Amy Poehler Welcomes Parks & Recreation Revival

Screen Rant

Parks & Recreation Revival 'Would Be Amazing,' Says Amy Poehler

By Dan Zinski

Published May 24, 2018

Amy Poehler says it 'would be amazing' to bring back Parks and Recreation, the sitcom about the civic-minded denizens of Pawnee, Indiana.

Parks and Recreation producer and star Amy Poehler says a revival of the classic NBC sitcom, which ran from 2009 through 2015, would be "amazing." Amid television's current case of revival fever, it seems everyone has a show they would dearly love to see brought back from the dead. One series that comes up a lot in such discussions is Parks and Recreation, the NBC sitcom about the happenings in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana.

Though never much of a ratings hit - in its best season the series ranked a lowly 96th among network shows - Parks and Rec was beloved by critics and developed a small but intensely nerdy and loyal fan following. Among other accomplishments, the show helped launch several actors who would go on to become big stars in movies and on TV, including Jurassic World's Chris Pratt. In 2015, NBC pulled the plug on the series after seven seasons of ensemble comedy at its most nuanced and witty (and occasionally outright madcap).

With networks now fully embracing the revival trend, spurred by the success of shows like Will & Grace and Roseanne, could Parks and Rec too find new life? If producer and star Amy Poehler has her way, the answer will be yes. Appearing on Ellen with her Parks and Rec co-star Nick Offerman, Poehler talked about the possibility of reviving the classic sitcom, and seemed more than amenable to the idea. In fact, Poehler went so far as to sign up all her co-stars for the revival without even asking:

“I’ll speak for everybody and say we would all do it. I think we would all do it someday. It would be amazing.”

Nick Offerman and Megan Mulally in Ron and Tammy - Best Parks and Rec Episodes

Offerman chimed in by saying he would also do the revival, on one condition: “We said that if Beyoncé would play the mayor, we’ll bring the show back." Beyoncé joining the show would be a major casting coup, and also bad news for former mayor Walter Gunderson, played by Bill Murray. Needless to say, if producers really could nab Beyoncé, Parks and Rec would be back on a network schedule somewhere within seconds.

Beyoncé or no, how realistic is the prospect of a Parks and Rec revival on NBC or anywhere else? If a network wants to bring back a show that had huge ratings and major cultural impact in its original run... let's just say, Parks and Rec was no Roseanne. But if there's a network seeking to give a second chance to a show that garnered a small group of serious devotees who love posting memes? Parks and Rec is the show.

Given the strength of the current revival trend - a trend that in some people's minds has gotten totally out of hand - it would surprise no one to see Parks and Recreation brought back to television. Of course, sometimes fans end up regretting it when their favorite show finally makes its way back to TV. The key with any revival is to recapture the spirit of the original while finding new stories to tell that move the characters forward in a worthwhile manner. Poehler seems to think there are more stories to tell about Pawnee and its quirky denizens. Yes, even Jerry.