It was also pretty significant proof that American scripted television production can’t be consistently and dynamically made during the Covid-19 pandemic. © 2020 Condé Nast. Governmental response to the coronavirus pandemic has been... mixed at best, but now Pawnee’s brightest minds are on the case: Parks and Recreation is returning for a special half-hour reunion show set during these self-isolating times, NBC announced on Thursday. In and of itself, this isn’t remarkable. Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. The special will air April 30 at 8:30 p.m EST. Jon Glaser’s Jeremy Jamm dominated some of my least favorite scenes of the show, but when he turned up in the special for a quick joke about offering a dental delivery service, it played more like something out of an offbeat comedy sketch than anything more substantial. The Parks and Rec special was a lot of fun as an experiment. It did not go well. The upcoming reunion special will stream live on Thursday, Sept. 17, and it will benefit the Wisconsin Democratic Party in their effort to prevent Donald Trump from winning the state in the upcoming presidential election. To donate to Feeding America, go here. In order to tune in, viewers are required to donate at least $1 to the organization. Though I liked the show, I’m happy enough to leave it in the past, where it feels increasingly like a weird relic of the Obama era. Ad Choices, Parks and Recreation Is Coming Back for a One-Time Reunion, Praise Little Sebastian. Expect appearances from Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Aziz Ansari, Retta, and more. "I sent a hopeful email to the cast and they all got back to me within 45 minutes. “I sent a hopeful email to the cast and they all got back to me within 45 minutes.”, Amy Poehler, Adam Scott, Chris Pratt, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Rashida Jones, Rob Lowe, Jim O’Heir, and Retta are all signed on the make appearances, as are some unannounced special guest stars. The special, which is fully scripted, will follow Leslie Knope as she, like so many of us in the real world, attempts to stay in touch with all her friends while under lockdown. 5 winners and 3 losers from the vice presidential debate. It also seems to have taken inspiration from a somewhat unlikely source: the recent duo of Saturday Night Live episodes produced with the cast sequestered at home. NBC on Thursday announced "A Parks and Recreation Special," a scripted 30-minute episode of the comedy that will reunite the entire original … If you look at the special as an episode of a sitcom, it mostly falls flat. The special was frequently amusing, and I couldn’t help but feel warmth toward its charitable goals. All rights reserved. ET. Each actor shows up for maybe five minutes, tops. I did not tune into Parks and Rec’s special excited to see my favorite characters again. At the end of the series, they move to Washington, D.C.m to start their new jobs. The main cast will return for the special, which airs next week. But hearing those explanations just made me remember how much I liked watching Aubrey Plaza and Chris Pratt work together. Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Jim O'Heir, and Retta are all set to participate. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. (In a sweet gesture, the characters speak frequently of the mental health strain of people having to be cut off from each other for so long.). Aubrey Plaza, Retta, Jim O’Heir and series co-creator Michael Schur will also join in on the fundraiser, in addition to some surprise guests. The special was a fun experiment that showed the absolute limitations of such an experiment. Parks and Recreation is returning for a reunion episode. But this special is also a big reminder that much of what made Parks and Rec work was the chemistry between the members of its ensemble, chemistry that necessarily cannot exist in a world where they’re all far away from each other. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today, 12 great movies to look forward to this fall (and winter). The Parks and Recreation special is streaming on NBC, Hulu, YouTube, and Peacock. In the episode, which comes more than five years after the series went off the air, Poehler's Leslie Knope tries to stay in contact with her friends amid the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing. But if you think of the special as a collection of comedic sketches starring the Parks and Rec characters, it hangs together much better. The Parks and Rec reunion special was pretty good.