I am – Hercules!!
A cruel but hilarious and very “Office”-like mockumentary sitcom from “Office” showrunner Greg Daniels and “Office” writer-producer Mike Schur, “Parks & Recreation” follows a self-deluded thirtysomething mid-level Pawnee, Ind., government official determined to start making her mark on the world by transforming the site of an abandoned condo development into a public park. It stars a lot of talented players, among them Amy Poehler (“Saturday Night Live,” “Baby Mama”), Aziz Ansari (“Human Giant”), Rashida Jones (“The Office”), Paul Schneider (“All The Real Girls,” “Lars and the Real Girl”), Aubrey Plaza (Judd Apatow’s upcoming “Funny People”), Nick Offerman (“American Body Shop”) and Chris Pratt (“Everwood,” “The OC”). The “Parks” pilot made me laugh more and harder than any half-hour network pilot in recent memory. More and harder even than could even the pilots for “30 Rock,” “Andy Barker, P.I.,” or either English-language version of “The Office.” “Parks” is funny enough to explain why “The Office” may seem a bit diminished of late; Daniels, I’d theorize, has been diverting his energies into organizing a strong launch for “Parks.” Mission accomplished, I say. (If NBC is, as rumored, planning to dump “Yes, Dear” creator Greg Garcia’s terrible “My Name Is Earl” after this season, it’s easy enough to understand why. With “The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Parks” and “Earl” currently leading off Thursdays, it’s abundantly obvious which of these things is not remotely compatible with the others.) My biggest surprise while watching the “Parks” pilot was the Jones character, a nurse named Ann who doesn’t work for the city of Pawnee; she’s just a citizen who wants the giant hole in the vacant lot filled in before it results in more injuries (her man broke both his legs after hopping the fence surrounding the property). Though Ann and handsome city planner Mark barely meet in the pilot, my guess is Ann, the most Beesleyesque character, will dump her dim, loutish leech of a boyfriend for the Halperty Mark. Such a chain of events could drive to madness the Poehler character, who lusts after Mark and sits each day only a couple of yards from where he does. My prediction? The first “Parks” talkback will find itself overflowing with comment insisting that the show is the least funny thing ever aired at any time anywhere. By next October talkbackers will be calling it funnier than “The Office,” “30 Rock” and whatever replaces “Earl” put together. Entertainment Weekly says:

… While I laughed out loud only a few times during Parks' pilot, I dug the performances, the attitude, and the atmosphere that's being created. One would be foolish to underestimate the series this early on. …

USA Today says:

... Thanks to Poehler, Leslie comes across as sweet and well-intentioned, a public servant who is able to view being yelled at as "people caring loudly at me." And yet the show merrily tortures her, pushing her in the pit, belittling her efforts, letting the deeply unlikable Tom undercut her with knowing, sarcastic glances to the camera, as if she were Michael from The Office. …

The New York Times says:

… charming and funny in its own right and in its own way, even though it relies on the exact same mock-documentary format and deadpan parody as “The Office.” …

The Los Angeles Times says:

… Like "The Office," it does its work quietly -- too quietly for some, I'm sure … But it has a kind of sunny charm, a premise fit for a novel, and is built upon a pair of strong female leads, a rare enough thing in sitcoms. Poehler and Jones have a nice, contrapuntal rhythm. I stamp this show: approved. …

The Chicago Tribune says:

… Asked if it’s fun to document Leslie’s “fact-finding mission” to the big pit, the intern responds tonelessly, “Yeah, it’s so much fun.” You may have a similarly flat reaction to “Parks,” but it’s worth remembering that the pilots for “30 Rock” and “The Office” were tentative and uneven. …

The Washington Post says:

Heaven help us all, NBC has managed to come up with a prime-time network sitcom that suffers from an excess of subtlety -- a flaw so utterly unprecedented that it has considerable novelty value on its own. … Poehler does have inescapably funny moments impersonating Leslie Knope, whose domain is right there in the title and who enlivens every scene in which she appears; she appears in most, but too many do indeed need enlivening. …

The San Francisco Chronicle says:

… Here's the tone problem with "Parks and Recreation," put as concisely as possible: It's "The Office." Maybe if NBC and the people behind "Parks and Recreation" weren't so hell-bent on telling everyone it's not "The Office" and just embraced the fact that - one more time for clarity sake - it's "The Office," viewers wouldn't be put off by the comparison. They would opt in if they were already fans of one of television's finest sitcoms. And let's face it, if viewers don't like "The Office" - which has never been a ratings hit despite the critical acclaim - then they will not go in for "Parks and Recreation." …

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:

… has its funny moments but the comedy's first episode also has a distant and chilly feel to it. Watching Poehler's pathetic character have her dreams stomped on by apathetic bureaucrats is off-putting, more so than Michael Scott's obliviousness. At least he's in charge of his destiny; Leslie is beholden to others. …

The Boston Herald says:

… Yes, “Parks” has its funny moments. Poehler excels at capturing this perpetually perky public servant. But if you’ve seen “The Office,” you might feel as if you are watching a rerun - only with fresh faces. …

The Boston Globe says:

… has many distinctions, not least of all the hugely talented Poehler from "Saturday Night Live," who promises to develop Leslie slowly, without the haste required in sketch comedy. And the show has the potential to become a flip, witty political allegory. …

Variety says:

The producers of "The Office" have hewn a little too closely to that show's template in "Parks and Recreation," which despite a few amusing moments winds up feeling like that established program in drag. … The serialized aspect of that endeavor should provide an ongoing storyline, but "Parks" seems inherently limited by a lack of what its protagonist has in abundance -- imagination. …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… a genuinely funny and engaging comedy … it's Poehler who owns the show, and she proves instantly she's got the comic intelligence to carry a series like this one, which draws its energy from character interactions instead of the broad punch lines you'd get on, say, a Chuck Lorre show. She's awkward but not alienating, and she's eager without being repelling. Most of all, there's a genuine heart to her that gives the comedy a balance and lets it be mocking without resorting to cruelty. It's funny, smart and fast. I hope it sticks around.

“The Office”: 8 p.m. “Parks and Recreation”: 8:30 p.m. “The Office”: 9 p.m.

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