Parks and Recreation

Parks and Recreation is a new comedy on NBC from the creators of The Office.  It's filmed in exactly the same pseudo documentary style, with characters looking and speaking into the camera.  It's also set in an office environment, just instead of a paper company, it's a government office, for (obviously) the department of Parks and Recreation.

This show premiered last season and I thought it was okay then, but it really seems to have hit its stride now in its second season.  I've upgraded it from "I'll catch it if I'm bored" to "must-see television" status, and I can consider it to be a suitable replacement for The Office.

The central character of the show is Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), an idealistic, feminist, and ambitious public official.  However, this is really an ensemble show with a strong cast all around.  Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari) and Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) are great characters.  Tom is a loudmouth and kind of a perv, and he's a lot of fun.  Ron is Leslie's boss, he's very world-weary, and he loves brunettes and breakfast food.

Questlove, the drummer for The Roots, had this to say about the show: "Parks and Recreation is the Wu-Tang of comedy.  An ensemble cast of which all the cast shines."

Questlove goes as far as to match up each Parks & Rec character with a corresponding member of the Wu.

Leslie/Poehler = The Rza
Tom/Aziz = ODB
Ann/Rashida = Method Man
Ron/Nick Offerman = Ghostface Killah
Andy/Chris = Raekwon
Mark Brendanawicz/Paul = Inspectah Deck
April/Aubrey = Gza
Jerry/Jim = Masta Killa
Donna/Retta = U-God
Dave/Louis CK = Redman