Give Me My Remote received an advance copy of Parks and Recreation. In its review of the show, a GMMR staffer called the show “very funny” and having “all the right mixins’ to be one of the greats.”
But, the reviewer couldn’t help but notice the similarities between Parks and Recreation and its sister comedy, The Office:
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… There were actually a few moments that felt, well, recycled. You’ll know them when you see them.
The reviewer admits the show “is not perfect”, and that it will need some time to become its own thing — separate from The Office. But the staffer has no doubt it’ll happen because NBC’s two other hit comedies, The Office and 30 Rock, went through a similar process:
I’ll be looking for the show to break apart from THE OFFICE a little bit more and find it’s own identity. But for now I’m just going to enjoy it as is and welcome PARKS AND RECREATION to my Thursday night comedy line up. I don’t know about you but with this show airing at 8:30pm, THE OFFICE at 9pm and then 30 ROCK at 9:30pm I don’t plan on switching from NBC at all on Thursday nights (and when’s the last time someone could say that?!)
