November 18, 2009:
Here are some event quotes from executive producer Greg Daniels and actors Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari and Nick Offerman, courtesy of IGN.com:
Amy, on how giving Parks and Recreation time to breathe has been the difference maker this season:
I always knew this show was complex and needed to open up a little bit. I like to think that the show needed to decant. … People are starting to care about the people on the show. It was always our intention that the show be funny, but also a show where you actually wanted to see what happened to the characters.
Greg, on writing for the actors:
Mike (Schur) and I have been writing the characters more specifically to the actors and I think we can see more of the intelligence of the characters.
Amy, on Leslie Knope:
The comedy for her comes out of her trying to stay optimistic in the face of all these challenges. Pawnee is a real town as far as I’m concerned and the show’s concerned. To be able to have the real base where surreal, crazy stuff happens and have a real character that can deal with crazy stuff is great. It allows you to be able to go very small or very broad.
Nick, on his favorite Parks scene:
The scene where Leslie takes Ron to break up with Tammy is my favorite. Because, you know, I just got here and just to be sitting in that room with Amy and Megan, I just wanted to pinch myself. I was thrilled last season just standing in a doorway sipping a cup of coffee but I’m over the moon now that I get to do gymnastics.
Aziz, on his favorite Parks scene:
In the (upcoming) divorce episode, it gets pretty rough for Tom. It was really fun because there was some serious acting for me to do compared to my usual d*** jokes. And what guy out there hasn’t been distraught over a girl before? It was a really fun episode for me.
Link: Parks and Recreation’s Cast Speaks Out
Thanks for the tip, @Mullally_Lovah!
November 16, 2009:
I unfortunately was unable to attend Saturday evening’s Inside Parks and Recreation panel. Luckily, Knope Knows reader Sherri went to the event and wrote up her exclusive reaction for this blog.
Here’s what she had to say about the event:
I got lucky and was invited to the Parks and Recreation panel presentation at the Paley Center for Media on Saturday night. It was great for all of the predictable reasons…hysterical cast, so funny seeing them speak off the cuff, fun to hear what went into creating the show, great getting a sneak peek at the next episode (which is the funniest so far!).
It was packed –- they had to bring in extra chairs and people were standing in the aisles. Aziz was hysterical –- taking on an English theater accent to be in character for a Paley panel. Aubrey got forgotten in the introduction and slinked on stage as though under duress. But the absolute best part was the audience Q&A! When the questions began it became clear that the room was filled with city employees –- all huge fans because the show has nailed it. What the producers and writers thought they had created turns out to be a slice of life. There really is a huge rivalry between Parks and Rec and the Library — who knew?! Neighbors who live around the pit in real life were there giggling over the real-life controversy over what happens next. When an employee from the LA City Library spoke to applaud the show, Amy insisted that she be thrown out.
I know these things can be staged and managed but I have to say I was genuinely convinced that these are very funny people who love working together. It feels good to be a fan of something that people are clearly proud of doing. I do a lot of volunteer work in community politics and interact with the Mayor’s office, the DWP, our City Councilman, the Dept. of Public Works. The show gives me a chance to laugh at the nonsense that we deal with in real life. I am counting on this show having a long run –- it’s like an antidote for reality. Keep it coming!
Thanks, Sherri!
November 16, 2009:
Photos from the Paley Center’s Inside Parks and Recreation event:
Link: Cast of “Parks and Rec” at Paley Center
November 10, 2009:
Aziz Ansari will be a panelist alongside Amy Poehler, Greg Daniels and Michael Schur at the Paley Center’s Inside Parks and Recreation event!
Via Aziz’s Twitter (@azizansari):
November 5, 2009:
The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles will host a Parks and Recreation panel on Saturday, November 14 at 7 p.m. Amy Poehler and executive producers Greg Daniels and Michael Schur are scheduled to attend, as well as additional panelists.
Here’s the official description:
Can’t beat City Hall? Come join them instead, as Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and the rest of the Pawnee, Indiana, Parks and Recreation department, now in their second season, and finally having filled in the abandoned construction pit, visit the Paley Center to talk about their half-hour weekly mockumentary on NBC.
Here’s the basics:
What: Inside Parks and Recreation
When: Saturday, November 14 @ 7 p.m.
Where: The Paley Center for Media
Address: 465 N. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: (310) 786-1091
Cost: $10 (members); $15 (public) | Get tickets
Related posts:
- UPDATE: Inside the Parks and Recreation premiere The event, at MyHouse in Los Angeles, was held on...
- Check out 3 new interviews with Parks and Recreation cast and staff With Parks and Recreation’s second season beginning tonight at 8:30/7:30c,...
- Parks and Recreation invades Extract premiere Here’s photos of Amy Poehler and Aziz Ansari at the...
Tags: Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Greg Daniels, Michael Schur, Nick Offerman, The Paley Center for Media
