USA TODAY International Edition
‘ Parks and Rec’ cast reunites
New episode focuses on the COVID- 19 pandemic
Pour yourselves a shot of Snake Juice, “Parks and Recreation” fans.
The beloved NBC comedy, which signed off in 2015 after seven seasons, returns Thursday ( 8: 30 EDT/ PDT) for a one- time special reuniting the entire original cast, including Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Rob Lowe, Chris Pratt and Aubrey Plaza. All will appear as their “Parks” characters in a new episode of the show focusing on the COVID- 19 pandemic.
It’s the first scripted broadcast series to address social distancing and other coronavirus restrictions, and will center on the show’s problemsolving government official Leslie Knope ( Poehler) as she checks in on her friends amid the outbreak.
The special was a logistical nightmare to produce, “Parks” creator Michael Schur told journalists during a Tuesday conference call. NBC mailed the actors iPhones, tripods, lights and microphones so they could record their scenes over Zoom.
“It was really slow and laborious,” Schur says. “This is not the way TV is supposed to be made. It required a lot of goodwill volunteer work from sound designers, editors, script supervisors and people doing it because it was a fundraiser” that will benefit Feeding America’s COVID- 19 Response Fund, which provides food and funds to food banks across the country.
“I don’t think there’s any way this is a sustainable method for making television,” Schur continues. “It was really fun, I don’t want to downplay it. ... But I don’t think it’s any kind of model for what we’re doing going forward.”
Here’s what else we learned about the upcoming special:
1. How does the special fit into the ‘ Parks’ timeline?
“Parks and Recreation” ended in 2015 with a time- hopping finale that followed Leslie and husband Ben Wyatt ( Adam Scott) into the future over the next three decades, ending in 2048. The episode implied that either Leslie or Ben wound up becoming president or vice president of the United States, given the Secret Service detail that accompanied them to Jerry Gergich’s ( Jim O’Heir) funeral. But none of that is addressed in the new special, which takes place in the present day.
“We made a bunch of references in the finale of what might happen to various people, but we just left all that out,” Schur says.
Writing this, “the first thing we had to do was say, where is everyone? Almost nobody is in Pawnee, still; Jerry is the mayor, but Leslie, Ben, Andy and April are in Washington, and Chris and Ann are in Michigan. Also, we couldn’t remember who had what job. ... But every fan who cares about canon should consider this canon.”
2. Do any of the characters have coronavirus?
“That seems pretty unfunny,” Schur says. From the beginning, “Leslie Knope was a very loyal person and put all of her eggs in the basket of the power of friendship. So it’s really just about her connecting with people and holding this group of characters together through a time when they’re unable to leave their homes. But no, we didn’t even think that any of the characters would have actually had the virus.”
Instead, the special focuses on how various people in the “Parks” universe are reacting to the pandemic and selfisolating at home.
“Chris Traeger ( Rob Lowe), the world’s healthiest person, does make reference to some of that stuff,” Schur adds. “The whole thing is really about how all the characters are coping with it in different ways.”
3. What is Ann Perkins’ ( Rashida Jones) role as a nurse?
Ann is not only Leslie’s “beautiful, rule- breaking moth” of a best friend – she’s also been a fiercely dedicated hospital nurse since the start of the series. But she won’t be working on the front lines of the COVID- 19 pandemic in the special.
“She does say in the special that she is doing outpatient care, primarily,” Schur says. “We debated having her be on the front lines, but we didn’t want to seem like we were trivializing or making light of or trying to find humor in what is probably the least humorous aspect of this entire thing. So we sort of just had her describe that her job is not the same job as all of the people who were really in the middle of this nightmare.”
4. How is Ron Swanson ( Nick Offerman) handling all this?
If anyone in the Parks Department is equipped to handle a major outbreak, it’s burly director Ron, a meatloving outdoorsman who despises big government and retreats to the woods when the pandemic hits.
“Unlike most of the people in Washington who call themselves libertarian, he actually walks the walk,” Schur says. “He’s basically lived his whole life off on his own, and that’s exactly what he’s doing in the special. There’s one joke where Leslie says, ‘ When you go to your cabin, are you social distancing?’ And Ron says, I’ve been social distancing since I was 4 years old.’ “
5. Will there be guest stars?
That’s like asking if Leslie loves waffles.
Of course, there will be guest stars! Schur said about half a dozen familiar faces will show up over the course of the special, in addition to the main cast. Ben Schwartz, who played Tom’s obnoxious, wild- haired friend JeanRalphio, already teased an appearance on Twitter, writing, “Not cutting my hair for months has finally paid off.”
“Part of the fun of the special will be unexpected people who are part of the world popping up,” Schur says, declining to name names. “The first face you see on camera will not be one of the 10 main cast members. And that sort of sets the tone. It wouldn’t have been a ‘ Parks and Rec’ special without some of the super- fun side characters being involved. You’ll get a decent number of them as the show goes along.”
“Chris Traeger ( Rob Lowe), the world’s healthiest person, does make reference to some of that stuff. The whole thing is really about how all the characters are coping with it in different ways.” Michael Schur
“Parks and Recreation” creator