PARKS AND RECREATION: Erik’s Take

So please to announce that Erik will be handling all PARKS AND RECREATION news and reviews for GMMR this year.  Thanks Erik!

In order to generate a wide audience for Parks & Recreation’s maiden voyage, NBC fired all the weapons in its promotional arsenal. For the past few weeks, it has been impossible to avoid the blanket of commercials, online preview clips, and promotional photos of star Amy Poehler. After making a similar investment to Poehler’s fellow SNL alum Tina Fey, NBC clearly hopes to make the “Baby Mama” duo into the new faces of Thursday night television.

Following tonight’s solid premiere, I would encourage NBC to keep one of Guns N’ Roses’ biggest hits in mind, and exercise a healthy dose of “Patience.”

In her early review of the pilot, Kath wrote that the show, “wasn’t perfect but it has all the right mixins’ to be one of the greats.” That assessment is very accurate, and speaks to the wealth of material that can be unearthed by roaming the halls of a small city government.

Amy Poehler is a gifted performer, and her introduction as Leslie Knope was the strongest aspect of the inaugural episode. Unlike so many of her characters from Saturday Night Live, which elicited quick laughs before fading from our memories, Poehler has the opportunity to build Leslie from the ground up. Many will presume that Leslie Knope is a Michael Scott clone, due to the symmetric relationship between the creative team behind P&R (Let’s go with that abbreviation, since it reminds me of a sandwich) and their days at Dunder Mifflin. In my opinion, that assertion is off-base. From my perspective, Leslie’s journey echoed the best moments from a Christopher Guest film (Best in Show, Waiting For Guffman, A Mighty Wind) more than the typical Office installment.

While I am completely in the bag for Amy Poehler, my biggest concerns about the show’s potential to hold a wide audience rest with her co-stars. It is far too early to worry about wholesale changes, but I think there are areas of improvement for some of Leslie’s colleagues in Pawnee, Indiana.

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Advance Review of PARKS AND RECREATION

In case you missed it, here’s my review of the premiere of Parks and Recreation. (Originally posted on April 3, 2009)

Nothing to make a rainy, dreary day better than a little Amy Poehler at your door step.  Tonight I came home to find the screener for NBC’s newest comedy PARKS AND RECREATION. To say I was excited would be a bit of an understatement.  I’ve been waiting a long time for this one.

I’ll be honest. I was a bit nervous before watching it.  I knew the show had all the right ingredients: Amy Poehler in the lead; the very funny Aziz Ansari and Rashida Jones along side her; and most importantly the creative team of Greg Daniels and Michael Schur (Gods in my world). But I wanted to like the show so much that I was afraid I set my expectations too high. Would I be disappointed? The answer? No. After watching the pilot I can tell you that I thought PARKS AND RECREATION was very funny and it was just as great as I expected it to be.  It wasn’t perfect but it has all the right mixins’ to be one of the greats.

Creators/Executive Producers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur have insisted that this isn’t a spinoff of THE OFFICE.  And that’s true. There aren’t any Dunder Mifflin crossovers to speak of (although the potential is certainly there). But the two shows are so similar in tone and style that it certainly felt like a spinoff. The comparisons can’t be avoided. PARKS AND RECREATION and THE OFFICE will be a pitch perfect match for Thursday nights.  They will compliment each other like no other two shows on the air. For better or worse I was reminded of THE OFFICE while watching the entire episode. Better, because THE OFFICE is my favorite show. Worse, because at times P&R was a little too much like THE OFFICE.

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TV Buzz: Heigl & Knight Out; Mars Maybe In; Krasinski on the Big Screen and More…

Hear that?  That’s the sound of the random TV news buzzzzzzzing around in my head.  Here are a few of TV-related stories that are making the news as of late featuring Katherine Heigl, T.R. Knight, Veronica Mars, Dr. Horrible, John Krasinski, some married people sharing screen time and much more. Share your thoughts on these headlines in the comments below.

Don’t Let the Emergency Room Door Hit You on Your Ass on the Way Out…
Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight are leaving GREY’S ANATOMY.  Ok, not really a shocker, but this is the first time it’s been confirmed.  Co-star James L. Pickens (The Chief) confirmed the news and said  “Wherever Katherine goes, I wish her nothing but the best”.  As for T.R. he said, “He’s going too….He just wanted to pursue other career paths.” Seeing that George O’Malley hasn’t more than 2 minutes of screen time all season, I’m glad T.R. will be moving on to other things.  Heigl – I can’t say that I care too much where she lands. Do you care? (US Weekly)

Katherine & T.R.: Can you take Ben Silverman with you?
NBC has picked up a new reality series starring “famed life strategist”, Tony Robbins.  And here I was thinking that I couldn’t possibly hate Ben Silverman anymore than I do.  Way to go, Ben! Could NBC be more of a sh$#show?  Maybe in I’m in the minority here…are YOU interested in a Tony Robbins reality show? (Variety)

Lights…Action…Veronica Mars…
As we talked about in our last TV Buzz, Rob Thomas is writing a big screen version of VERONICA MARS.  The internets have been all a twitter now that its said that RT is supposedly going to pitch the movie to the studio. Here’s a tip Rob – dont’ call it VERONICA MARS.  Why not just write a tale about a witty young woman who has dysfunctional relationships with men and is a PI in her spare time.  Tell them you have Kristen Bell attached.  Calling it VERONICA MARS could be the death of the pitch. Raise your hand if you think that VERONICA MARS: The Movie will ever make its way to theaters. (EW)

“Wicked” Awesome Casting News…
Broadway actress Idina Menzel will be guesting on an upcoming episode of PRIVATE PRACTICE along side hubby Taye Diggs. According to TVGuide.com “Menzel will play the mother of a patient tended to by Pete (Tim Daly). To hear one source tell it, Pete’s special brand of “bedside manner” might bring about an attraction between him and Menzel’s character. At this early stage, it’s unclear if Menzel and her main man will share many scenes.” By any chance will this mother feel the need to break out into song?  If so, that would be all kinds of awesome! Who is with me that Kristin Chenoweth should also guest in the same ep?  That would be a “popular” episode. (TV Guide)

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THE OFFICE: Lecture Circuit (Part I)

Attention Dwight Schurte and Jim Halpert – my birthday is March 21st.  That gives you over a full month to plan my party.  My chocolate ice cream cake better be covered in 24 candles (one for each year of my life) and my orange and purple balloons best be fully inflated. Got it?  Good.

Last night’s episode of THE OFFICE had a great mix of cringeworthy moments and old school office antics, which made for a very fun episode – one of the stronger ones this season in my opinion. For the most part the humor in last night’s episode came from the Dunder Mifflinites playing off each other. Whether it was Stanley, Andy and Creed coming together to land Andy his new m’lady; Jim and Dwight trying to make right by Kelly; or Pam and Michael teaming up on their road trip, it all, for the most part, just worked.

I’m actually happy that we’re going to see more of these storylines play out in next week’s episode. I’m not holding my breath for the appearance of Holly in Nashua, but you never know.

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Prop 8: The Musical – The Big Stars COME OUT…to Sing!!

Stop what you are doing RIGHT now, turn up the volume on our computer and enjoy Prop 8: The Musical – a new video from FunnyorDie.com.  Oh and you might notice a few familiar faces, like Neil Patrick Harris, Jack Black, Rashida Jones, Allison Janney, just to name a few.

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

And well since we are naming names, here are the other stars involved:

California Gays and The People That Love Them
Jordan Ballard, Margaret Cho, Barrett Foa, J.B. Ghuman, John Hill, Andy Richter, Maya Rudolph, Rashad Naylor, Nicole Parker.

The Frightened Villagers
John C Reilly as a Prop 8 leader, and Alison Janney as his wife. Kathy Najimy as his second wife. Jenifer Lewis as a riffing Prop 8’er. Craig Robinson as a preacher. Rashida Jones, Lake Bell, Sarah Chalke as Scary Catholic School Girls from Hell. Katharine “Kooks” Leonard, Seth Morris, Denise “Esi!” Piane, Lucian Piane, Richard Read, Seth Redford, Quinton Strack, and Tate Taylor as The Frightened Villagers.

Jack Black stars as Jesus Christ, and Neil Patrick Harris is billed as ‘A Very Smart Fellow’.

Hairspray composer Marc Shaiman (whose boycott lead to the resignation of Sacramento’s California Musical Theatre creative director Scott Eckern following his donation to Prop 8) wrote and conceived this hysterical short piece (presented with a wink and a nod by the ‘Sacramento Community College Players’), which was directed and staged by Hairspray director and choreographer Adam Shankman and features plenty of folks you will recognize.

Krasinski’s ‘Brief Interviews’ Could Will Debut Sundance

I happen to know there is a particular contingent of GMMR readers that will be interested in this news. I aim to please.

According to Variety, John Krasinski’s film adaption of the late David Foster Wallace’s “Brief Interviews with Hideous Men” may WILL debut at the Sundance Film Festival. Krasinski wrote and directed the film and also has a small acting role.

The movie stars Julianne Nicholson, Timothy Hutton, Bobby Cannavale, Will Forte, Christopher Meloni, Dominic Cooper, Josh Charles, (possibly) Rashida Jones, and Ben Gibbard, among others.

Krasinski has yet to comment as to the validity of this rumor. The rumors are true. Brief Interviews has been selected as one of 16 films in the dramatic competition, among 1,026 entries. CONGRATS JOHN!!!!

THE OFFICE Spinoff? Yes and Maybe No.

Is anyone else’s head spinning with all this roundabout talk of THE OFFICE spinoff that may or may not happen?  Since it was first announced a few months back there’s been enough rumor and speculation to fill up the void left in my heart when Jim didn’t propose in the season finale (I’m still bitter so that’s better left alone).But at yesterday’s NBC TCA panel, NBC head honcho and former OFFICE Executive Producer – Ben Silverman, gave us a clear view of what the new OFFICE franchise would look like.  Nothing but straight answers from this guy…or not.

Here’s what we know.

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Amy Poehler to Star in OFFICE Spinoff?

 About 10 minutes ago I received a cryptic message from an inside source with ties to THE OFFICE saying that there was going to be some interesting news surfacing soon. Just as I wrote back asking for more info (it’s late and I’m too tired to decipher clues) I checked The Hollywood Reporter and sure enough there is a story about Amy Poehler joining the cast of THE OFFICE spinoff. Supposedly she is in negotiations so nothing is set in stone. Hot damn…please let this be one of those rumors that is actually true.

According to THR, Poehler’s name first surfaced as a possible lead back in April.  To date the only cast member officially cast is Aziz Ansari.  Rumors were floating around that former OFFICE star Rashida Jones might have a part in the new show, but there hasn’t been any more buzz on that as of late.  But maybe now that Rashida’s good friend Amy Poehler might be joining it might be a little added incentive for Ms. Jones.  Oh speculation is a fun game.

(By the way, my first choice for the lead of the new show has always been Will Arnett…but I’ll certainly take his wife too – that’s what she said!)

I for one am over the moon at the idea of seeing Amy on anything associated with THE OFFICE.  But the downside of course would be more Amy Poehler on SNL.  Wah Wah.

Again it’s all rumor, but why not have fun speculating with me.  Would you like to see Amy Poehler on THE OFFICE spinoff?

Amy Ryan Logging in More OFFICE Hours

File this one in the ‘good news’ folder.
Academy Award nominee, Amy Ryan, is going to be hanging around the Dunder Mifflin offices for a little while longer when THE OFFICE returns in the Fall. Ryan guested in last season’s finale as Holly Flax, the new HR rep who took over for Toby Flenderson when he decided to spend more time on the beautiful beaches of Costa Rica (also know as the writer’s room of THE OFFICE). And now according to Variety, Amy Ryan has signed on for at least 5 more episodes when the show returns to NBC in the Fall.

A shoe-in for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Star in a Comedy Series, Amy Ryan fit in so perfectly with the show and the craziness that is Dunder Mifflin that it was almost scary. Fans, who haven’t always taken kindly to new people joining the show (remember the brouhaha when it was announced that Ed Helms and Rashida Jones were coming on board?), immediately took to Ryan’s character who was set up as a possible love interest for Michael Scott.

Let’s hope that the peeps over in Van Nuys can woo Ms. Ryan to staying a bit longer than five episodes. It could happen. If you remember, Helms and Jones were only slated for a handful of episodes initially too, and look what happened with that.

If I didn’t say it before, please let me say it know…welcome to THE OFFICE community, Ms. Ryan.

Finally Some Real News on THE OFFICE Spinoff

The blogs were all a buzz last night with rumors of Rashida Jones joining THE OFFICE spinoff. But this morning, courtesy of Variety, we have the first real news about the show including the first cast member to officially sign on as well some news about the new writing staff.

Aziz Ansari, best known for his work on the MTV comedy show “Human Giant” is the first official cast member for the yet to be named OFFICE spinoff. No word yet on who he will be portraying, we only know that he will be part of a larger ensemble cast.

THE OFFICE showrunner Greg Daniels and current OFFICE producer/writer/guest star, Michael Schur, will be the EP’s on the spinoff. The producers said they’re “excited about the message they hope Ansari’s casting sends to the comedy community and “Office” fans”.

About Ansari, Daniel tells Variety,”We met him pretty early on and thought he was very funny. We loved his work in ‘Human Giant,’ which I’m a huge fan of, as is Mike, and we have a good character for him.”

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THE OFFICE Spoilers and Speculation

We are less than one week away from the return of THE OFFICE. I don’t know about you but the thought of seeing my favorite Dunder Mifflinites back after such a long hiatus is oddly comforting.

This week’s episode titled ‘Dinner Party’ was the last one written before the WGA strike and was said to be the funniest table read the cast had ever had for any single episode. The glimpses revealed through various promos and scenes (see below) look so funny and so very cringeworthy – exactly what THE OFFICE does best. But what’s in store for Jim, Pam, Michael, Dwight and the rest of the crew when the show airs its first post-strike episode?

(A scene from “Dinner Party”)

Showrunner Greg Daniels has confirmed that the timeline will indeed reflect the months off resulting from the strike, but just how the lapse in time will be explained we just don’t know. Will the ‘documentary’ crew have taken a few months off? Will Corporate think the cameras needed to go away for a little while after the chaos surrounding Jan’s lawsuit? I guess we’ll know in just a few weeks.

I’ll be honest with you. What I’m most interested in is how the time jump has affected my favorite TV couple Jim and Pam. Before the emails come pouring in, please understand that I realize THE OFFICE is more than just the Jim and Pam hour. This is MY favorite show on TV, so I know better. But in terms of the characters most affected by the strike, Jim and Pam top the list. And now comes word that our favorite duo may have some big happenings right around the corner.

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John Krasinski at LEATHERHEADS Premiere (Pics and Video)

Ask (and a record number of you did) and you shall received. The L.A. premiere of LEATHERHEADS was tonight and the film’s stars George Clooney, Renee Zellweger and our very own John Krasinski were all there, all looking quite dapper I may add. Here are some pics of Mr. Krasinski (as well as a few of his co-stars from the big and small screen) from tonight’s red carpet (and yes I’m still on the lookout of the money shot featuring John and George). Enjoy the eye candy.

John Krasinski, Renee Zellweger, George Clooney, Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey, Creed Bratton, Rainn Wilson, Brian Baumgartner, Jenna Fischer, Rashida Jones, Ed Helms, Phyllis Lapin, and Leslie David Baker

Thanks to IESB.net (head over there for more pictures) and to the NowLiveNetwork for the video.

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Elisha Cuthbert Returns to TV in NY-LON

March 27, 2008 by Kath Skerry  
Filed under TV News

3 Comments

24 fans will be happy (or not) to hear that Elisha Cuthbert will be returning to TV in the Fall. Cuthbert, best known for her roles as Jack Bauer’s daughter Kim on 24, has just been tapped to play the lead in the CBS drama NY-LON.

NY-LON is a remake of a 2004 British series that starred Rashida Jones (The Office, Unhitched). NY-LON centers on New York literacy teacher/record store clerk (Cuthbert), and a London stock broker, who embark on a cross-continental romance.

From what I understand, the pilot episode calls for Cuthbert to be put into dire situations that require her to whine into the camera and be all annoying. And yes, there will be mountain lions. Given her experience, I think she’ll be a natural in this role.

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Behind the Scenes of UNHITCHED

March 2, 2008 by Kath Skerry  
Filed under TV News

6 Comments

Fox’s new comedy UNHITCHED premieres tonight at 9:30pm EST. Executive Producers, Peter and Bobby Farrelly along with the cast including Craig Bierko, Rashida Jones, Shaun Majumder, and Tommy Sneed talk about the show, how they got involved and a little insight into their characters.

If you missed my thoughts on UNHITCHED, check it out here: Not Hitched to UNHITCHED…Yet

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Not Hitched to UNHITCHED…Yet

March 1, 2008 by Kath Skerry  
Filed under TV News

10 Comments

I feel the premiere of Fox’s new comedy UNHITCHED (Sunday at 9:30pm est) has been a long time coming. Back in the day when it was called ‘The Rules for Starting Over’ it sparked my interest because at the time it was the vehicle that would get Rashida Jones off THE OFFICE and therefore Karen Filippelli away from Jim Halpert. That was enough of a reason for me to root for the show. But now that Karen is gone (at least for now), Jim and Pam are happily together, is there a reason for me to watch UNHITCHED. Yes…kind of.
UNHITCHED gives us a glimpse into the lives of four recently single friends living in Boston and all looking for love. Jack “Gator” Gately (Craig Bierko) is a successful businessman who is back on the dating scene while still dealing with the aftermath of his very recent divorce. Lucky for him, his three best friends are seem to be in the same boat. There’s Tommy (Johnny Sneed) who can’t seem to make marriage work after three tries. Freddy (Shaum Majumder), a recently divorced successful surgeon who can’t seem to get it together when it comes to the ladies. And finally, Kate (Rashida Jones), a divorce attorney who upon turning 30 finds herself single when her seven year engagement ends.

Trying to navigate the dating scene is though enough when you don’t have the Farrelly Brothers finding your dates. Yes, Peter and Bobby Farrelly known for their outrageous but with heart comedies such as “There’s Something About Mary” and “Stuck on You”, are Executive Producers and directed the pilot episode. Had it not been for the involvement of the brothers, I’m not sure UNHITCHED would have made it on to the Fox schedule, and because of their involvement, I’m not sure it will stick around.

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