Jump to content

Pilot (Parks and Recreation)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Hunter Kahn (talk | contribs) at 06:02, 13 February 2010 (→‎DVD release: CE). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

"Pilot (Parks and Recreation)"

"Pilot" is the first episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 9, 2009. The episode was written by series co-creators Michael Schur and Greg Daniels, and directed by Daniels. Like the rest of the series, the pilot was filmed in the same mockumentary style as The Office, the NBC comedy series also created by Daniels.

The episode introduced the protagonist Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, as well as the other regular characters played by cast members Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider, Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza and Nick Offerman. Knope is a mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks and Recreation department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. In "Pilot", Knope sets out to turn a construction pit into a park after local nurse Ann Perkins (Jones) complains about the dangerous pit during a town meeting. Her anti-government boss Ron Swanson (Offerman) reluctantly allows her to form an exploratory committee after her friend and colleague Mark Brendanawicz (Schneider) secretly intervenes on her behalf.

Daniels and Schur first started writing the script in the summer of 2008, when they were in the early stages of conceiving the series. About one month before the pilot aired, a focus group report discussing several perceived problems with the episode was leaked to the media, which led to speculation that Parks and Recreation was not ready for prime-time television.

Once it aired, "Pilot" received generally mixed reviews, although Poehler herself was widely praised by most television critics. According to Nielsen Ratings, "Pilot" was watched by 6.77 million households in its original airing. Although it received less ratings that the two Office episodes it aired between, television critics pointed out it achieved an identical rating to the popular NBC show 30 Rock, which was broadcast the same night. The pilot, along with the rest of the first season of Parks and Recreation was released on DVD in the United States on September 8, 2009.

Plot

The episode opens with Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), a mid-level bureaucrat with six years of experience in the Parks and Recreation Department in the town of Pawnee, Indiana, discussing with a documentary crew her strong belief in the power of government to help other people. Later, Leslie hosts a community outreach public forum at an elementary school along with her jaded colleague Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari). Leslie is enthusiastic despite the low turnout and angry complaints, which she describes as "people caring loudly at me". Local nurse Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones) complains about a giant pit near her house, which was dug out by a condominium developer that went bankrupt in the middle of the construction project. Ann says her boyfriend broke both his legs after falling into the pit, and she demands something be done about it. Leslie is inspired by the challenge and vows that she will fill in the pit and build a park on the land.

Leslie seeks advice from colleague Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider), who feels the project would prove practically impossible due to logistics and bureaucratic red tape, but Leslie's enthusiasm is undeterred. Leslie later fondly tells the documentary crew that she and Mark "made love five years ago", but Mark only vaguely recalls the encounter. Leslie, Tom and the disinterested intern April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza) visit Ann and meet Ann's boyfriend Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt), a lazy and demanding musician who she is forced to wait on and support financially. Afterward, Leslie and Ann visit the pit, which Leslie accidentally falls into as Tom and April take photos "for the website". Some time later, Leslie asks her boss Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) for permission to form an exploratory committee for the pit project. Ron initially refuses, but eventually agrees to consider it just to get Leslie to leave his office. Ron explains that he does not want the Parks Department to build any parks because he believes government is a waste of money, and that all government should be privatized and run by corporations for profit. Leslie repeatedly pesters Ron about the park project, but he refuses to commit.

Meanwhile, Tom and April show embarrassing photos of Leslie in the pit to everyone in the office, much to the displeasure of Mark. Mark, who tells the documentary crew he is impressed that Leslie has somehow maintained her optimism about government for six years, secretly asks Ron to give her the park project. Mark said doing so would return a favor Ron owes him for unspecified reasons. Leslie and Ann are extremely excited about the new exploratory subcommittee, and they proceed to get drunk during a celebration party in the government office with Tom, Mark, April and other employees. Despite her skepticism about politics and government, Ann pledges to do whatever it takes to help get the pit filled in, "even if it takes two months".

Production

Conception

Rashida Jones, who appeared in The Office, also co-stars in Parks and Recreation. The show creators intended for Jones and Aziz Ansari to appear in the show from the earliest conception of the series.

Immediately after Ben Silverman was named co-chairman of NBC's entertainment division in 2007, he asked Greg Daniels to create a new comedy series. Silverman and Daniels previously worked together on The Office, a half-hour comedy Daniels adapted from the British comedy of the same name by Ricky Gervais.[1] Daniels wrote the pilot for what eventually became Parks and Recreation along with series co-creator Michael Schur, who had served as a writer on The Office.[2] Daniels and Schur had been considering ideas for a possible show with cast members Rashida Jones and Aziz Ansari, but the concept for the series did not form until they learned Amy Poehler could play the lead character. Once that casting was determined, the script for the pilot episode was first written in the summer of 2008 revolving around her as a city bureaucrat seeking to turn an enormous construction pit into a park. They also decided the script would include the mockumentary comedy style of The Office and, like that show, would allow for improvisation on set. However, they did not consider the script an Office spin-off and NBC officials vehemently insisted to media outlets that the show was a completely separate series, despite the similarities between the two shows.[3]

Writing

The original script portrayed Leslie and Mark as slightly less likable characters. Originally, Mark asked Ron to green-light the park project not to help Leslie, but because he was attracted to Ann and wanted another excuse to keep seeing her. These elements of the script were changed after press tours and focus group screenings.[4] The show's writers spent time researching local California politics and attended Los Angeles City Council meetings.[5][6] Daniels and Schur wanted the pilot to establish one of Leslie's duties was talking to the public on a regular basis, and they deliberately portrayed her public forum meetings as poorly attended except by a select group of angry residents. Schur said, "I've been to some community meetings in my life, and it is often this feeling of utter sparseness. That nobody cares."[5] One of the characters from the Parks and Recreation meeting in the episode is based on David "Zuma Dogg" Saltzburg, a regular gadfly at Los Angeles council meetings.[6] The first shot of the pilot was originally a scene with Ann standing over the pit and staring at it with an annoyed expression, followed by a documentary interview with Ann and Andy. The opening scene was changed because Daniels and Schur decided they wanted the first scene of the series to be set in a park. As a result, the episode started with a cold open of Leslie interviewing children in a park, then using a broom to push a drunk man out of spiral slide. Daniels had such a specific vision for the scene, he drew an elaborate and detailed storyboard sketch of a drunk man stuck in a tubular slide.[5]

Some parts of the episode consisted of a mixture of written dialogue and comedic improvisation from the actors. In one such scene, Aziz Ansari attempts to flirt with Rashida Jones when she speaks at a Parks and Recreation public forum. The scene was included in the script, but Ansari continued to improvise long after his dialogue ended, and Jones said she found it difficult to keep a straight face during filming. Schur encouraged Ansari to continue, and suggested the line in which Ansari suggests he and Jones go away together for the weekend.[5][7] Daniels called the scene "probably the highlight of the pilot."[8] The ending included another example of written dialogue mixed with improvisation, when Ansari recited a list of unusual things Leslie has attempted to do while drunk.[5] In other scenes, the written dialogue was abandoned altogether in favor of improvisation, such as the scenes of Ann and Andy talking on Ann's couch after Leslie fell into the pit and injured herself. Chris Pratt improvised a number of other lines and scenes in the episode, including when Andy asked Leslie to pass him his "itch stick", which he then used to scratch under his leg cast in an awkward and disgusting way.[8]

Filming

Michael Schur directed the pilot episode, marking his directorial debut.[5] The original cut of the pilot episode was 48 minutes long, and had to be cut down to 22 minutes. Due to the improvisational style and hand-held camerawork of the series, a great deal of extra footage is filmed in each episode and ultimately has to be discarded for the final cut.[8][9] Amy Poehler said of this, "For every show, there could probably be a second show of stuff we've edited out."[9] Brief portions of those cut scenes were interwoven into short montage sequences that played along with dialogue from the documentary-style interviews conducted within the episode with the characters.[8]

Although the series shared the same mockumentary style as The Office, Daniels and Schur sought to establish a slightly different tone in the camerawork of the pilot episode of Parks and Recreation. For example, the documentary-style interviews with characters sometimes feature two separate angles on the same person, with footage of the two different angles intercut into a single scene for the final episode. Daniels included this technique to distinguish Parks and Recreation from The Office. It was inspired by The Five Obstructions, a 2003 documentary by Lars Von Trier and Jørgen Leth, which Daniels watched at the suggestion of actor Paul Schneider.[8] The pilot episode also makes use of the jump cut technique more often than in The Office. In one example from the pilot episode, a scene repeatedly jumps cuts to several brief clips in which Leslie seeks permission from Ron to pursue the pit project.[8]

The pilot episode was filmed in southern California. The construction pit featured in the episode was dug out by the episode's producers at an undeveloped property in Van Nuys, a district in Los Angeles.[8][6] The producers went door-to-door to neighboring residents to seek their permission, then rented construction equipment to dig the hole in the ground.[8] The pit was guarded 24 hours a day,[10] and paparazzi regularly came to the set to take photos of the actors during filming. The exterior of the Pawnee government building, and several of the hallway scenes, were shot at the actual Pasadena city hall building.[8] The interior parks and recreation department scenes were filmed on a sound stage. The windows could drop water that would simulate falling rain, and the windowsills included fake pigeons.[5] The cold open scene was filmed in an actual playground in Los Angeles. The spiral tube slide used in the scene was the only one of its type left in the city, because the rest had been deemed too dangerous and removed. The public forum scenes were filmed in a Los Angeles middle school. The script originally called for the meeting to be held in a classroom because the auditorium door was locked. However, Daniels said the writers thought the school's auditorium was such a "cool location" that they added a scene in which the auditorium lights were turned off in the middle of the meeting.[8]

Singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III makes a cameo as Barry, one of the citizens who makes wild complaints at the parks and recreations community meeting.[11] Wainwright was selected for the part at the suggestion of casting director Allison Jones.[5] Comedian and actor Ian Roberts, who worked with Amy Poehler on the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe, also made a cameo at the public meeting as Ian, a man complaining about cursing at the park.[8] During filming, guest star Chris Pratt said Poehler arrived on the set by rolling down her car window, yelling "Praaaaaatt!" and welcoming him. Pratt said he was impressed by the polite behavior of the star, and said it put him at ease during filming.[12]

Cultural references

Leslie compares herself to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in describing the prevalence of women in government. Regarding her park project, Leslie said, "This could be my Hoover Dam", a reference to the concrete arch-gravity dam on the border between the Arizona and Nevada.[13] Ron said he believes government should be privatized and follow the business model of Chuck E. Cheese's, a chain of family entertainment centers.[14]

Ron has a poster of Bobby Knight, the famous retired basketball coach, hanging in his office.[15] The Bobby Knight image later had to be removed from the show for legal reasons.[16] Leslie has an autographed photo of Indiana-born basketball player Larry Bird on her desk. It reads, "To Lesly, Sink That Shot, Larry B." This is a reference to a deleted scene in which Tom reveals he has tricked Leslie into believing he has brunch with Bird once a month. Tom himself actually faked the autograph, and deliberately misspelled her name "Lesly" due to his lack of respect for her.[5][8]

During the parks meeting, a member of the public said he wanted to say some words about Laura Linney, an actress who appeared in such films as You Can Count on Me and The Squid and the Whale.[11] The member of the public also says the head of the local police is a ninth degree Mason, a reference to the nationwide fraternal organization.[17] Leslie invokes former U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon and George W. Bush as shining examples of democracy. Tom says he is from Columbia, South Carolina. At the end of the episode, a drunken Leslie sings "Lady Marmalade", a song made famous by girl group Labelle.[18] Tom said during a previous drunken party, he convinced Leslie to dress not as Batgirl, but as Batman, and to stop a crime being committed nearby.[19]

Reception

Pre-broadcast feedback

Parks and Recreation was rushed into production in order for the pilot to meet the April 9 premiere date. As a result, when the series was paneled at a January 2009 television critics press tour, NBC did not have a finished episode to broadcast, and only had a copy of the pilot episode script available for critics to review.[20] At the time, some of the parts were not even cast yet, and the series did not yet have a name and was known as The Untitled Amy Poehler Project or TUAPP.[21][22] Alan Sepinwall, television writer for The Star-Ledger, said he found the script very funny even though he normally hates reading comedy scripts "because they're rarely as funny on the page as they are coming out of an actor's mouth".[20]

According to a March 18 report that was leaked to television journalist Nikki Finke, focus groups responded poorly to a screening of the rough-cut version of the pilot. Several viewers felt the show was a "carbon copy" of The Office, and needed to be differentiated from that series to avoid coming across as forced and unoriginal. Some viewers found it predictable, slow-paced and lacking character development, and felt the beginning of the episode needed to better explain the situation and setting. Several viewers said the show lacked quality male characters, particularly a "datable" lead male. Other viewers, however, said The Office needed time to develop into a quality show, and they felt audiences would be more patient with Parks and Recreation than other shows due to its connection to The Office. Viewers also said the show's portrayal of bureaucracy of local government was "very believable" and could provide quirky and silly situations for the show, and they liked Poehler's character and performance. The release of the report led to speculation in the media that Parks and Recreations was not ready for prime-time television.[23] In response to the leaked negative feedback, Ben Silverman said rough cuts of shows are usually received negatively, even for ultimately successful shows.[24] Schur also said there had been at least four complete edits to the pilot since the focus-group results came in.[25]

Ratings and reviews

The Parks and Receation pilot first aired on April 9, 2009, in the United States on NBC. It was shown in a time slot between two fifth season episodes of The Office: "Dream Team" and "Michael Scott Paper Company".[26] In its original American broadcast on April 9, the pilot was watched by 6.77 million overall households, according to Nielsen Ratings. Media outlets described it as a solid rating for the premiere, and said it was comparable to average ratings for 30 Rock, the NBC show that also airs Thursday nights;[27][28] 30 Rock achieved the same 6.8 million overall household rating during the 9:30 p.m. time slot on April 9.[29] "Pilot" also had a 40 percent higher rating than the final episode of Kath & Kim, which previously held the show's time slot.[30] However, "Pilot" did not capture the same amount of viewers as the Office episodes that ran before and after it. "Dream Team", which ran at 8 p.m., drew 7.2 million households, and "Michael Scott Paper Company", which ran at 9 p.m., drew 8 million households.[29]

The episode received mixed reviews from television critics. Daniel Carlson of The Hollywood Reporter said Parks and Recreation appears to be a "genuinely funny and engaging comedy" and that inevitable comparisons to The Office are not fair; he also said Poehler "proves instantly she's got the comic intelligence to carry a series like this one".[31] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly said "Pilot" lacked the "snap and clear character delineation" of The Office, but pointed out that show also appeared flat in early episodes; Tucker said he liked the performances, attitude and atmosphere of the show, although it lacked many laugh out loud moments.[11] Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe said the show has the potential to become a "flip, witty political allegory" and praised Poehler and the supporting cast.[13] Los Angeles Times television critic Robert Lloyd praised the show for providing strong female leads, which he said was rare on television. He also said, "It has a kind of sunny charm, a premise fit for a novel. ... Poehler and Jones have a nice, contrapuntal rhythm. I stamp this show: approved."[14]

"The Parks and Recreation pilot is funny, with mounds of potential. Its problem is that it seems to be actively downplaying its distinctiveness by emphasizing the surface resemblance to The Office. Whether it manages to do so is still an open question."

James Poniewozik, Time[32]

Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger said the series needs to find a way to distinguish Leslie from Steve Carell's Michael Scott from The Office, but he said the pilot episode was funny, particularly the Aziz Ansari character. Sepinwall also said The Office did not find its footing until the second season, so comparisons simply based on the pilot were not fair.[20] Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times said the supporting cast needed stronger writing and reinforcements, but that Poehler was excellent in a lead role unique for women because it is based on weakness and wrongheadedness, but still a positive and strong part. Stanley said, "The pilot episode isn’t perfect, but Ms. Poehler very nearly is."[33] Verne Gay of Newsday said Poehler has "plenty of appeal here" so he felt the show might have potential, but felt the pilot was for the most part a "near knockoff" of The Office.[34] Likewise, Paige Wiser of the Chicago Sun-Times said "so far it's a pale Xerox of the paper company", although she said "there are lots of funny little moments that could add up to a great series."[17] Robert Bianco said the episode was not funny, and the way in which the scripts and supporting cast ridicule and ignore the Leslie character leaves a "sour whiff of gratuitous cruelty."[35] He also called the pilot unoriginal and described it as "a style in search of a show," despite Poehler's likability.[35] Similarly, Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said, "Watching Poehler's pathetic character have her dreams stomped on by apathetic bureaucrats is off-putting, more so than Michael Scott's obliviousness," although Owen said the Ansari character was amusing.[36]

Philadelphia Inquirer television critic Jonathan Storm strongly criticized the show, calling it a flat, "miscast mess" with serious structural problems. Storm also said the Leslie character lacked energy and Poehler was playing the part against her comedic strengths.[37] Tom Shales of The Washington Post said, "Poehler's show unfortunately isn't worthy of her. It's dry and hesitant when one longs for it to be raucous and madcap."[38] David Hinckley of New York Daily News said the show was not funny enough to deserve Poehler's comedic talents, and compared the dialogue to a Saturday Night Live sketch that he said could not sustain a whole sitcom.[39] New York Post television critic Linda Stasi said the pilot lacked laughs and was so similar to The Office that "it's starting to look like a one-trick pony outfit that's gonna keep dressing that horse up in new saddles, hoping that no one will guess it's been around the track so many times, it's worn a ditch in the dirt."[24] The pilot episode premiered in Australia on Channel Seven on December 1, 2009, when episodes from the critically-acclaimed second season were already playing in the United States. Sacha Moritorisz of The Sydney Morning Herald said of the episode, "To be frank, tonight's premiere is weak. But the potential is obvious and word from the US is that it gets much better."[40]

DVD release

The pilot episode, along with the five other first season episodes of Parks and Recreation, was released on a one-disc DVD set in the United States on September 8, 2009. The DVD included cast and crew commentary tracks for each episode, as well as about 30 minutes of deleted scenes.[41] The deleted scenes included on the DVD were originally featured on the official Parks and Recreation website after the episode aired. In one of them, Tom talks about changing his name because he thought it sounded too foreign for politics, although he admits it worked for U.S. President Barack Obama.[42][43] The scene was eventually worked into the second season episode, "The Stakeout".[44]

In one of the deleted scenes, Ann talks about the pit while Andy seriously injures himself while trying to get up and make himself a sandwich.[42][45] In another deleted scene, Leslie and the park subcommittee discuss possible names for their group, settling on the "subcommittee for pit beautification".[42][46] In another scene, Tom tries flirting with Ann by talking about the nursing profession; when he says his gums sometimes bleed when he brushes his teeth, she tells him he may have cancer of the tooth enamel.[42][47] In the final deleted scene, April explains she got assigned to the parks and recreation because she overslept on the intern sign up day, which she blamed on her sister not waking her up, "because she sucks."[42][48]

References

  1. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (2009-03-26). "It's Not 'The Office.' The Boss Is a Woman". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  2. ^ Martin, Denise (2009-11-18). "Making bureaucracy work: How NBC's "Parks and Recreation" overcame bad buzz". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  3. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (2009-03-26). "It's Not 'The Office.' The Boss Is a Woman". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  4. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (2009-05-14). "Parks and Recreation, "Rock Show": Reviewing the season finale". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Schur, Michael (2009). Parks and Recreation: Season One: "Pilot" (DVD). Universal Studios Home Entertainment. {{cite AV media}}: |format= requires |url= (help)
  6. ^ a b c Schneider, Michael (2009-04-23). "The Story Behind That "Parks and Recreation" Pit". Franklin Avenue. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
  7. ^ Jones, Rashida (2009). Parks and Recreation: Season One: "Pilot" (DVD). Universal Studios Home Entertainment. {{cite AV media}}: |format= requires |url= (help)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Daniels, Greg (2009). Parks and Recreation: Season One: "Pilot" (DVD). Universal Studios Home Entertainment. {{cite AV media}}: |format= requires |url= (help)
  9. ^ a b Poehler, Amy (2009). Parks and Recreation: Season One: "The Banquet" (DVD). Universal Studios Home Entertainment. {{cite AV media}}: |format= requires |url= (help)
  10. ^ Tan, Jennie (2009-04-09). "Parks and Recreation set". OfficeTally. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  11. ^ a b c Tucker, Ken (2009-04-09). "TV Review: Parks and Recreation (2009)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  12. ^ Ditzian, Eric (2009-09-17). ""Parks and Recreation" Star Chris Pratt Talks Amy Poehler, Adorableness And Cracking Some Beers". MTV News. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
  13. ^ a b Gilbert, Matthew (2009-04-09). "Re-creation through "Recreation"". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  14. ^ a b Lloyd, Robert (2009-04-09). ""Parks and Recreation": The Amy Poehler vehicle "Parks and Recreation" is a charming sapling that just may take root". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  15. ^ Ryan, Maureen (2009-04-08). "A walk in the 'Parks' with Amy Poehler". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  16. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (2009-11-05). "Parks and Recreation, "Ron and Tammy": Megan Mullally guests". The Star-Ledger. Newark, New Jersey. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
  17. ^ a b Wiser, Paige (2009-04-08). "Take this job and park it: "Office" creators struggle to find fun at workplace again". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  18. ^ Maddux, Rachael (2009-04-12). "Seven questions about Parks and Recreation's series premiere". Paste. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  19. ^ Phipps, Keith (2009-04-09). "Parks and Recreation: Season 1 : Episode 1: "Pilot"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  20. ^ a b c Sepinwall, Alan (2009-04-09). ""Parks and Recreation" review - Sepinwall on TV". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  21. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (2009-09-17). "Parks and Recreation: Interviewing co-creator Mike Schur". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  22. ^ Bentley, Rick (2009-04-08). "Like pal Tina Fey, ex-SNL'-er Amy Poehler gets her own NBC sitcom". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  23. ^ Finke, Nikki (2009-03-25). "NBC's Bad Sitcom, Lionsgate's Badass Battle and Iatse's Badly Handled Contract". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  24. ^ a b Stasi, Linda (2009-04-09). "Amy Poehler quit "SNL" for "Parks and Recreation"". New York Post. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  25. ^ Leitch, Will (2009-04-05). "The Poehler Effect". New York. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  26. ^ Phipps, Keith (2009-04-09). "The Office : Season 5 : Episode 20 & 21 "The Dream Team" / "The Michael Scott Paper Company"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  27. ^ Ryan, Joal (2009-04-10). "Parks and Rec's Solid Approval Rating"". E!. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  28. ^ Seidman, Robert (2009-04-10). "Thursday Ratings: Modest success for Southland and Parks and Recreation". TV by the Numbers. TV by the Numbers. Retrieved 2009-12-06. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  29. ^ a b Lyons, Margaret (2009-04-10). "Ratings: "Southland," "Parks & Recreation" score decent debuts". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  30. ^ Keveney, Bill (2009-04-14). "Nielsens: "Parks and Recreation" gets good play in ratings". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
  31. ^ Carlson, Daniel (2009-04-07). "TV Review: Parks and Recreation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  32. ^ Poniewozik, James (2009-04-09). "Parks and Recreation: Shovel Ready". Time. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  33. ^ Stanley, Alessandra (2009-04-09). ""Parks & Recreation": Misguided, She Years to Guide". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  34. ^ Gay, Verne (2009-04-07). ""Parks and Recreation", starring Amy Poehler". Newsday. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  35. ^ a b Bianco, Robert (2009-04-08). ""Parks" is like a bad day at "The Office," even with likable Poehler". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  36. ^ Owen, Rob (2009-04-09). "Comedy in "Parks" gets lost in translation". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  37. ^ Storm, Jonathan (2009-04-09). "Jonathan Storm: Slack-time winners". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  38. ^ Shales, Tim (2009-04-09). ""Parks and Rec": Poehler Express to Nowhere". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  39. ^ Hinckley, David (2009-04-09). ""SNL" star Amy Poehler's "Parks and Recreation" isn't ready for primetime". Daily News (New York). Retrieved 2009-04-11.
  40. ^ Moritorisz, Sacha (2009-11-29). "Tuesday TV: Parks and Recreation". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2009-12-07.
  41. ^ Murray, Noel (2009-09-08). "New on DVD: "Crank: High Voltage," "Homicide," "Fringe," "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency," "Parks and Recreation"". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  42. ^ a b c d e Parks & Recreation: Season One (Film (DVD)). Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Event occurs at Deleted Scenes: Pilot. {{cite AV media}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  43. ^ "Parks and Recreation - Pilot: Bureaucrats' Brainstorm". NBC. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
  44. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (2009-09-24). "Parks and Recreation, "Stakeout": Burger me!". The Star-Ledger. Newark, New Jersey. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  45. ^ "Parks and Recreation - Pilot: Ann's Pit of Pain". NBC. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
  46. ^ "Parks and Recreation - Pilot: Bureaucrats' Brainstorm". NBC. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
  47. ^ "Parks and Recreation - Pilot: Medical Curiosity". NBC. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
  48. ^ "Parks and Recreation - Pilot: April the Intern". NBC. Retrieved 2009-04-22.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pilot_(Parks_and_Recreation)&oldid=343679726"