“For seven seasons, Leslie
Knope and the Parks and Recreation gang charmed millions of viewers
with their quirky antics and unwavering positivity. The sitcom continues to be
a fan-favorite for streaming services today, nearly a decade after its finale.
Now for the first time, Jim O’Heir, who played the lovable Jerry (or, well,
Garry/Larry/Terry/Barry, depending on the episode), invites readers back to
Pawnee for an exclusive look behind the scenes. Joined by his Parks and Rec pals, including Chris Pratt, Retta, Rob
Lowe, and showrunners Greg Daniels and Mike Schur, Jim reveals how this “little
show that could” came to be, thanks to the tireless dedication and comedic
genius of Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, and the rest of the gang. As the show
found its footing, the cast quickly bonded into a tight-knit family. Jim shares
all his favorite unforgettable memories both on and off camera, from hilarious
unscripted moments and epic dance-offs in the hair and makeup trailers, to
iconic birthday parties at Rashida Jones’s house and quiet bonfires in Nick
Offerman’s backyard.”
One of my favorite series,
next to 30 Rock, this is a pleasant little book, but really not a detailed or
comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the NBC sitcom. The book covers O’Heir’s
life from his birth in suburban Chicago (my home town) to his years in radio in
Indiana, Second City in Chicago and his eventual move to Hollywood. Here he
talks about how him and co-star Retta started out as recurring characters
(though both appeared in every episode) and how the writers, showrunner Mike Schur
and star Amy Poehler gave them more to do and really fleshed out their
characters backstories. O’Heir goes a bit overboard at times with the high praise
of his fellow cast members, but I supposed I too would be in awe of these
people, as all seem like genuine nice people.
But I
did learn a few things, like how NBC wanted a spin-off of The Office and how co-creators Mike Schur and Greg Daniels sort of
decided the show really should have little to do with The Office, beyond the
basic mockumentary format and set in just in an office (the show would have an
equal amount of location shooting). Also how they learned that Leslie Knope
(Poehler) should be less of an idiot than Michael Scott. He does not divulge much
into the reason Paul Schneider’s Mark Brendanawicz’s exit from the show in
season two; beyond the obvious that he was meant to be Knope’s love interest,
yet there was no chemistry there.
It’s not
a deep dive into the show, and I hope someday we do. Like 30 Rock, there’s got be a lot of interesting stories about how each
episode came about.
Welcome to Pawnee is worth checking
out if you’re a fan of the show, mostly for the some great behind-the-scenes
photos. It also has a great cover.
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