Parks And Recreation Was Saved From Cancelation By A Wishy-Washy Studio Exec

There are few shows, particularly network comedies, of the last 20 years that can claim to have the lasting impact of "Parks and Recreation." Created by Gred Daniels and Mike Schur in the aftermath of the success of "The Office," the show takes place at a fictionalized version of the parks department in Pawnee, Indiana. It's easy to think of the series as a resounding success now, given its lasting popularity. However, as Rashida Jones has revealed, were it not for the whims of a studio executive, the show would have been canceled prematurely.

Jones, who played Anne on the series, recently appeared on the "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend" podcast. During the conversation, they touched on the enduring popularity of "Parks and Recreation," which ended its run on NBC in 2015. However, Jones explained that at no point in the show's run was it safe from potential cancellation. As she told it, the show was technically canceled at one point, only for the president of the network to change his mind mid-flight:

"Every single season, we were like, this is it. They're not gonna want us back. At one point we were canceled and then the president of NBC got off the plane and changed his mind. It was like, 'Eh, don't cancel it yet, I guess.' It was not really a thing at all."

It probably didn't help that "Parks and Rec" had a rough first season, but the series improved dramatically and quickly. Be that as it may, Jones further explained that the cast and crew never had much job security (though that did allow for more creative freedom in some ways):

"The whole time, we were just holding on for dear life, hoping we got to do more. Which is probably part of why it was so good — because there was no stardom. It wasn't infiltrated by any outside feelings about us. People kind of liked us if they knew who we were."

The show ended up running for seven seasons, with 126 episodes to its name, including a reunion special that was produced during the early days of the pandemic. That's one heck of a run that few series will ever see in the streaming era, given how quickly services like Netflix are to cancel something after just a couple of seasons. The way things are now, that executive probably wouldn't have changed his mind.

"Parks and Recreation" has an enduring legacy well beyond the show itself. "It helped launch Chris Pratt into stardom, leading to his roles in "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Jurassic World." It also did wonders for Aubrey Plaza (April) and Nick Offerman (Ron). While Amy Poehler has done a lot in her career, Leslie Knope has likewise become her defining role. Jones touched on how the audience for the show has grown over the years, discussing an anniversary event the cast attended that made them feel like The Beatles:

"I think it was five years ago, we went to the Dolby, and we did a 10th-anniversary thing where we all came out the whole cast. The reception was so — I felt like the Beatles, it was so nuts. People were screaming so loud [and] we were all crying because we had never been in a room where anybody cared."

Indeed, there are markers that the show's audience has flourished in recent years. When the Mouse Rat album was released in 2021, it actually made it onto the Billboard charts. We're not only talking about a large fanbase here, but a passionate one at that. Fortunately, the man at the top of NBC had a change of heart on that fateful day.

"Parks and Recreation" is currently streaming on Peacock.