Parks and Recreation is an American television sitcom starring Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, a perky, mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009 to February 24, 2015 for 125 episodes over seven seasons.[1][2][3][4] It uses the same filming style used in The Office, with the same implication of a documentary crew filming everyone. The ensemble and supporting cast features Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Paul Schneider, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Jim O'Heir, Retta, and Billy Eichner, who became a main cast member during the final season.
The writers researched local California politics for the show and consulted with urban planners and elected officials. Poehler's character of Leslie Knope underwent major changes after the first season in response to audience feedback that she seemed unintelligent and "ditzy." The writing staff incorporated current events into their episodes, such as a government shutdown in Pawnee inspired by the real-life global financial crisis. Several guest stars, such as Will Arnett and Sam Elliott, have been featured in the show, and these characters often appear in multiple episodes.
Parks and Recreation was part of NBC's "Comedy Night Done Right" programming during their Thursday night prime-time block. The series received mixed reviews during its first season. After a re-approach to its tone and format, however, the second and subsequent seasons were widely acclaimed. Throughout its run, Parks and Recreation received several awards and nominations, including two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, six Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe win for Poehler's performance, and a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. In Time 's 2012 year-end lists issue, Parks and Recreation was named the number one television series of that year.[5] In 2013, after receiving four consecutive nominations in the category, Parks and Recreation won the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy.