Pilot
- Episode aired Apr 9, 2009
- TV-PG
- 21m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
4.1K
YOUR RATING
In an attempt to beautify her town, Leslie Knope takes on the seemingly simple job of helping turn an abandoned construction pit into a park.In an attempt to beautify her town, Leslie Knope takes on the seemingly simple job of helping turn an abandoned construction pit into a park.In an attempt to beautify her town, Leslie Knope takes on the seemingly simple job of helping turn an abandoned construction pit into a park.
Loudon Wainwright III
- Barry
- (as Loudon Wainwright)
Dean Francois
- City Commissioner
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaRon originally had a poster of Indiana basketball coaching legend Bobby Knight in his office, but it had to be removed for legal reasons.
- GoofsWhen Leslie enters Pioneer Hall to confront Ron, there is a palm tree in the landscape to her right. Palm trees do not thrive in Indiana.
- Quotes
Ron Swanson: I don't want this parks department to build any parks because I don't believe in government. I think that all government is a waste of taxpayer money.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Parks and Recreation: Ann and Chris (2014)
Featured review
A weak pilot in an otherwise fantastic series.
Parks and Recreation belongs in the same discussion with other great series that despite being, for the most part, consistently great, do have a weak first season. Other examples include Seinfeld, The Simpsons, and The Office (US). Sometimes it takes a few episodes to get the balance just right of the tone and characters. It's a hard thing to do to get a show exactly right from the very first episode. That's why I always applaud shows that do get it right away.
Watching Parks and Recreation's pilot now, after seeing the entire series, I noticed how some of the characters act almost like completely different people. Characters like Ron, Tom, and Ann seemed to be pretty much spot-on from the get-go. However, Donna, Jerry, and April are virtually silent. Andy is a complete jerk, and Leslie is kind of air-headed (almost like a female Michael Scott), and not the brilliant government worker that she would end up becoming. The series definitely has not reached its prime yet, but hey, not every pilot can be like Arrested Development!
To pick apart a sitcom's pilot is kind of ridiculous, and having already seen the series from beginning to end, I can forgive the writers and know that it gets much better, and things start to click real quickly. Just know that if you haven't seen the series yet, and are wondering if you should still continue despite it feeling like a direct rip off of The Office, know that it becomes its own original, brilliant series very soon. Trust me.
Watching Parks and Recreation's pilot now, after seeing the entire series, I noticed how some of the characters act almost like completely different people. Characters like Ron, Tom, and Ann seemed to be pretty much spot-on from the get-go. However, Donna, Jerry, and April are virtually silent. Andy is a complete jerk, and Leslie is kind of air-headed (almost like a female Michael Scott), and not the brilliant government worker that she would end up becoming. The series definitely has not reached its prime yet, but hey, not every pilot can be like Arrested Development!
To pick apart a sitcom's pilot is kind of ridiculous, and having already seen the series from beginning to end, I can forgive the writers and know that it gets much better, and things start to click real quickly. Just know that if you haven't seen the series yet, and are wondering if you should still continue despite it feeling like a direct rip off of The Office, know that it becomes its own original, brilliant series very soon. Trust me.
helpful•362
- brenbella
- Jul 23, 2018
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What is the broadcast (satellite or terrestrial TV) release date of Pilot (2009) in Canada?
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