Pilots are always tricky: You get 22 minutes to introduce the main characters, premise, and squeeze in enough laughs to keep the audience coming back for more. To me, Parks and Rec's pilot succeeded on all three levels.But before I start praising the show, let me get my one concern out of the way. While The Office is one of my favorite shows ever, Parks and Rec might be too similar. The tone is nearly identical, and it's shot and presented in the exact same mockumentary style. It's inevitable, and also slightly unfair, that Parks and Rec, with one episode in the books, will be compared to a highly popular show in its fifth season. I hope Parks and Rec is given a fair chance and not overly burdened by the comparisons. Great shows rarely hit their peak immediately.
Having said that, Parks and Rec will ultimately resonate with viewers if the characters are as hilariously quirky, varied, and likable as those on The Office. (See, I told ya the comparisons were inevitable.) So far, so good. Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is a naive do-gooder who, like The Office's Michael Scott (Steve Carell), thinks her job makes her a much bigger deal than she actually is. Poehler nails the character in the pilot, and it will be interesting to see how she develops one character over time instead of playing multiple roles on Saturday Night Live.
The rest of the cast had a promising start too. Scrubs fans will recognize Aziz Ansari from his brief stint as the charismatic, lazy intern who drew Dr. Cox's ire and ultimately couldn't make it as a doctor. Ansari plays a similar character in Parks and Rec, and his carefree attitude and blatant come-on to Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones) during a committee meeting is an effective contrast to Leslie's more serious approach. Leslie's Bobby Knight-worshipping boss (Nick Offerman) and Ann's temporarily disabled boyfriend (Chris Pratt) also made me chuckle.
Along with giving me some good laughs, the pilot set up the season's primary arc, gave us a peek at each character's world, and teased possible romantic intrigue between Leslie and Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider); no small feat in 22 minutes.
Another big plus in Parks and Rec's favor: Greg Daniels. He and Michael Schur created the show, and Daniels has about as impressive of a comedic resume as anyone. Along with being one of The Office's creators and head writers, Daniels co-created King of the Hill with Mike Judge, co-wrote "The Parking Space" episode of Seinfeld with Larry David, was a writer on Saturday Night Live from 1987 to 1990, and got writing credits on some of the greatest Simpsons episodes ever, including "Homer Badman" and "22 Short Films About Springfield".
While it's far too early to proclaim Parks and Rec a hit, the pilot was certainly auspicious enough to give it a shot. If you missed the pilot, check out NBC.com or tune in next Thursday night for episode No. 2.
