Jennifer Keishin Armstrong writes about pop-culture in books like ‘Sienfeldia’ and ‘When Women Invented Television.’ She currently curates and writes the ‘Peabody Finds’ newsletter, featuring recommendations and media history, from the prestigious Peabody Awards in broadcasting. She is the co-founder of the ‘Ministry of Pop Culture’ Substack.
Her new book, out tomorrow from Dutton, is ‘Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show that Lit’rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America.’
‘Parks and Recreation’ created by created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, aired on NBC from 2009-2015 - the show was always on the brink of cancellation and riding the edge of a new paradigm in the television business - one where no one knows how to count ratings from DVR and - ultimately - streaming. Starring Amy Poehler who’d ended a successful run on ‘SNL’ the same year the show started, ‘Parks and Recreation’ showed what a passionate, organized, humanist in local government can accomplish.
During the Covid19 pandemic, people who had missed its fraught TV tenure discovered it and wildly binged and rebinged every episode. That, along with the cast - main, recurring, guest, and cameo - and their staying power and project diversity in Hollywood - has solidified the show’s place in the sit-com canon.
In our conversation, Jennifer and I don’t – or barely - even mention April (Aubrey Plaza), Ann (Rashida Jones), Andy (Chris Pratt), or Tom (Aziz Ansari) – or my forever favorite tv family - The Sappersteins - Dr. Lu, Jean Ralphio, and Mona Lisa – Henry Winkler, Ben Schwartz, and Jenny Slate, respectively. We don’t talk about any of the Tammys! We don’t. Even. Mention. Little Sebastian.
But we do get into it and - and there’s so much more in the book ‘Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show that Lit’rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America.’
