“Parks and Recreation”

NBC
2009 – 2015

What started as a sisterly successor to “The Office” not only adapted into a different beast entirely, but it also surpassed its inspiration. Michael Schur and Greg Daniels’ inspiring political comedy followed a diverse group of small town government workers with little else in common besides one defining bond: the desire to help people. Few characters have reached the beloved cultural stature of Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman); so much so that it speaks to the cast’s outstanding overall quality that picking a favorite is still an impossible choice. This wasn’t a workplace comedy. “Parks and Recreation” was a human story that just happened to be really damn funny.