Parks and Recreation - Season 7 (NBC) (1 Viewer)

NBC announced today that the series finale will air February 24, leading out of The Voice.

The network will burn off the final season during the hiatus between the fall season and midseason, running two episodes a night in the apocolypticTuesday 8/7c time slot, starting January 13th.

EDIT: Thanks for fixing the thread title.

Ha...beat me to the (thread-making) punch, Adam.

On one hand, I'm a bit annoyed that NBC is showing such obvious disregard for Parks and Recreation, a show that has earned so much acclaim and a smattering of awards-attention over the years.

Even with the finale scheduled to air behind The Voice, it's clear that NBC just wants to get the show onto and off of its schedule as soon as possible so that they can focus on their much-discussed "drama-heavy" midseason lineup.

On the other hand, with their comedy brand in utter ruins at this point, I can't really blame the executives for not wanting to use Parks as an anchor for another comedy block launching Mr. Robinson and One Big Happy (those shows will have to succeed -- or more likely, fail -- on their own, if they ever even make it onto the air).And I'm pleased that we'll get to see Parks' final season earlier than I thought we would. I had worried that NBC might hold it until April for a condensed run. If they're going to burn off the final season, better to do it sooner rather than later, and during a slower period on the TV calendar -- before shows like Game of Thrones and the final season of Mad Men return.

That way, Parks and Rec can get the sendoff it deserves from the critics and fans who championed it over the years...if not necessarily from the network it actually airs on.I'm looking forward to celebrating this great show one last time -- and then moving on so that we can see what the talented people who made it so special will do next.

...Also, you just know we're totally gonna be getting promos from NBC that will make it look like The Chris Pratt Show (with amy poehler).

joshEH said:

Ha...beat me to the (thread-making) punch, Adam.

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Me too.

joshEH said:

On one hand, I'm a bit annoyed that NBC is showing such obvious disregard for Parks and Recreation, a show that has earned so much acclaim and a smattering of awards-attention over the years.

Even with the finale scheduled to air behind The Voice, it's clear that NBC just wants to get the show onto and off of its schedule as soon as possible so that they can focus on their much-discussed "drama-heavy" midseason lineup.

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As much as I'd like to bitch about NBC basically burning off the last episodes, I have to give it them for even bothering to keep the show on the air this long. Anyone reading this thread knows that there were probably more years that cancellation looked more likely than renewal so thumbs up to NBC for sticking with the show despite lackluster ratings and for letting them write a proper ending to the show.

joshEH said:

...Also, you just know we're totally gonna be getting promos from NBC that will make it look like The Chris Pratt Show (with amy poehler).

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While Poehler's Leslie Knope is definitely at the center of the show, since Rashida Jones left there lit-er-all-y isn't a regular cast member that wouldn't be worthy of a dedicated promotional campaign. Tom Haverford, Ron Swanson, April Ludgate, Andy Dwyer, Ben Wyatt, Garry/Jerry/Larry Gergich, Donna Meagle... there's just isn't any dead weight. One of the benefits of the reduced episode order is that it meant a condensed shooting schedule so that we can have more of Andy than we had in Season 6.

I'm kinda disappointed that the show will be "burned off" in rapid fashion. It is one of the best shows in the last 20 years of sitcoms and it deserves a bigger audience. Cheers to NBC for doing the 7th season, but, like 30 Rock before it, it feels like the network can't wait to be done with it.

I have no doubt that if NBC thought they could get away with it, they would have dropped S7 and been done with the show last year. But they are in the Amy Poehler business (and they saw the breakout Chris Pratt as a great promotional opportunity). Season 7 has nothing to do with the show or giving it what it deserves. It's all about Pratt and Poehler...and trying to stay on the good side of Tina Fey, Poehler's good friend.

That being said...Tuesday? Boy...I get Thursday wasn't working real well and it would hit the Big Bang Theory buzzsaw. I guess this is as good a time slot as any.

And a perverse thought ran through my head. What happens if, with the extra promo from Guardians of the Galaxy Chris Pratt is getting, ratings surge? I mean, the show is never going to be a Big Bang Theory-size hit...but if the final season doubles S6's average rating, NBC is going to look even more foolish and incompetent than they already do.

Today is Parks and Recreation's final day of production. Mike Schur's Twitter feed is full of pics from the last day on the set, including this one of Nick Offerman:

http://t.co/B4mtUM29hy

...Pretty much says it all, I think.

Crying- acceptable at funerals and the Grand Canyon. And the end of Parks And Recreation.

Damn you, Travis, I was literally just about to post that same quote myself until you totally ninja'd me!

(sobs uncontrollably into his Unity Quilt)

Just a warning: A potentially huge spoiler in one of the tweeted pics reposted by both the Onion AV Club and Entertainment Weekly.

EDIT: Doh, I forgot the "Jerry" Gergich Memorial Conference Room was a gag back in the episode where Jerry/Larry retired. Never mind. Move along.

Watched the 6th season finale on DVD last night, and that might be the show's finest hour. Can't wait for the 7th, and I'm so sorry to see it ending.

At least it's going to have the chance to go out on top. Or, at least before it degenerates into a sad, hollow shell of what it once was, like The Office did.

This makes me wish Twitter was around back when the classics were wrapping up. Imagine Shatner on the very last day of Star Trek -- "Well...never gonna have to do THAT again." Or the MTM gang cracking everyone up in the CBS Television City cafeteria by still not breaking the hug.

Or the cast of The Cosby Show, being extremely careful what they make public.

Sneak peek:



Reportedly, Rashida Jones, Rob Lowe, and Paul Schneider will all be making appearances this season. (Although they should probably play up the fact that no one is likely really all that psyched for the return of Mark Brendanawicz.)

Also, here's a brief clip of Mouserat's final performance at the series' wrap party, with Duke Silver on backing guitar paying tribute to the late great Lil' Sebastian:

I LOVE Mark Brendanawicz! I for one am excited for that!

Tommy R said:

I LOVE Mark Brendanawicz! I for one am excited for that!

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I've been waiting to see him again but I'm curious how many viewers (outside of the hardcore fans or people who recently Netflixed all the episodes) will even remember him.

"...you mean, Mark BrendanaQUITS!!!"

Writing off Paul Schneider's character was one of the most important steps they took to right the ship going into the third season. I wouldn't mind him popping up again so that we get to find out what happened to Mark, but I wouldn't want him to be back full time. The show never knew what to do with that character.

Tonight's the night!

Big interview with Michael Schur about the show, its politics and comparisons to The Wire (which have been noted forever but are apt and make me smile): http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/13/parks-and-recreation-final-season_n_6459726.html


Also, there's a link to a longer podcast version of the interview at the bottom of the text.