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The Parks and Recollection podcast is a discussion of all the episodes of the show Parks and Recreation. The hosts are Alan Yang and Rob Lowe. Yang was a writer and producer for Parks and Recreation and Lowe played Chris Traeger on the show. They tell amusing stories about the making of the show and describe the process that went into creating it. Yang and Lowe also interview guests who were on Parks and Recreation and involved in the creation of it. Fans of the show will enjoy hearing juicy details about it and enjoy the banter between the hosts.
In the first few episodes of the podcast, Yang and Lowe discuss the development of the show. They describe how there are comparisons between The Office and the first season of Parks and Recreation. Besides both shows being documentaries about a work setting, Amy Poehler’s character Lesley Knope is similar to Michael Scott in season one. Yang and Lowe discuss how the creators of Parks and Recreation decided to take the show in a different direction after season one. Starting in season two, Knope can been seen excelling at her job, which clearly was not always the case with Michael Scott. You can also see characters bonding which you never really see Jim and Dwight doing.
Yang and Lowe talk about the background of the actors on Parks and Recreation. Some of what they can be seen doing during the show are hobbies and activities that they do in real life. This is especially the case of Nick Offerman who plays Ron Swanson. Besides acting, Offerman runs a wood shop and has a passion for woodworking. If you have watched Parks and Recreation, this makes a lot of sense. Swanson handcrafts furniture and does various types of woodwork throughout it Listeners will enjoy hearing these kinds of facts about their favorite actors in the show.
Besides just hearing about actors, you get to hear from the actors themselves in episodes of this podcast. So far, Chris Pratt and Fred Armisen have been interviewed. Interestingly, Pratt (who plays Andy Dwyer) was only supposed to be in a few episodes of the show. His amazing audition, which he describes in his interview, helped land him a permanent role. It would hard to imagine Parks and Recreation without Andy Dwyer! Fred Armisen, who plays a Venezuelan parks director, talks about the fun he had acting in the episode that he was in. His talent and humor made him a perfect guest. The actors tell hysterical stories that will crack you up!
Yang and Lowe’s perspectives on the set of Parks and Recreation and their roles in the creation of the show allow them to take you behind the scenes of the making of it and describe the bond those involved in its creation formed which is one of the uplifting parts of this podcast. The friendship among the cast was so prevalent that it was written into the show. During it, characters become close and help each other when they struggling. These feel good parts of the podcast along with interesting facts and funny stories makes Parks and Recollection an excellent companion to Parks and Recreation.
Parks and Recollection can be listened to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast apps. It can also be heard on the Apple Podcast website.
Mike Walsh
Adult Services-Will Branch
Of my favorite quotes from Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation is “Gimme all the bacon and eggs you have.”