tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post2728747045709832834..comments2024-03-25T19:18:14.047-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Parks and Recreation, "Canvassing": The Knope fillibusterAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-88082430758038884062010-03-12T20:26:22.136-05:002010-03-12T20:26:22.136-05:00"Were we supposed to believe a lot of the nei..."Were we supposed to believe a lot of the neighborhood is actually supposed to the park idea?"<br /><br />"I found it really hard to believe that no one at that meeting could find anything positive to say about replacing a giant pit with a park."<br /><br />It's been almost a year since this has been commented on but I figured it couldn't hurt.<br /><br />I was watched the commentary for this episode and the creators said that they dug out the pit for the show in a city owned empty lot they rented. In between takes they asked some of the actual neighbors in the area what they would want the empty lot to be used for. Some said condos, some said a supermarket. Only one said a park.<br /><br />There are definitely negatives to a city owned park. Upkeep costs could affect taxes, bums sleeping there, drug users, pedophiles. Obviously, it's a bit ridiculous that they wouldn't simply fill in a giant hole with some dirt but saying everyone would be for a park isn't necessarily true.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-80169959989753731182009-04-25T15:06:00.000-04:002009-04-25T15:06:00.000-04:00Absolutely loved it. Started laughing right from t...Absolutely loved it. Started laughing right from the beginning with the Easter egg hunt and didn't stop.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06595253772380762153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-13142749337801200412009-04-20T16:15:00.000-04:002009-04-20T16:15:00.000-04:00This show is, staring-at-the-screen in slack-jawed...This show is, staring-at-the-screen in slack-jawed amazement, bad. We watched this show and wondered why it was so horrible. It seems like it was reverse engineered from watching The Office by a team of 10th grade drama students from Albania.<br />Amy Poehler seems to be trying her best to channel Pam trying to act like Michael Scott. She has all the same facial expressions as Pam but none of the comic timing.<br /><br />Just awful!blinkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284135060900752329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-55994296612852434172009-04-19T12:17:00.000-04:002009-04-19T12:17:00.000-04:00I am going to go against the tide here, I actually...I am going to go against the tide here, I actually loved this episode (and the pilot).<br /><br />I have only ever wacthed snippets of 'the office' and I was completely un-spoiled about this show, in fact I had never even heard of it until it was on my screen. Maybe these two things effected my viewing (I certainly am not comparing the two shows as I just can't) and I had no expectations.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-53154045113191720552009-04-19T00:43:00.000-04:002009-04-19T00:43:00.000-04:00I found it really hard to believe that no one at t...I found it really hard to believe that no one at that meeting could find anything positive to say about replacing a giant pit with a park. All Leslie would have to say is, "We've ordered an environmental impact statement, but really, what's the environmental impact of leaving a huge pit full of trash where your kids can fall into it?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-55476827574830525802009-04-18T14:54:00.000-04:002009-04-18T14:54:00.000-04:00The best way to view any of the six episodes they&...The best way to view any of the six episodes they're going to show this season (I think that's a standard late midseason short order) is that this is a trial run ahead of the 2009-2010 major test. And just like Season 1 of THE OFFICE paved the way for some vital changes that truly ignited the show's success in Season 2, P&R thus far is in the comedy lab. <br />My suggestions for either the remaining 4 eps this year OR Season 2:<br />*Keep the confessional format, after briefly explaining why it's going on, and then never refer to the background again.<br />*Make Leslie aware of how both Tom and Nick feel about her as a boss and underling, respectively.<br />*More Rashida Jones, less Chris Pratt. We had a Roy already and you are not Roy, sir.<br />*Transfer the intern to Army Basic Training in Greenland. Once there, mention that Gen. Chuck Cunningham has recommended her for a 12-year leadership program. If the show somehow lasts 13 seasons, mention that she's dead.<br />The show has potential to be terrific. But we won't know if will be until November.DolphinFannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-58628097227099257962009-04-18T13:04:00.000-04:002009-04-18T13:04:00.000-04:00I loved Amy in SNL, Blades of Glory and Baby Mama,...I loved Amy in SNL, Blades of Glory and Baby Mama, so I desperately want to like this show... but I just can't :( I'm not a big Office/Michael Scott fan either, which kind of explains it. It's just too painful to watch this character type make a fool of him/herself for 25 minutes. Amy's got a lot of energy and is brilliant when she's zany... I feel like this is a waste of her Amy Poehler-ness.georgienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-10354712593637122582009-04-18T06:17:00.000-04:002009-04-18T06:17:00.000-04:00i thought it was a pretty crappy episode and a was...i thought it was a pretty crappy episode and a waste of pamela reed but i have to agree with leslie and tom:<br /><br /><I>the phantom tollbooth</I> is an AWESOME bookUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01707346836840152506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-81207073328749994412009-04-17T21:42:00.000-04:002009-04-17T21:42:00.000-04:00Agreed with those who said Leslie felt more Michae...Agreed with those who said Leslie felt more Michael Scott-ish - they don't quite have a handle on her yet. Similarly, the town hall meeting didn't really work as the climax of the episode. (although I liked "she's filibustering her own meeting!" and the use of "youth") Were we supposed to believe a lot of the neighborhood is actually supposed to the park idea? Or that Leslie antagonized them in opposing it? Both?<br /><br />But, the easter egg sequence was very funny. So were several individual moments, like the pedophile encounter, and the Rock Band betrayal, and the "fast track" discussions. I liked how they showed Leslie's boss has his own boss he has to bow to. They have a great cast.<br /><br />I agree that I'd prefer to see the park/pit be a throughline but not necessarily dominate most episodes. It is, after all, a workplace comedy, so there's no limit to the stories they could do, and someone in Leslie's position would have lots of different things on her plate.Number Fivenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-12284291977733246152009-04-17T19:34:00.000-04:002009-04-17T19:34:00.000-04:00Alan, go watch "Lars and the Real Girl." It's one ...Alan, go watch "Lars and the Real Girl." It's one of those stories about the way you wish the world would actually be...<br /><br />I've got to say I, too, think the documentary angle is stupid. Off and on, I've felt like it strains the credibility of "The Office" or they had to come up with ways to work around the conceit this far into the show.<br /><br />I don't really understand why they would choose to make another show with the same concept. For example, I have no problem with the character of Leslie's boss, but I keep rejecting the belief that he would say some of these things with a camera in his face recording him.Michael 8-)https://www.blogger.com/profile/15049087833229285322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-56482181883727906542009-04-17T13:54:00.000-04:002009-04-17T13:54:00.000-04:00Do people think the show would be better if they d...Do people think the show would be better if they dumped the documentary angle and just made it a regular single camera sitcom? I don't think it takes away from the show as much as some people do, but I also don't think it really adds much either. And getting rid of it would lessen comparisons to The Office. Hopefully seeing all the people complaining about the shows being too similar has at least killed the idea for the ill-advised Office spin-off Ben Silverman really seems to want.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-30219897914602834442009-04-17T13:45:00.000-04:002009-04-17T13:45:00.000-04:00I'm still on the fence about this show--I want to ...I'm still on the fence about this show--I want to love it, but I'm not quite there yet.<br /><br />BTW, "Lars and the Real Girl" is a TERRIFIC movie, one of the best I watched last year. Definitely one for your must-see list.Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01787237015552235434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-51725460894889181862009-04-17T12:54:00.001-04:002009-04-17T12:54:00.001-04:00One thing that annoys me is that Aziz Ansari's cha...<I>One thing that annoys me is that Aziz Ansari's character is named Tom Haverford. I love that they've done color blind casting (we definitely need more minorites on screen), but would it kill them to give the character a name that at least suits the actor?</I><BR><BR>There was a joke in the original pilot script (which they may or may not reinsert in a later episode, so I'll be vague) about how he changed his name (first and last) to something more deliberately WASP-y.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-78798373423796708852009-04-17T12:47:00.000-04:002009-04-17T12:47:00.000-04:00One thing that annoys me is that Aziz Ansari's cha...One thing that annoys me is that Aziz Ansari's character is named Tom Haverford. I love that they've done color blind casting (we definitely need more minorites on screen), but would it kill them to give the character a name that at least suits the actor? It's more distracting than all the hidden bellies on HIMYM. They did the same thing on House. I love Kal Penn, but he did NOT look like a Lawrence Kutner. And then they explained that he'd been adopted and changed his name (ironically, the only personal detail we ever got about him) but that was clearly an attempt to explain away the name after the fact. Wouldn't it have just been easier to have changed it when they cast an Indian actor? I remember last year that Lucy Liu's character on Cashmere Mafia was named Mia Mason. I was waiting for some explanation, but then Mr. and Mrs. Mason showed up and they were both Chinese. Um, huh?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-38109562438513560462009-04-17T10:58:00.000-04:002009-04-17T10:58:00.000-04:00I'll agree with the previous remarks and say that ...I'll agree with the previous remarks and say that Leslie was more Michael Scott-like in this episode. One of the things that I thought might separate the two based on the pilot was that Leslie seemed less prone to nonchalantly making offensive comments, but then the line about how Tom wouldn't need any sunscreen was straight out of The Office. <br /><br />But all that said, to me, if the worst thing you can say about a show after two episodes is "it's really similar to another show that I like a lot," then that's not such a bad thing.Ryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-72134063473783102872009-04-17T10:36:00.000-04:002009-04-17T10:36:00.000-04:00I thought it was hysterical. I agree the show's w...I thought it was hysterical. I agree the show's world is a little small right now, but that's something they can work on later. Leslie's Karl Rove tactics were hysterical. Mostly because they were so totally accurate. ("If you don't vote for this park it means you don't love your child!") I think if The Office weren't around to compare it to people wouldn't be judging the show nearly so harshly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-86869932740679247512009-04-17T09:04:00.000-04:002009-04-17T09:04:00.000-04:00I sure hope Ricky Gervais is getting some royaltie...I sure hope Ricky Gervais is getting some royalties for this show.dronkmunkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09324354314421977169noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-23652556132672989532009-04-17T08:54:00.000-04:002009-04-17T08:54:00.000-04:00I really liked this one, because whenever I've don...I really liked this one, because whenever I've done political work, there've always been people like Leslie who don't realize that for all the passion and preparation they bring to their cause, they actually undermine it. (See, e.g., Howard Dean Canvassers in Iowa--2004.)<br /><br />Yes, there were a couple of moments that were excessively Michael Scott-y (the Jack Nicholson stuff), but Leslie's a different type of character--she actually realizes she isn't that good yet, but thinks she could be great. Michael, on the other hand, is oblivious to that he's anything other than great.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00295270766215749309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-37743867168507874942009-04-17T08:04:00.000-04:002009-04-17T08:04:00.000-04:00I liked this one a lot more than the pilot. One o...I liked this one a lot more than the pilot. One of my favorite bits: the doomed Easter egg hunt, which built up to the shot of the little girl tearfully hurling her empty basket onto the ground. Also loved: the dynamic between Leslie and her Mom, and the continued douche-tasticness of Ann's boyfriend. (He's like a cute FDR!)Viking Zombie Boyfriendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18236318424414945089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-81698745778747870622009-04-17T06:59:00.000-04:002009-04-17T06:59:00.000-04:00Trying WAY too hard - and it's about 25 minutes of...Trying WAY too hard - and it's about 25 minutes of non-funny. One or two lines isn't going to keep people watching. I'll give it a couple more episodes before wondering when Amy goes back to SNL.bsangshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11292004104772610373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-19644064432759674322009-04-17T05:22:00.000-04:002009-04-17T05:22:00.000-04:00funny moments/lines, but still pretty meh overall....funny moments/lines, but still pretty meh overall...and trying too hardMike Fnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-53249995063588468992009-04-17T02:13:00.000-04:002009-04-17T02:13:00.000-04:00If Parks & Recreation doesn't find a way o...If Parks & Recreation doesn't find a way onto the schedule, a spinoff of Andy and his Rock Band dreams would be very much appreciated. Sort of like a musical version of Eastbound and Down.Sous Chef Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14623726290929920662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-39317472580501019452009-04-17T01:09:00.000-04:002009-04-17T01:09:00.000-04:00That line she used on the lady who didn't want the...That line she used on the lady who didn't want the park -- 9 of 10 meth addicts agree with you. That was hilarious for my sick sense of humor.Sirfullerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03765801990665453954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-710508087580299582009-04-17T00:25:00.000-04:002009-04-17T00:25:00.000-04:00I started wanting to watch this because of Amy Poe...I started wanting to watch this because of Amy Poehler and Mike Schur, but now it is a much watch just so I can get a weekly dose of Paul Schneider. Watch "Lars and the Real Girl" and "All the Real Girls"! Join the Schneider loves fest, he really likes real girls apparently...Rachelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-75931110874380981492009-04-16T23:53:00.000-04:002009-04-16T23:53:00.000-04:00I think Chris Pratt is great on this. The rest is ...I think Chris Pratt is great on this. The rest is just meh.<br /><br />"You have BIRDS now?"Cameron Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12197917850314759480noreply@blogger.com