Aubrey's New Year's Resolution

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Chris' New Year's Resolution

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Happy New Year from Aziz!

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Christmas Scandal- DS 2

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Christmas Scandal-DS 1

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2009 Honors so Far!

Third in LA Times’ list of the top 10 good things about TV in 2009!

Yahoo! TV names Ron Swanson one of TV’s most fascinating characters

Amy Poehler hits top 15 in People magazine’s top 100 people list

San Francisco Chronicle said Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman are two of 18 TV actors who truly stood out this season.

18 Standout TV actors of 2009 (San Francisco Chronicle)

Top 10 Shows of 2009: The Best, and the Rest (TIME magazine)

TV Gal names Leslie Knope as one of her favorite characters of 2009

Aubrey Plaza-The Twelve Days of Festivus: Eleven babes worth watchin’ (TV Squad)

Best and Worst TV of 2009: Allison’s list (TV Squad)

Best and Worst TV of 2009: Joel’s list (TV Squad)

Pop Candy’s 100 People of 2009 (USA Today)

Top TV Stories of 2009: The return of the sitcom (TV Squad)

NBC’s Parks and Recreation is one of TV’s finest comedies in 2009 (Examiner.com)

GQ’s Sitcom of the Year: Parks and Recreation

The Huffington Post names Amy Poehler and Aziz Ansari as two of the funniest people of the decade

TIME dubs Parks and Recreation one of the year’s best TV shows

Best of 2009: Comedy Series (IGN.com)

My Favorite TV Characters of 2009 (Zap2it)

My Top 20 TV shows of 2009 (Entertainment Weekly)

Best of 2009 (salon.com)

Killer Dads and Family Comedies: The Best TV of 2009 (New York magazine)

In the top 3!

Parks and Recreation a top 3 comedy according to San Francisco Chronicle
December 14th, 2009
From San Francisco Chronicle:

It’s the Comeback Series of the Year after dropping six mostly uninspired episodes on viewers last season. Now everything is clicking and the laughs are smart and surprising. Another series with nary a creative misstep. NBC gets credit for sticking with it, and the writers should be applauded for fleshing out the supporting cast while spreading around the jokes.

Here’s the complete list:

30 Rock
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation
Better Off Ted
Curb Your Enthusiasm
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Bored to Death
Hung
The Office
Flight of the Concords
How I Met Your Mother
The League
Community

Leslie is Zap2its TV Gals Fav!

TV Gal names Leslie Knope as one of her favorite characters of 2009
December 14th, 2009
From Zap2it’s TV Gal:

[Amy Poehler's] show easily wins the most improved award. Poehler has delicately balanced Leslie’s gung-ho enthusiasm and naïve optimism without ever making her seem incompetent or silly. Even last week, when Leslie pulled down her pants on live TV, I was proud of her not embarrassed by her behavior. Amidst a wacky work environment, Poehler has created a character I can’t help but root for – she oozes believable emotions (no one does a crestfallen face like Poehler) and I kind of think she’s pretty good at her job.

P&R holiday E-cards

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P&R Trivia Game

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Christmas Scandal Poll

Christmas Scandal Ratings

December 10, 2009: Christmas Scandal
Overnights: 5.62 million viewers, 2.3/6 rating/share in adults 18-49

Lead in: Community (5.98 million viewers, 2.3/7 rating/share in adults 18-49)
Lead out: The Office (9.24 million viewers, 4.4/12 rating/share in adults 18-49)

Christmas Scandal Ratings

December 10, 2009: Christmas Scandal
Overnights: 5.62 million viewers, 2.3/6 rating/share in adults 18-49

Lead in: Community (5.98 million viewers, 2.3/7 rating/share in adults 18-49)
Lead out: The Office (9.24 million viewers, 4.4/12 rating/share in adults 18-49)

35 Funniest People

Among the list are...
Aziz Ansari - “I’m actually a Caucasian who does the Fisher Stevens-Short Circuit 2 makeup technique every morning."
Amy Poehler- "President Bush threw out the first pitch Monday at Cincinnati's great American ball park. 18 Iraqis were killed."


Link: http: 35 Funniest!

GQs Sitcom of the Year: Parks and Recreation!

With all due respect to fans of Modern Family, The Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm, when ?uestlove of The Roots wrote last week that Parks and Rec is the Wu Tang of Comedy, he nailed it. This, no doubt, comes as a shock to people who dipped their toes in last season and left disappointed. We know. We understand. The first six episodes blew. The creative team has said that run last spring was really one extended pilot. That's true—and a shame. Because it turned off a lot of viewers

But while no one was watching, the focus changed. Amy Poeher's parks commissioner Leslie softened. The limp romance between Mark (Paul Schneider) and Ann (Rashida Jones) moved to the background. The true lunatic weirdness of the show—from Chris Pratt's pit-dwelling, shoe-shining, Deal Or No Deal-auditioning Andy to Nick Offerman's lover of brown haired ladies and breakfast food Ron Swanson—started to emerge. It's got the deepest bench on TV. (Aziz Anzari = brilliant. Aubrey Plaza is our biggest entertainment crush right now.) The best guest stars. (LouisCK, Megan Mullally, Fred Armisan.) And, of course, Amy Poehler, whose warmth and willingness to totally humiliate herself confirmed what we always knew: she's one of the best comedians working today.

For all that, though, the real star of the show is Pawnee. Unlike The Office, which exists in a hermetically sealed lucite box of sadness that hits WAY too close to home these days, Parks and Recreation pulls back the lens and lets the town become a character. Just off the top of my head, here are a few details of what we've learned about Indiana's finest city. It has...

–An anti-semitic past that is celebrated in mural form
–A library department that is a group of "punk ass book jockeys" and the "worst group of people ever assembled"
–Raccoons that aren't nocturnal and tend to attack children
–A sewer department overrun with floozies
–A gay bar and a strip club and a nipple factory and a restaurant named The Jurrasic Fork
–And, of course, a giant pit that the government can't seem to get filled

Reminds you of something, doesn't it? Springfield. And while we know that any comparison's to the Golden Age of The Simpsons is heady praise that borders on sacrilege, it's deserved. Parks and Recreation is absurd. Hilarious. Packed with polished jokes, unexpected turns, and boasting real heart. Simply put, this is the funniest show on television right now. America, start watching. You're missing something special.

(We'll return to our regularly scheduled power rankings when the NBC lineup returns after the holidays.)
— Dan Fierman

Santa and his Elves

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TIME names P&R one of the years best!

TIME dubs Parks and Recreation one of the year’s best TV shows

TIME magazine’s James Poniewozik published his top 10 TV shows of 2009. You know what made the cut? Parks and Recreation, tied at No. 10 with another NBC Thursday night comedy, The Office.

Here’s what Poniewozik said about Parks:

After a shaky start, Parks found its offbeat voice, focusing on bureaucrat Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and the citizens and civil servants of Pawnee, Ind. Knope fights doggedly for a pet project (turning an abandoned pit into a park), battling red tape, an evil library department and her own overenthusiasm. This sly but optimistic civic satire may be the first distinctive comedy of the Obama era.

And, of course, the list:

1. Mad Men
2. Modern Family
3. Breaking Bad
4. Big Love
5. Battlestar Galactica
6. Lost
7. Friday Night Lights
8. Glee
9. Sons of Anarchy
10. The Office / Parks and Recreation (tie)

Congratulations, Parks cast, crew and staff!

TIME names P&R one of the years best!

TIME dubs Parks and Recreation one of the year’s best TV shows

TIME magazine’s James Poniewozik published his top 10 TV shows of 2009. You know what made the cut? Parks and Recreation, tied at No. 10 with another NBC Thursday night comedy, The Office.

Here’s what Poniewozik said about Parks:

After a shaky start, Parks found its offbeat voice, focusing on bureaucrat Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and the citizens and civil servants of Pawnee, Ind. Knope fights doggedly for a pet project (turning an abandoned pit into a park), battling red tape, an evil library department and her own overenthusiasm. This sly but optimistic civic satire may be the first distinctive comedy of the Obama era.

And, of course, the list:

1. Mad Men
2. Modern Family
3. Breaking Bad
4. Big Love
5. Battlestar Galactica
6. Lost
7. Friday Night Lights
8. Glee
9. Sons of Anarchy
10. The Office / Parks and Recreation (tie)

Congratulations, Parks cast, crew and staff!

Aziz Ansari teams with Dave Sitek for hip hop mixtape

Aziz Ansari teams with Dave Sitek for hip hop mixtape

From Pitchfork:

Fans of comedian Aziz Ansari know the guy loves hip-hop. … And now he’s putting out a rap mixtape under his blowjob-obsessed hip-hop comedian guise, Raaaaaaaandy (as seen in Funny People). TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek is producing it along with L.A.’s the Have and Baltimore’s DJ Granwizerd. For fans of comedy, rap, and life itself, this is amazing news.

According to Sitek, the as-yet-unnamed tape is due in February and will feature “all original music and guest MCs,” who will be named soon.

From Aziz’s Tumblr:

If everything we have in mind comes together, I can promise three things:

1. Y’all ain’t ready.
2. Motherfuckers need to know.
3. Get yo’ shit.

Link: Aziz Ansari and TVOTR’s Dave Sitek Team Up for Hip-Hop Mixtape

Own a Jim O’Heir autographed bowl

Clothes Off Our Back is auctioning off a white bowl signed by Jim O’Heir (Jerry) at the American Music Awards. The auction began on November 27 and runs through December 16.

The opening bid is $25.

From Clothes Off Our Back:

Own the bowl signed by actor Jim O’Heir. Mr. O’Heir (”Parks and Recreation”) signed the bowl to support Feeding America and their “Fill a Bowl, Feed America” campaign. Remember that $1 provides seven meals for a child. Proceeds from the auction benefit Feeding America.

Link: “Parks and Recreation’s” Jim O’Heir Autographed Bowl

Follies

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Lot 48

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Toms Divorce Poll

Aziz at Comedy Works

Aziz Ansari to do 5 shows in Denver in February
December 4th, 2009
Aziz Ansari will do five stand-up shows over two days in February at Comedy Works in Denver, CO. Aziz last performed there in November.

Here’s the basics:
What: Aziz Ansari Live
When: Friday, February 19 @ 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; Saturday, February 20 @ 6:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Where: Comedy Works Downtown at Larimer Square
Address: 1226 15th St., Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 595-3637
Cost: $25 (+2 item minimum) | Get Tickets

Aziz in Tv.com

Aziz Ansari talks Jenna Haze, The League and Kanye in TV.com Q&A
December 4th, 2009
From TV.com:

I saw on your Tumblr that you are doing an interview with Animal Collective. I tried to Google it, and discovered that if you plan on typing in “aziz ansari animal collective” into Google, when you get to “aziz ansari a,” Google suggests “aziz ansari and jenna haze.” Given that Haze is a porn star, on a scale from “very” to “defining moment of career,” how proud are you of this?
That’s great to hear. Jenna worked with us on the Randy shorts and is a very nice lady. I was once looking through my wallet for my CVS card and accidentally sat Jenna’s business card on the counter without realizing just how graphic it is. I made quite an impression on the staff there.

Have there been any discussions about you appearing on The League?
Nope, but I would love to do something on that show. [Nick] Kroll and [Paul] Scheer are real good friends of mine.

Did Kanye invite you over for Thanksgiving?
No, I just had Thanksgiving with my family and Busta Rhymes.

Toms Divorce Ratings

December 3, 2009: Tom’s Divorce
Overnights: 4.83 million viewers, 2.1/6 rating/share in adults 18-49

Lead in: Community (5.38 million viewers, 2.2/6 rating/share in adults 18-49)
Lead out: The Office (8.06 million viewers, 4.1/11 rating/share in adults 18-49)

Rachel Axler off Broadway

Rachel Axler marks her off Broadway debut with Smudge
December 3rd, 2009
Parks and Recreation staff writer Rachel Axler will make her off Broadway playwriting debut with Smudge, a dark comedy directed by Pam MacKinnon. The show begins previews on January 3 and is scheduled to run January 11 through February 7 at Julia Miles Theater in New York.

Smudge is about a young couple who give birth to a “smudge” and was inspired by Rachel’s “most horrible thought.”

Says Rachel:

Probably a good topic for a play. I think most of my plays are hybrids, with comic dialogue and darker, or more serious, themes.

Here’s the basics:
What: Smudge
When: Monday, January 11 through Sunday, February 7 (previews begin Sunday, January 3 @ 3 p.m.)
Where: Women’s Project/Julia Miles Theater
Address: 424 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 239-6200 (212-765-2105 for WP members)
Cost: $52 ($15 for WP members) | Get Tickets

Aziz in AOL TV

Aziz Ansari’s Q&A with AOL TV
December 2nd, 2009
From AOL TV:

You’ve guest-starred on a number of shows, including ‘Scrubs’ and ‘Flight of the Conchords.’ What show would you most want to make a guest appearance on?
I think I should play David Palmer’s long-lost son in the next season of ‘24.’ But I’d work at CTU. I’m not a politician.

In terms of your own stand-up, it’s been said by older comics that you need at least 20 years to develop your style.
Yeah, there’s a quote from Jay Leno, I think, that said your first 500 shows don’t matter and I think that’s pretty true. I didn’t put out my first album until now and it’s been eight years since I started. You’re always developing as a comedian. You look at guys like Louis C.K., who’s been doing this for 20 or so years, and it’s like, wow, that guy’s been doing stand-up for about as long as I’ve been alive. He’s so far ahead of everyone.

You moved to Los Angeles from New York last year. What’s the best and worst part about living in L.A.?
The best thing is there’s a lot of really delicious taco trucks there and occasionally you’ll see Lorenzo Lamas walking around. And the worst thing is occasionally you’ll see Lorenzo Lamas walking around.

YOU REALLY SHOULD BE WATCHING P&R!

Parks and Recreation review in Slate magazine
December 2nd, 2009
From Slate:

In the world of meager TV ratings, the line separating a loser from an underdog can be blurry, but with its second season, Parks and Recreation has vaulted definitively into the latter category. Contributors to Salon, the Los Angeles Times, and New York are among those who have rallied on behalf of the show, which has gone from an erratically funny nonevent to astonishingly good.
Leslie has become less of a punching bag (or, rather, a more multifaceted one), and Ann has dumped Andy. These shifts in plotting have freed up the writers to make better use of the ensemble cast, where charm runs deep into the bench: Who knew that Jerry, a pencil-pushing piece of Season 1 furniture, would blossom into a hilariously tragic office Eeyore?
The season truly hit its stride with the fourth episode, “Practice Date,” in which the characters dug up dirt on one another in an office background-check game—a funny, economical way to bring them more vividly to life. Tom, we learned, is in a sham marriage, hitched to a Canadian hottie not because of his Casanova talents but because she needed a green card. The revelation at once punctured his slimy façade and deepened our sympathies for him.
Unburdened by the pit plot, the show’s writers have also taken aim at targets beyond an ineffectual City Hall: a hypocritical beauty pageant here (a turkey shoot no less enjoyable for its familiarity), hysteria over gay marriage there (as provoked by a pair of homosexual zoo penguins). And the writers have been making ever more frequent detours into an inspired absurdity that tugs against and tweaks the show’s bureaucratic backdrop. In “The Camel,” Leslie’s boss was brought to the verge of orgasm (and beyond?) by a good shoeshine; in “The Hunting Trip,” we watched as Tom and several others convinced themselves they were being stalked by the Predator.

Meet the Writers

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Aziz in Movieweb

EXCLUSIVE: Aziz Ansari Brings the Laughs in Funny People
November 30th, 2009

Aziz Ansari Brings the Laughs in Funny PeopleBy now, if you're a comedy fan who doesn't know the name Aziz Ansari, you are in some dire need of comedic catch-up. Aside from his famous rants on the IMAX format Ansari currently stars as the mischevious Tom Haverford on the hit NBC comedy Parks and Recreation and he makes a brief but memorable appearance in the film Funny People, which is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray shelves everywhere. Although his role in the actual film is (sadly) fairly brief, he has a much bigger presence on the DVD special features with the documentary on his character Randy. I recently had the chance to fire some questions over to Aziz via email, and here's what he had to say.

You've had a rather meteoric rise through the comedy ranks in such a short period of time, so what was it like to get a call from Judd Apatow for a role in Funny People?

Aziz Ansari: It was great. I'd just lost the role of Chev Chelios in the film Crank 2 after coming very close to getting it (they decided to let Jason Statham reprise his role as Chev again for the sequel), so times were tough. The call from Judd came at just the right time.

Can you talk a bit about working with Judd on your Randy character? Did you write your own stand-up material or did he have bits scripted for you? How did the whole process of creating Randy come about for you?

Aziz Ansari: Judd and I talked a bit about what he had in mind for Randy and the early ideas he mentioned were about him being really cocky and very conscious about things like merchandise and how much money he made per gig. That attitude reminded me of those new young hip hop superstars like Soulja Boy, and that really became my inspiration. That's what triggered the ideas about the dance, the DJ, idiotic catchphrases, etc. Those to me are the defining aspects of Randy and it was not a shot at any particular comic, like many people think. Another notion that stuck in my head was the idea of the comic that kills with audiences but it is despised by the other comedians backstage. These guys are at every club, talking non-stop about their dick and their dumb stories about going down on girls, etc. This kind of was the jumping off point for when I started writing material specifically for Randy. Initially I started doing my own standup and just "Randy'ing" it up, but then I started writing Randy specific bits and that was really fun.

Like all of Judd's films, Funny People seems very much grounded in reality. Can you speak to the reality of these kinds of struggling stand-up characters and how it's reflected in the film?

Aziz Ansari: It seemed pretty real to me. The main difference I think is that now it's not as much centered around the comedy club scene. In NY and LA, most of the young talent seems to be coming out of places like the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and small standup rooms around town, as opposed to the big clubs.

Now this Funny People DVD is just jam-packed with extras including this three-part Raaaaaandy documentary. Can you talk about the making of that? Was that done during regular production of the film, or was that something that came up afterwards?

Aziz Ansari: We were having so much fun with Randy that I asked Judd if myself and Jason Woliner, a collaborator from Human Giant, could make those documentaries. He was into the idea and let us run wild with it. It was shot after production stopped and many people that worked on Funny People worked super hard to help us make it happen and Jason and I love them all very much. The version on the DVD actually has some extra bits that haven't been seen before and is actually one long piece that tracks Randy's journey to getting a spot on the Jimmy Kimmell Live. It also features appearances by two of my favorite people ever - Nick Offerman and Eric Edelstein

I remember they released the videos of that "documentary" online before the film came out and they were quite popular. It seems that there could almost be a spin-off film for Randy seeing as how popular he was. Would you be up for something like that and has it been discussed at all?

Aziz Ansari: Judd talked to us about the idea of doing a movie with him and urged us to come in with some pitches, including one about Randy. We came up with 3 ideas. One about two guys that work for a motivational speaking company, a second about two disgraced astronauts, and a third that was a take on Randy. After the meeting, Judd and Universal decided to buy all 3. We were stunned and it wasn't what we're expecting, but we're totally up for the challenge. Right now, we're developing all 3 ideas and trying to figure out which we'll go with first. Our experiences working with Judd and his team have been great so we are thrilled to work on a bigger project with them.

You have Get Him to the Gig, previously titled Get Him to the Greek, coming up. Can you talk about your character in that film, and what it was like working with Jonah Hill again and the hilarious Russell Brand?

Aziz Ansari: Jonah is a good friend and hands down one of the funniest dudes I've ever worked with. I have so much respect for that guy. I didn't get to do a lot of scenes with him until Greek and seeing him work is incredible. He's a pro and deserves all the success he's gotten and more. I didn't have any scenes with Russell, but I did work with Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, who also absolutely kills in this movie. I have the utmost respect for Sean as well. Think about it like this - I've been working hard for years to establish myself as a comedic actor and after this film is released, Sean will have done that in a much shorter period of time, in addition to creating a successful vodka and cologne. Not to mention, I've seen a photo of him riding a jet ski in a tuxedo. What a life.

I'm a big fan of Parks and Recreation and, of course, of Tom Haverford as well. Can you talk about what we can expect from Tom as far as his relationship with his wife is concerned, and if there might be an office fling for Tom in the near future? At this point in the season, does Tom see Leslie as more of a big sister, mother or perhaps a lonely aunt?

Aziz Ansari: Tom's divorce hits him pretty hard and we end up at the Glitter Factory. It's the episode airing this week and I think it should be great. Not sure about future romances at this moment, but I imagine that should be an interesting new direction for Tom. As far as his relationship with Leslie, I think she's kind of like a great, great aunt; which is how I joke to Rashida and Amy that I see them in real life.

It was also announced that Will Arnett would be stopping by Pawnee this season. Are there any other big guest stars you can tell us about for the rest of this season?

Aziz Ansari: At this point, just Will and Justin Theroux, both of whom are hilarious and very nice dudes.

Since you've written for TV before, I was wondering if we might see an Aziz Ansari-scripted episode of Parks down the line? Are there any other writing projects you're working on right now?

Aziz Ansari: No thanks, I prefer napping/eating snacks in my trailer when I'm not acting, as opposed to slaving away at a script. Truth be told, that would be really fun to do. Even though I'm not a writer, Mike and Greg are really cool about hearing any ideas we have for our characters and when we're on set, I always pitch Tom jokes to the writer on set and the director; so I feel a part of the process even as an actor. The only writing projects I'm working on now are the Apatow projects I mentioned above.

You have a brand new stand-up special coming out on DVD in January called Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening. Can you talk about some of the material you cover in the special, and if there are plans for future tours or stand-up specials?

Aziz Ansari: Its material I did on my Glow in the Dark standup tour. I talk about a bunch of stuff - thread counts in sheets, my chubby cousin Harris, and end with a special 10 minute Randy set that includes dancers, DJs, smoke, two minutes dedicated to making it rain. I'm still doing standup and working on new material to tour with in 2010, but with the shooting schedule of the show, it can be a difficult, slow moving process. I'd like to tour in 2010, it's just a matter of getting the set together. So far I have 25 new minutes I like, once I get it up to 45, I'll hit the road a little and then do a big tour in the Spring. That's the plan right now.

You can catch Aziz Ansari in Funny People, which is available on DVD and Blu-ray everywhere.

Rashida on Jimmy

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Amy plays with Jimmy

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Aziz at Largo

LA STANDUP SHOW!

Aziz Ansari and Friends at Largo
Saturday, December 5th at 9pm
Call 310-855-0350 for reservations

Christmas Scandal Synopsis

Christmas Scandal- Leslie organizes the Pawnee Winter Wonderland Festival, but has to hide from the press when a meeting with a disgraced City Councilman lands her in the middle of a sex scandal. Holiday Episode!

Hunting Trip Highlight

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Amy on Managing her Double Life

As fearless bureaucrat Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation, Amy Poehler usually has her hands full with her day job. Behind-the-scenes, Poehler is much more of a multi-tasker. Besides starring in the NBC comedy, the Emmy nominee returned to her old SNL Weekend Update stomping grounds this fall, and she is also raising her first child, 13-month-old Archie, with hubby Will Arnett. How does she do it? To find out, TVGuide.com turned to Poehler, who also discusses her blossoming series, her relationship with fellow NBC star Tina Fey and whether she'll appear on her best friend's show.

Parks and Recreation: Leslie and co. have love woes

TVGuide.com: Parks and Recreation has really taken off this season. How does it feel having so many fans latch on to the show?
Amy Poehler: It's super exciting. I've always felt very proud of the stuff we've been doing, and then to have people notice it has been great. The journey of the show is: You hope the pilot gets picked up, you hope the back nine gets picked up, you hope people watch it, you hope people like it. The slow process of that has been exciting for everybody.

TVGuide.com: How are you finding the balance between motherhood, this show and popping up on Saturday Night Live every now and then?
Poehler: Any working mother will tell you that it's a day-to-day thing. You just do your best and try to make it work. Some days are harder than others. I mean, I'm lucky to have a great job and people that help me. I wouldn't be able to do it without them.

Will Arnett to guest-star on Parks and Recreation

TVGuide.com: Has Tina Fey asked you to come over to 30 Rock yet?
Poehler: Well, you know Will is over there all the time, which is so great. We talked a lot about how we're both working long hours with kids. Our emails and texts are mostly about formula and nannies [Laughs].

TVGuide.com: So there's no chance of you popping up over there?
Poehler: Right now it's too hard to do this here.

TVGuide.com: What's ahead for Leslie Knope?
Poehler: She's got a little bit of excitement happening because the pit has been filled in, but we're going to see if that's one step forward, two steps back. The fun thing about this show is that it moves in a fast and slow pace. It's not the kind of thing where everything is resolved in one episode. The writers do such a good job making sure the stories have a sense of real time. I have a feeling that it's going to take many, many years — like in government — for anything to change.

TVGuide.com: Has anything surprised you this season?
Poehler: So many things. What surprises me most is how many times people think we're improvising when we're not. We're just doing the script, which is an indication of how great the writers are. People think, "Oh that seems really loose and you're improvising." No, that's an actual really loose and well-written joke in character. That's been really fun.

Chris and Aubrey: Part Two

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Aziz is on FIRE!!!

I’m very excited to announce that Jason Woliner and I have sold 3 movies to Judd Apatow and Universal! I am attached to star and Jason will direct.

One idea is tentatively titled “Let’s Do This” and is a road movie about two guys that work for a motivational speaking company.

Another idea is about two disgraced astronauts who have to go back to space to clear their names.

And the other idea is a movie based around Randy, my character from “Funny People.”

We’re currently working on all three ideas now and haven’t decided which we will go with first.

Needless to say, we are very excited to be working with Judd on these projects. Unfortunately, this does however put Jason and I’s plan to remake Short Circuit 2 (with myself playing the Michael McKean role in a revolutionary new makeup technique called “peachface”) on hold indefinitely.

Hes like the Indian Brad Pitt!

In other smokin hot Aziz news...


AzizisBored:
Is it weird that I’m so psyched to be ranked higher than Tim Riggins on this list?? HAHAHAH! “Clear eyes! Full hearts! Can’t lose!” Oh wait, you did lose! TO ME RIGGINS!! HAHAHAH!

Aziz is SEXY!!!

Parks and Recreations very own Aziz Ansari has been honered along side Maxwell and John Stamos in People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive Issue. He is very excited:
Dear People Magazine,

Azizisbored:

Aziz Ansari, Maxwell, and John Stamos here. Thanks for including us in your Sexiest Man Alive issue. Coincidentally, in addition to being the sexiest men of our respective ages, we are also best friends. Maxwell brought the magazine to brunch over the weekend and we all got a nice kick out of it. So thank you. Sincerely,

Aziz Ansari, Maxwell, and John Stamos

Link:http://azizisbored.tumblr.com/post/254542247/dear-people-magazine-aziz-ansari-maxwell-and

Hunting Trip Ratings

Overnights: 4.61 million viewers, 2.0/6 rating/share in adults 18-49

Lead in: Community (5.06 million viewers, 2.0/6 rating/share in adults 18-49)
Lead out: The Office (7.43 million viewers, 3.7/9 rating/share in adults 18-49)

Hunting Trip Poll

Chris and Aubrey

Preparing for a scene with Aubrey with a pre scene interview...by Aubrey.

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Amys top 10

Amy Poehler’s 10 favorite Parks and Recreation moments
November 19th, 2009
From The Star-Ledger:

Ann and Leslie go on a practice date.
It was very fun to get harassed by Rashida Jones in a nice restaurant. Its not the first time. I really enjoy how terrible Leslie’s dating track record is.

Ron has a hernia. April asks what’s wrong.
In a perfect scene, Ron Swanson is frozen at his desk because he sneezed, and April suspects something is wrong. I could watch Nick Offerman do anything, but I especially enjoy it when Aubrey Plaza is quietly torturing him.

Andy crying when Greg Pikitis wears him down.
I love how a sixteen year old kid was the perfect nemesis for the Parks Department. During his “interrogation” Andy was totally unmatched, and as usual, Pratt plays Andy as a hilarious mix of cocky and childlike.

Dave thinks Madeline Albright is Leslie’s grandma.
Louis C.K. is a great actor, and I love when he is uncomfortably flirting with Leslie. When Dave doesn’t recognize Madeline Albright in a picture on Leslie’s desk, Leslie has a crisis moment where she wonders if he is the right guy for her.

Ron and Tammy ripping their clothes off before they get to their motel room.
Megan Mullally is incredible. She ripped her shirt off at 6:30 AM. First shot of the day. Unscripted. What a pro.

Tom becomes moved by a piece of art.
In last week’s episode, we see Tom look at an abstract painting and lose his mind. He can’t believe he is moved by art. As usual, Aziz Ansari is hilarious.

Fred Armisen and The Venezuelans come to Pawnee.
I loved it when Fred’s character did a run about all the reasons a person could be arrested in Venezuela. Most of it was improvised. Fred is awesome.

Everything at the pit.
Leslie falling into the pit. Mark trying to kiss Leslie at the pit. Mark falling in pit. Andy jumping in pit. Andy living in pit. Leslie and Ann filling pit. “Pit” becomes “Lot”

Leslie looking out her window on a rainy day.
This was a simple scene in our first episode, where Leslie talks about her dream for a park. Greg Daniels was directing Michael Schur’s script. I was looking out the window thinking about what it would be like to stay optimistic and hopeful. How I would need to prepare myself for a new project that would take years, and how it would be hard but amazing work. It is my favorite scene to date.

The Graces of Comedy

In April 2008, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Sarah Silverman—dressed as the three graces of comedy—picked up Christopher Hitchens’s gauntlet to prove that, yes, women are funny. As the aughties give way to the teens, VF.com asks you to vote for the magazine’s 10 best covers of the decade, one for each year. Today, pick your favorite among the 12 covers of 2008.
See a slide show of covers after the jump and vote for your favorite.

Link: Vote for The Graces of Comedy!

LA Times: Parks and Rec is building success

'Parks and Recreation' is building success
After a slow start in front of a skeptical audience, the second-season sitcom has become a critical favorite under series creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur.
In the NBC comedy "Parks and Recreation," Amy Poehler plays Leslie Knope, an upbeat, low-level bureaucrat determined to make the fictional town of Pawnee, Ind., a better place.

Leslie's cheerful, tireless ambition in the face of cynics is echoed by series creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, who previously gave us "The Office." And who can blame them? Few industry observers thought "Parks," which launched as a midseason replacement last spring, would survive even this long.

First, there were production delays to accommodate Poehler's pregnancy. Then there were the early test screenings and poor scores that landed on the desk of influential Hollywood blogger Nikki Finke, who practically declared the show DOA before its premiere. Many critics said the show was needlessly similar to "The Office" -- both in its mockumentary format and naive lead. Not surprisingly, ratings for its six-episode first season were low.

"My sense is that if we had built 'Parks and Recreation' around a 90-year-old Maasai warrior, people would still have said, 'He reminds me of ["The Office's"] Michael Scott,' " Schur said. "There was just no way to escape it."

But "Parks," in its second season, has emerged as a critical darling. Time magazine's James Poniewozik, a fan from the get-go, called it a “very very good, very very funny” series that “has found its rhythm” and The Star-Ledger's Alan Sepinwall declared it quite possibly “the best comedy on TV right now.” He could also add "that you're not watching." "Parks" averages a lowly 5 million viewers, which puts it roughly in the same neighborhood as first-season audiences for NBC's reigning Emmy magnet "30 Rock." The show, as they say in the industry, is gaining traction with the right crowds and has already landed a full second-season order. So what happened between Seasons 1 and 2 that flipped "Parks" from flop to hot?

"We needed to tell a certain number of stories before people got it," Schur said.

NBC President of Primetime Entertainment Angela Bromstad recalled the early days of "The Office" and said, "I knew Greg was great at self-assessing and evolving a show, and comedies take longer to catch on. . . . Also, I have to say, the cupboards were bare. We really needed to stick with it, and I think it's paying off."

It helped that Daniels and Schur (the latter was a writer on "The Office" before moving over to "Parks" full-time) had solid track records. Daniels spent several seasons on "The Simpsons" and co-created "King of the Hill" before adapting Ricky Gervais' British hit "The Office," and both he and Schur credit stints on "Saturday Night Live" with shaping their comic sensibilities.

Rather than do a straight spinoff of "The Office," as many expected, the pair instead were inspired by the local politics of "The Wire" and the theme of optimism from the 2008 presidential election. They decided that their next show would revolve around the interactions of small-town government, specifically focusing on Poehler's Leslie, an eager but often misguided parks and recreation official whose first big project is tending to an unsightly large pit in the middle of Pawnee.

"This could be my Hoover Dam," a chipper Leslie says in the pilot. This season Leslie is a little less wacky, but she remains ever-positive about making government work for the people. "She is a hard worker, very well-read, very intelligent -- these are not Michael Scott traits," Daniels said.

"She's not delusional. She's not crazy thinking there's a boys' club in politics," Schur added. "She has a strong point of view and her intentions are always good and noble. She's just not always great at executing them."

And that's another thing that differentiates Daniels' two shows: "Parks" is, well, less of a boys' club. Despite such successes as "30 Rock" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine," it's still unusual to see women drive the action in a network comedy. (And even then, Liz Lemon is nothing if not surrounded by a boys' club of crazy guys.)

Daniels and Schur have also let the rest of Pawnee's finest come out to play. "Park's" motley ensemble includes Rashida Jones as her friend Ann; Aziz Ansari as Leslie's undermining lieutenant Tom; Chris Pratt as Ann's bungling but well-meaning ex-boyfriend Andy; Paul Schneider as Leslie's cynical colleague Mark; Nick Offerman as her disinterested boss Ron; and Aubrey Plaza as her equally disinterested intern April.

To come up with the world and people of "Parks," Daniels and Schur spent time in different local governments to make sure their ideas were at least grounded in reality. In Burbank, they found the basis for Ron.

"We were talking to one official about wanting to make Leslie's boss opposed to government," Daniels said. "Like, 'Wouldn't it be funny if she's trying so hard to get stuff accomplished but her boss was like one of those Bush appointees who doesn't believe in the mission of the branch of government he's supposed to be overseeing?' And she looks at us and goes, 'Well, I'm a libertarian, so I don't really believe in the mission of my job.'

"That was an amazing response," Schur recalled. "We went, 'Really?' and she goes, 'Yes, I'm aware of the irony.' "

Poehler said talks with Daniels and Schur about Leslie's long-term journey are ongoing. "Her struggle throughout the series is trying not to become jaded. Can she fight feeling like she'll never be able to change anything? Will she get caught up in political gain in a way that will make her lose track of why she started in the first place?

"Ultimately, we do want her to succeed -- and I love that! -- but in really small ways and with very little power. I love that too. I'm a sucker for pathos."

TVguide Spoilers

November 18, 2009: TVGuide.com:

“We have an episode in a couple of weeks about Tom getting divorced and him coming to terms with it,” said Aziz Ansari. “It’s pretty emotional stuff for Tom.” Unfortunately, sparks will continue to fly between Ron (Nick Offerman) and Tom’s soon-to-be ex-wife. “It doesn’t seem like Tom will take it too well,” Offerman said. “A little bit of information unfolds before the holidays, but no deals will be sealed.”
Leslie Knope will find herself in a possible love triangle. Will Arnett — Poehler’s real-life hubby — and Justin Theorux will guest-star in that January episode as her suitors.
“You’re going to see more scenes with Andy and April,” said Aubrey Plaza. “There could be a love connection for them.”

In Thursday’s episode, Parks takes a shot at a mystery episode. “They go on a hunting trip and they’re hunting quails at a secret park ranger station that Ron has, for years, used as his private hunting lodge,” executive producer Greg Daniels said. “Leslie insists on going when she finds out about it, bringing a lot of non-hunters. There are a lot of guns.” What’s the mystery? One of the parks department members takes a shot to the back of the head and the gang must figure out whose gun it came from.

Inside P&R Quotes

Paley Center’s Inside Parks and Recreation event
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.

P&R water bottle

Quench your thirst with this Parks & Recreation water bottle.

Click here for more info: P&R water bottle

The Camel Poll Results

You Voted!

The results are in The Camel came in at 7.5

Heres how it ranked in the overall seasons scores:

Greg Pikitis- 10
Ron and Tammy- 9.16
Beauty Pageant-9
Practice Date- 8.8
KaBOOM!- 8.7
The Stakeout- 8
The Camel- 7.5
Sister City- 7

The Murals of Pawnee

Originally named "A Lively Fisting," "Sunday Boxing" underwent a name change for obvious reasons.
One of Parks and Recreation’s best running gags are the murals that line the walls of Pioneer Hall. In fact, they were the subject of last week’s episode, “The Camel“, after “The Spirit of Pawnee” was defaced.

Now on NBC.com is a fairly detailed history of Pawnee’s murals — or murinals, depending on what you like to call them.

Here’s the introduction to the online exhibit, penned by Leslie Knope:

Every town has its own unique history, and Pawnee’s is full of both pride and shame. Mostly shame. But some pride. But really: shame. The large murals that line the walls of Pioneer Hall depict some of the most famous and interesting moments in our town’s past, and are well worth checking out as works or (sic) art — even if they are also by any standard horrifying at a level it is difficult to comprehend.

So, take a tour back through history, won’t you? And as you do, remember that these events occurred long ago, and the murals were painted long ago, and also please remember that none of us had anything to do with either the events or the depictions of the events.

Enjoy!
Link

Leslie named one of TVs most improved characters!

Zap2it’s resident TV Gal named Leslie Knope as one of TV’s most improved characters of the new fall season.

Says Amy Amatangelo:

As I stated at the beginning of the season, Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope went from being a goofy, awkward one-dimensional character this season to a complete character. And with each episode, she gets better and better. Sure Leslie is still goofy and awkward but thanks to Poehler’s nuanced performance Leslie is optimistic but not an idiot. She actually might be good at her job. I like that she has a boyfriend this season. I like that her friendship with Ann has continued to blossom and I like that she got that darn pit filled. It also helps that the show has become much more funny. The Halloween episode that had Leslie facing off against her teenage nemesis was definitely a highlight.

Congrats, Amy!

Wills Coming!!!

Confirmed: Will Arnett is coming to Parks and Recreation!


November 17, 2009: Watch with Kristin:

NBC has just confirmed to us that Amy Poehler’s husband, the also hilarious Will Arnett, is coming to Parks and Recreation.

He’ll come on board for one episode that will air in January. (Most likely Jan. 14, according to NBC, but no firm date has been set.)

According to NBC, Will is playing an “MRI tech,” which means that either someone we know and love in Pawnee is headed for the hospital (our money’s on the always clutsy Andy, a k a Chris Pratt), or Will will have scenes with Ann (Rashida Jones) who works there.

Thanks for the tip, @Mullally_lovah!

November 17, 2009: The Ausiello Files:

Hey, what’s that smell? Oh, I know — it’s the ink drying on Will Arnett’s Parks and Recreation contract. An NBC spokesperson confirms that Will Arnett will guest star opposite real-life wife Amy Poehler on her creatively-resurgent comedy in early 2010. He’ll play a possible suitor for Poehler’s character, Leslie. Incidentally, Arnett appears in the same episode that marks the arrival of Justin Theroux, who also happens to be playing a love interest for Leslie. You know what I’m smelling now? Comedic fireworks!

Will Tammy1 return?

John in Las Vegas: Please tell me Megan Mullally will be back on Parks and Recreation!
We just chatted with Megan’s real-life hubby Nick Offerman, Ron Swanson to you Parks and Recreation fans, and all signs are pointing to yes! “In my house there’s lots of talk about Megan returning. Both of our mothers are really excited about that idea,” Nick jokes. “I think we’ll try to get her back on if we can.”

100% Passion

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1924837

KnopeKnows interviews Arnold!

When we first met Arnold in “The Camel‘, Tom Haverford accused him of making a piece of art that looked “like a lizard puking up Skittles.” Some time later, Tom actually analyzed it and found there was a lot to like about it. (So many shapes!).

Below is a Q&A I conducted with Doug Jones, who played Arnold in last week’s Parks and Recreation episode. Enjoy!

All of your screen time in “The Camel” was spent working alongside the hilarious Aziz Ansari. Explain what that was like.
It was great, Aziz is hilarious. I loved watching him on MTV’s Human Giant but he really won me over when I saw him headline a stand-up show at the Punchline in San Francisco earlier this year. It’s inspiring to me because he’s so new to acting yet he’s funnier than some comedians who have been in the business for several decades. So watching him rehearse, and try things different ways with various takes… it was all a very good learning experience for me.

Did either you or Aziz improv anything in your scenes together?
Totally, once they got what they needed as far as shooting what was in the script they let us take it wherever we wanted. That was my favorite part of the day for me because that’s when I relaxed and started having fun. At one point Aziz was serenading me with a Jamie Foxx impersonation. That being said, what you saw on the show is pretty much exactly what was written in the script, except for “It looks like a lizard puking up Skittles!” which was something Aziz came up with.

What were your experiences like on set when the cameras weren’t rolling?
The entire experience of working on a TV show like this was very new and exciting as I’ve only done commercials up until this point. Everyone behind-the-scenes seemed to care about what they were doing and the director Millicent Shelton was incredibly friendly and really put me at ease. When we wrapped at the end of the day everyone said goodbye and patted me on the back, even though it was a small role they made me feel like I was part of the team.

Who would you say you were most thrilled in meeting/working with during your time on Parks and Recreation?
Unfortunately the scenes with Aziz and I were shot at the very end of the day so by the time I got to the set everybody had pretty much gone home. I didn’t get to meet any of the other cast members except for Aubrey Plaza who was still lingering around shooting the scenes where she was digging through the dumpster putting her “Multimedia piece” together. Aubrey was really nice and so was everyone else I got a chance to meet.

I see you do work for Upright Citizens Brigade. How did you get involved with the sketch comedy group, and what do you do for it?
About five years ago I read an interview with Will Arnett and he talked about going to see Amy Poehler perform ASSSSCAT at UCB New York. I didn’t know exactly what ASSSSCAT was, but I bought tickets to see them perform at an improv festival in L.A out of curiosity and my life was forever changed. When the UCB theatre opened in Hollywood in summer of 2005 I decided to give it a shot and signed up for one of the first rounds of classes. It has been said by many others but it’s worth repeating, anybody who is interested in acting or comedy must take improv classes and learn how to write their own material and the best place to do that is Upright Citizens Brigade.

Do you have any upcoming projects we should be aware of?
Last week I worked on a short film called “The Big Dog” directed by Eric Appel. It’s being produced by Funny Or Die (the comedy video Web site founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay) and it’s going to be 20 minutes long so it’s one of the biggest project they’ve done to date. My part is very small but I got to work with Bob Odenkirk, one of my comedy heroes, so I can’t complain!

Thanks, Doug! To keep tabs on Doug, feel free to follow him on Twitter @hey_doug.

Extra Spoilers

-At Saturday night’s Paley Center P-Rex celebration, Amy Poehler teased that hubby Will Arnett might soon be joining her on the small screen (yay!): “I hope, so I think you will,” she spilled with that signature Amy grin we know and love.

-We were also told that Amy’s adorably awkward Leslie Knope would be involved in a salacious sex scandal.

-Sadly, Will is not knocking boots with Amy on P-Rex right now (though we know he’s already on the NBC payroll, ahem, 30 Rock), but show runner Mike Schur (Mose!) did tell us that “some exciting potential guest stars, pretty big stars and comedians” are in the works and that names will emerge in the next few weeks.

-As for Leslie, the poor girl “accidentally gets involved with this big sex scandal, and it spirals out of control,” Aziz Ansari (Tom) told us of the P-Rex craziness. As Schur explained: “There are rumors swirling about another city councilman scandal—who was disgraced by cave sex in the ‘Practice Date’ episode—and Leslie ends up getting photographed with him at a bar late at night by a tabloid newspaper.”

-Of course, Leslie becomes the town leper, even though she only had the city’s best interest at heart. “Leslie has set up an elaborate and beautiful Santa’s Village on the lot; she’s just trying to do this nice thing and this derails it, and it gets to the point where the press is chasing her around.”

-Sadly, Leslie’s headed for a split with Dave the Cop. “A lot of really heavy stuff happens in the next couple weeks. It’s really good!” Amy teased. “We were so lucky to get Louis C.K., but he’s starting his own show.”

-At least a few P-Rexers are getting lucky in love. Aubrey Plaza gushed about an April-Andy (Chris Pratt) romance, and from what you’ll see in Thursdays episode.

The Forth Floor Synopsis

Synopsis for the December 3 episode, “The Fourth Floor”:

TOM’S GREENCARD MARRIAGE ENDS IN DIVORCE-Ron (Nick Offerman) sends Leslie (Amy Poehler) up to the DMV department and she happens to see Tom (Aziz Ansari) and Wendy at divorce court. Leslie enlists the help of everyone in the department to take Tom out on the town so he can forget his sadness. Meanwhile, Tom has an epiphany about his marriage. Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider and Aubrey Plaza also star.

The Camel Poll

Holiday Episode!

Parks and Recreation will air a holiday-themed episode on December 10!
November 12, 2009: The Futon Critic:

Synopsis for Parks and Recreation’s holiday-themed episode, airing on December 10:

LESLIE BECOMES THE CENTER OF A HOLIDAY SCANDAL– LOUIS C.K. (”LUCKY LOUIE”) GUEST STARS-Leslie (Amy Poehler) designs the Pawnee Winter Wonderland Festival, but has to hide from the press when a meeting with a disgraced Councilman lands her in the middle of a sex scandal. Meanwhile, Ron (Nick Offerman) offers to cover for Leslie for the day, and quickly discovers how much work she really does. Aziz Ansari, Rashida Jones, Aubrey Plaza and Chris Pratt also star.

2009 Women of the Year

Amy Poehler accepts her award as one of Glamour magazine's 2009 Women of the Year. The ceremony occurred at Carnegie Hall in New York on November 9, 2009.

Ron and Tammy Poll Results

You Voted!
Ron and Tammy came in with a score of

Heres how it ranked in the overall season scores:

Greg Pikitis- 10
Ron and Tammy- 9.16
Beauty Pageant-9
Practice Date- 8.8
KaBOOM!- 8.7
The Stakeout- 8
Sister City- 7

Parks and Rec Marathon!

NBC to air a Parks and Recreation marathon in December:
On Tuesday, December 29, NBC will air four consecutive episodes of Parks and Recreation from 8 to 10 p.m. EDT.

In fact, the network will run similar two-hour marathons for every comedy in its Thursday night lineup beginning Monday of that same week.

Here’s the full schedule:
Monday, December 28: Community
Tuesday, December 29: Parks and Recreation
Wednesday, December 30: The Office
Thursday, December 31: 30 Rock

No word yet on which Parks episodes NBC will air.

Link: NBC TO CLOSE YEAR WITH “SING-OFF,” COMEDY MARATHONS

Really with Seth and Amy

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Aziz named 10 best comedian of the decade!

Aziz Ansari secures a spot in Paste magazine’s best comedians of 2000-2009

Paste magazine published a top-ten list of the best comedians of the decade. At #10 is Aziz Ansari.

Here’s Aziz’s blurb:

With a cultishly popular MTV show (Human Giant), a flourishing stand-up career, a scene-stealing turn in Judd Apatow’s Funny People, and a blog he actually posts on regularly, it’s only fitting that twentysomething comic Aziz Ansari make our list. Whether he’s hanging with idol Kanye West or bloodying up Ted Leo as “Clell Tickle: Indie Marketing Guru,” Ansari stays connected to the music world while taking us all on the highway to the comedy zone. And watch out, entertainment journos; Ansari recently started writing articles for the likes of Interview. Besides, who else can lay claim to literally being the A to Z of comedy?

Congrats, Aziz!

The complete list:

1. Dave Chappelle
2. Zach Galifianakis
3. Patton Oswalt
4. Chris Rock
5. David Cross
6. Sarah Silverman
7. Ricky Gervais
8. Eugene Mirman
9. Mitch Hedberg
10. Aziz Ansari

*For the record Aziz, in my book you mop the floor with Dave Chappelle, Patton Oswalt, Eugene Mirman, and Mitch Hedberg. The rest you just dust with...

Raaandy

Aziz:The mini Randy special within my special is the only standup special where the comic spends 2 minutes making it rain.

On Set: Amy Poehler

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On Set: Nick Offerman

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On Set: Rashida Jones

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On Set: Aziz Ansari

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On Set: Paul Schneider

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On Set: Chris Pratt

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Jurassic Park 4

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Andy tries to make his way back into Ann & #39's heart.

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Ron and Tammy Deleted Scene 2

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Ron and Tammy Deleted Scene 1

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Bruce Willis would say the Dialogue

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Aziz stand up special drops in January

The official disc cover to Aziz Ansari's stand-up special, Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening. The special will both air on Comedy Central and be available in stores in mid-January.
Aziz Ansari’s stand-up special, Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening — which was filmed this summer in Los Angeles — will air on Comedy Central on January 17, 2010. The CD/DVD will then hit stores two days later.

In an interview, Aziz told Entertainment Weekly that “to have an hour special is really cool”:

It’s bigger than the time I filled up my Quiznos Q Rewards Card, but smaller than the time I filled up four Quiznos Q Rewards Cards.

On the whole, Aziz said filming went surprisingly well:

The crowd gave me a standing ovation after every single joke—there are 53 standing ovations. It’s a little distracting, and some people might say, “Wait a second, it looks like it was edited to look like there were 53 standing ovations,” but that’s not the case. Those were all genuine. I know people are thinking, “But there are so many great specials and that’s never happened before.” Well, I don’t know what to tell you. The material was that strong, and that’s the way those people felt they had to respond—by standing up in the exact same fashion for the exact amount of time, 53 times.

Access the full interview by clicking the link below.

Link: Aziz Ansari talks about his Comedy Central stand-up special and a strip club outing for the ‘Parks and Recreation’ gang

Jurassic Fork

AzizAnsari: In the episode of Parks we’re filming, we all go to a restaurant called Jurassic Fork. Its DOPE!

CNN's P&R love letter <3

CNN writes love letter to Parks and Recreation
November 6th, 2009
CNN’s Marquee Blog listed the top four reasons why it can’t get enough of Parks and Recreation. Here they are:

1. Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope may have met her match with Megan Mullally’s Tammy. The library director may be an even bigger nemesis for Leslie than Halloween prankster Greg Pikitis last week. … Poehler’s development of her character this season has been great to watch, and Mullally’s portrayal of Tammy, who would go to any lengths to build a library purely out of spite, was Emmy-worthy. Here’s hoping we see more of Tammy.

2. Leslie’s boss Ron (Nick Offerman, Mullally’s real-life husband), who was completely helpless to resist ex-wife Tammy’s charms as part of her diabolical library plans. At the same time though, when he was not with her, he had no problem coming up with ways to describe how much he hated her: “Tammy and I don’t work. We are oil and water. Or oil and TNT and C4 and a detonator and a butane torch.”

3. Aziz Ansari as Tom, who is always good for a one-liner. His advice to Mark on dealing with Ann’s ex-boyfriend trying to get her back was to take the high road: “I have never taken the high road. But I tell other people to, because then there’s more room for me on the low road.”

4. And then there was the aforementioned Andy, attempting to get closer to his ex, Ann, by taking a job as a shoe-shiner at city hall. His shoe-shine station quickly became a creepy shrine to her.

Ron and Tammy Ratings

November 5, 2009: Ron and Tammy
Overnights: 4.91 million viewers, 2.2/6 rating/share in adults 18-49

Lead in: Community (5.64 million viewers, 2.3/6 rating/share in adults 18-49)
Lead out: The Office (7.94 million viewers, 3.9/10 rating/share in adults 18-49)

On Tonight!

The episode on this evening is entitled Ron and Tammy, here is the synopsis:

The war of the exes—Megan Mullally (“Will and Grace”) guest stars- Leslie (Amy Poehler) is upset when she learns the library department wants to take over her lot. Making matters worse, the library is run by Ron’s (Nick Offerman) ex-wife Tammy (played by Offerman’s real-life wife Megan Mullally), who still has a powerful emotional hold on him. Meanwhile, Andy (Chris Pratt) gets a job in hopes of winning Ann (Rashida Jones) back.


If you have any thoughts about this episode or would like to discuss it, comment on this post!

Ron and Tammy Poll

Amy on Conan!

Amy Poehler will be on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien tonight at 11:35/10:35c.

Hunting Trip Synopsis

Synopsis for the November 19 episode, “Hunting Trip”:

A HUNTING WE WILL GO—Leslie (Amy Poehler) tries to prove she can hang with the guys so she invites herself on Ron’s (Nick Offerman) annual hunting trip, but things don’t go as planned. Meanwhile, April (Aubrey Plaza) and Andy (Chris Pratt) bond in the office while everyone is away. Rashida Jones, Paul Schneider and Aziz Ansari also star.

Nick and Megan on Ron and Tammy

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Glamour names Amy a woman of the year!

Amy Poehler made the list of Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year. Twelve women made the cut, including Maria Shriver, Serena Williams and Maya Angelou.

Here’s the blurb on Amy, penned by Glamour’s Sloane Crosley:

“When you’re short and blond and a woman in comedy, you get underestimated,” says Amy Poehler, 38. “I love being underestimated.” But who’d do that after the run she’s been on? A star player on the team that restored Saturday Night Live to water-cooler dominance in 2008 (even Hillary Clinton adored her Hillary Clinton impersonation), she left the show, had a baby and emerged in 2009 as the star and producer of NBC’s Parks and Recreation. Her alter ego on Parks, Leslie Knope, “has no cool, no cynical skills,” she says—in other words, the kind of lovable loser a comedian needs a double scoop of bravery to play. “Amy is fearless in front of the camera,” says SNL’s Kristen Wiig. “Her confidence draws the audience in, and soon they’re laughing their asses off.” Poehler’s comedy, though, is part of a stealth mission to empower young women. “She wants girls to feel they can do anything,” says costar Rashida Jones. So Poehler plays a feisty 10-year-old on her cartoon series, The Mighty B!, and hosts a Web show, Smart Girls at the Party. At the end of each episode, Poehler and her preteen guests bust a move. “Being silly is how you get your power,” she says. “No one looks stupid when they’re having fun.”

Tina Fey, on why Amy is among the Women of the Year 2009:

She’s a firecracker. She has an explosive amount of energy and just lights up a room. She is an inspiration to young women to get into comedy. And she can fly.

Chris Pratt-AV club

Chris Pratt sits in the A.V. Club’s hot seat
November 3rd, 2009
From A.V. Club:

Andy Dwyer has become the show’s breakout character; it seems like the more of him we see, the better the episode. Did you have any inkling when you got the part that it might work out that way?
No, at first it was given to me as a guest-star role for six episodes. I had a pretty good idea that by the end of his run, Rashida’s character would break up with him, so I thought I could just have fun with it, and that would be that. There were no guarantees. But they told me if the show got picked up, and if they brought Andy back, it would be as a regular; I guess that was kind of the carrot that you dangle in front of the actor. “Hey, there’s a chance you can come back as a regular!” But they didn’t have to, so I was just assuming they wouldn’t bring him back. As the episodes went on, though, it was more and more apparent that they were writing really funny stuff for the character.

Do you think it was their plan all along to give Andy more screen time, or do you think it was because of how the character was received?
I think it’s a testament to Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, who created the show, that a lot of what they planned gets thrown out the window when it becomes clear how things are developing. We’re obviously working from a plan, but they’re very willing to just throw everything out there, see what’s working, and see who has chemistry. With a cast like this, too, you see a lot of freestyling, a lot of improvisation, and they really swing with it when they go forward. So there just happened to be this ridiculous character, Andy, who kept getting laughs, and that’s been why he’s gotten more scenes. And I think that’s going to happen with more and more characters—I think everyone’s going to get their moments and find their groove, it’s just a matter of letting it work itself out. It’s not something that’s possible to plan, but it wasn’t planned with me, either.

Will we be seeing any more of (Mouse Rat)?
Man, I sure hope so. If it was up to me, Andy would team up with Ron, playing Duke Silver—he’d be blowing the saxophone and Andy would provide the guitar and piano, and they’d go on tour together. Of course, I always pitch stuff like that, and the writers just look at me and go, “Uh, yeah, I don’t think so.”

Andy might not work if he was super-thin and handsome. Part of what’s funny about him is that he’s this type of guy that everyone’s met, this sort of band schlub who mooches off his girlfriend, he’s not too good-looking…
I think if Andy were super-fit and buff, people would really hate his guts. That’s another reason that he stays likeable—he thinks he’s really handsome, but he’s just this dude with a double chin and a belly, who sits around and drinks beer and eats pizza and doesn’t really work toward anything. It was Nick Offerman who told me this first, and I really liked it: he said “Andy is living the American dream—the new American dream, which is do as little as possible and get as much in return as possible.”

Ron and Tammy clips

http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Parks-And-Recreation-Videos-Megan-Mullally-Guest-Stars-20878.htmlembed_code_lightbox/index/39/single/95249/ci015/10/410/306/1/false/source/http:www.cinemablend.comtelevisionParks-And-Recreation-Videos-Megan-Mullally-Guest-Stars-20878.html

Ausiello

Ask Ausiello:

Question: I was so happy to see that you called Parks and Recreation one of the most improved shows of the season. I totally agree! Got any scoop? —Abby
Ausiello: You ain’t seen nothin’ yet, according to showrunner Michael Schur. He says a November installment featuring a guest turn by Megan Mullally is “the best episode we’ve ever done.” Mullally plays Ron’s ex-wife, which is pretty funny since she’s married to his portrayer, Nick Offerman, in real life. But the laughs don’t end there. “She works for the library system, and they’re trying to take over the lot that Leslie is jealously guarding for her future park,” Schur explains. “So Ron has to get back involved with his ex-wife and fireworks ensue.”

Andy a full-time Pawnee employee?

November 2, 2009: Watch with Kristin:

Marisa in Milwaukee: Is Andy a full-time City of Pawnee employee now?
Chris Pratt said that his Halloween security gig was just the beginning. “That’s the first step in the independence of Andy,” he told us. And Chris is looking forward to his new storyline, which means he’s finally out of the dreaded pit once and for all. He told us, “[The pit] is a real pit out in the Valley. It’s hot and dusty, and it stinks a little bit—I’m happy to have that chapter closed.”

Greg Pikitis Poll Results

You Voted!
Greg Pikitis came in with a perfect score of 10!

The highest rank of the season so far!

Greg Pikitis-10
Beauty Pageant-9
Practice Date-8.8
KaBOOM!-8.7
The Stakeout-8
Sister City-7

The Camel synopsis

Air date: November 12, 2009

Summary: THE PARKS DEPARTMENT GETS ARTISTIC—After one of the murals (”The Spirit of Pawnee”) in City Hall is defaced, Leslie (Amy Poehler) and the Parks Department compete to come up with a new design. Meanwhile, Andy (Chris Pratt) and Ron (Nick Offerman) share an uncomfortable moment at the shoeshine stand.

Hunting Trip Pictures