Parks And Recreation Is Coming Back! But There’s A Special Coronavirus Catch
The hit series Parks and Recreation will be bringing its amazing cast back together for a brand new episode.
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In another bit of much needed good news from the entertainment world, the hit series Parks and Recreation will be bringing its amazing cast back together for a brand new episode. The catch here, though, is this reunion won’t be of Will & Grace proportions. That show just saw its new three-year run come to an end, after a highly successful eight-year run and 12 years in between the two. No, this Parks and Recreation will be a one-off, 30-minute special episode, to be aired on April 30, 2020, at 8:30 p.m.
You can’t keep a good gal down. We are, of course, referring to Leslie Knope, the character famously portrayed by Amy Poehler. This special episode will touch on the subject torching the globe currently, the coronavirus, and how most of America is in self-quarantine.
Poehler, aka Parks & Recreation’s Leslie Knope, took to Twitter to announce the upcoming special.
And not to be out done, Chris Pratt also made the announcement via his Instagram. He started by saying, “It’s true! We’ve already filmed the episode! Many are saying it’s the greatest episode of television ever to be filmed in Quarantine. It’s not a competition. But if it was… we would easily win.” The entire post can be seen below.
The Parks & Recreation reunion special, aptly titled “A Parks and Recreation Special” will follow Pawnee’s most loyal and dedicated civil servant (Knope) as she is quite determined to keep in touch and stay connected to her former fellow co-workers and friends in this crazy time of social distancing. Yes, they will all be back. Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Rashida Jones, Rob Lowe, Adam Scott, Retta, Aziz Ansari, and Jim O’Heir will return to Pawnee as their loveable and funny characters as they try to help Knope through this tough time. There is also a good chance several guest stars from Parks and Rec’s past will make an appearance.
Not only is the cast coming back together to bring some smiles, but they are doing it for charity too. Parks & Recreation is working with State Farm to raise money for Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund.
Michael Schur, executive producer of the original Parks and Recreation, had this to say about why this special came to be. “Like a lot of other people, we were looking for ways to help and felt that bringing these characters back for a night could raise some money,” said executive producer Michael Schur. “I sent a hopeful email to the cast and they all got back to me within 45 minutes. Our old Parks and Rec team has put together one more 30-minute slice of (quarantined) Pawnee life and we hope everyone enjoys it. And donates!”
Speaking of donations, State Farm and Subaru of America both are making matching donations of $150,000 toward the fund. When this is combined with NBCUniversal and the producers/writers/cast of the Parks and Recreation reunion special, a grand total of $500,000 in donations will be made.
“In such uncertain times, we can’t think of anyone better than Leslie Knope to unite our country with her unbridled enthusiasm and compassion,” said Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, Co-Presidents of Scripted Programming, NBC Entertainment. “A huge thank you to Mike Schur and the cast of ‘Parks and Recreation’ for putting this wonderful special together and bringing a smile to all our faces while raising money for such a worthwhile cause.” Not only is the April 30 date a special one in seeing the cast reunite for a worthy cause, but this will be the first scripted TV show to address today’s pandemic.
So, set your DVRs or huddle up around the big screen on April 30, 2020, as we get a little more of life in Pawnee and the hilarious group at Parks and Recreation!
