooting during Covid fed the show’s strangeness – but still can’t explain the goats
July 2022
We’re back! Walt, Jesse and the TV stars who couldn’t resist one last goodbye
As two of TV’s most iconic characters prepare to join Better Call Saul for its swansong, the creators of some of telly’s best sendoffs discuss giving one last hurrah to their fan favourites
February 2022
The reader interview
Post your questions for Amy Poehler
The comic actor has turned director of recent Sundance hit, Lucy and Desi, a documentary on I Love Lucy’s Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Questions, please!
January 2022
Michael Schur: ‘It’s a daily gut punch that people are anti-mask’
The creator of philosophical sitcom The Good Place knows a thing or two about moral quandaries, and now he’s written a book all about them. But the pandemic is stretching his worldview to its limits
August 2021
10 of the best ...
From Shonda Rhimes to Armando Iannucci: 10 of the best TV showrunners
A celebration of the brains behind some of the small screen’s biggest and best shows, including The Wire, Grey’s Anatomy and Friends
July 2021
Stream team
‘Irresistibly funny’: the 20 best shows to binge right now
To help our readers through the latest lockdowns, we recommend the chillest, easiest and most laugh-out-loud series that we couldn’t stop watching
May 2021
Hadley Freeman's Weekend column
Want to have a not-completely-terrible semi-locked-down celebration? Here’s how
Hadley Freeman
I’ve always liked that my birthday is in May, but this year I was dreading it
March 2021
Six hours, 25 minutes
'Downton Abbey is ludicrous': the biggest TV hits we've never seen – until now
Continuing our series on a year of bumper pandemic viewing, our critics finally watch the shows that had passed them by, from Downton to Twin Peaks
June 2020
Sun screen: the best TV shows to watch over the summer months
From Love Island to Queer Eye, as the longest day of the year beckons our writers pick their favourite summery television so you needn’t brave the outside world
May 2020
Parks and Recreation: was the quarantine reunion episode worth it?
The cast of the long-running sitcom reassembled for a special that avoided political statements and gave fans what they were craving
March 2020
Amy Poehler: 'One must try to be a good citizen at this time'
The Parks & Recreation star on the joy of Galentine’s Day and classic British sitcoms – and how Leslie Knope would be getting on in quarantine
September 2019
Best culture of the 21st century
The 100 best TV shows of the 21st century
Where’s Mad Men? How did The Sopranos do? Does The Crown triumph? Can anyone remember Lost? And will Downton Abbey even figure? Find out here – and have your say
June 2019
Shortcuts
In need of relentless optimism? The 10 best ‘hopepunk’ shows to binge now
It’s the TV genre that offers a sunny, uplifting take on the world, in contrast to, well, everything else. Here are the shows to watch when ‘grimdark’ programming becomes too much
May 2019
How we made
How we made Parks and Recreation, by Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman and Mike Schur
‘Ron is based on a real person: a libertarian with a kick-ass moustache who hates government but loves red meat, hunting and woodwork’
January 2019
Life's better with Retta: How TV's 'treat yo self' queen conquered comedy
She turned a bit-part on the sitcom Parks and Recreation into TV stardom – all part of a plan she cooked up while working as a chemist
June 2018
Jump the shark
When good TV goes bad: how Parks and Recreation got sickly sweet
Amy Poehler’s joyful show got a bit too joyful, and had a shark-jumping seventh series retreading old ground and leaving a bad taste in the mouth
May 2018
Observer New Review Q&A
Nick Offerman: ‘After Parks and Rec, the parts coming my way were overweight men in briefs, crying'
Best known for his role in the US sitcom, the actor talks about his love of tools, being a Londonphile, and his proposal to Megan Mullally
