Parks and Rec
The Underdog TV Show That Lit'rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America
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- Pedido anticipado
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- Se espera: 7 abr 2026
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- $229.00
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- Pedido anticipado
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- $229.00
Descripción editorial
From the New York Times bestselling author of Seinfeldia, the definitive story of the creation and legacy of Parks and Recreation, with exclusive interview content from its cast, crew, and creators, as well as an introduction by Nick Offerman
More than fifteen years after Parks and Recreation premiered, it has become a streaming and pop culture staple. It’s beloved for its jokes, characters, and expressions—the show even created a now widely observed holiday, Galentine’s Day. How did it all happen and how did the show transform from a ratings disappointment into a cult classic? Pop culture historian Jennifer Keishin Armstrong reveals all this and more in the definitive history of the show, which is as full of humor, optimism, and heart as Parks and Recreation itself.
Through new and exclusive interviews, as well as deep insight and smart and entertaining pop culture analysis, Armstrong tells the story of how Parks and Recreation came to be: how it grew from The Office’s success and Obama-inspired optimism, how producers assembled one of TV’s most lovable casts but barely survived a mediocre first season, how the show found its voice by getting more political and more romantic, and how it became a cultural force despite middling ratings during its network run, going on to become a television savior of the Trump era and a modern classic.
Lovingly told and deeply researched, Parks and Rec is the ultimate history of the show that taught us what’s important in life: friends, waffles, and work.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Pop culture historian Armstrong (Seinfeldia) delivers a heartfelt analysis of the creation and legacy of Parks and Recreation, the mockumentary-style sitcom about local government workers in the fictional town of Pawnee, Ind., that aired on NBC from 2009 to 2015. With its optimism, celebration of friendship, and belief that good people working together can make the world a better place, the show became "a symbol of a better America," Armstrong argues. Drawing on interviews with the cast, writers, and real-life government officials, she chronicles how the series grew out of Obama-era optimism, with its main character Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, attempting to make residents' lives better one incremental step at a time. Armstrong highlights endearing on-screen relationships, like the friendship between Leslie and local nurse Ann Perkins and the love story between deadpan Parks Department intern April Ludgate and goofball musician Andy Dwyer, and discusses how the series invented phrases like "Treat yo' self" and the female friendship–based holiday Galentine's Day. Though the show struggled with ratings, it later became a streaming hit during the pandemic, offering an idealistic view of politics in a polarizing time, Armstrong explains. Deeply researched and pleasantly nostalgic, this is a treat for fans.
