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Parks and Recreationhas gone down as one of the finer works in the sitcom domain in the history of entertainment, ranking among the more beloved pieces to fans. Not only did the Rashida Jones starrer leave a lasting impact on viewers, but it also managed to retain and maintain its popularity among fans and viewers even after more than a decade.
But as iconic as the masterful sitcom is, the surprising part is that it all just may have never come down to this. To be more precise, were it not for the whims of a studio executive, the series had all the chances of getting axed prematurely at one point in time. And the more stunning part is that the threat of being canceled constantly loomed on the actors’ heads!
Rashida Jones ConfessesParks and RecreationAlmost Got Axed Prematurely
Ever since it kicked off back in 2009 with a rather rough season,Parks and Recreationhas gone on to be widely regarded as one of the best sitcoms made to date. Not only did it become a resounding success that ended its run after 7 stunning seasons, but it also launched actors likeChris PrattandAubrey Plazainto the massive roles that they are in today (both are a part of the MCU).
That said, it does come as surprising news that the show never really gave its cast and crew enough job security, as the threat of the sitcom getting canceled at any given point in time was as strong as ever at pretty much all times. Well, at least that’s whatRashida Jones, who embodied Ann Perkins in the saga, came clean about during her appearance onConan O’Brien Needs a Friend.
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Sharing how, at one point in time, it all nearly ended before even transforming into the masterpiece that it is today,The Officeactress said (viaTeam Coco on YouTube):
At one point we were canceled and then the president of NBC got off the plane and changed his mind. It was like, ‘Eh, don’t cancel it yet, I guess.’ It was not really a thing at all.
What’s even more baffling than this fickle-minded NBC boss taking pity on the show on the verge of being slashed is the fact that this threat was constant, and that at no point throughout the time the show was on air was it safe from potential cancellation. As Jones shared, “Every single season, we were like, this is it. They’re not gonna want us back.”
But the commendable part is that, even then, the cast didn’t hesitate to give epic performances that continue to shine even now.
Rashida Jones Feels Little Job Security Allowed More Creative Freedom onParks and Rec
While it’s surprising that,for a showthat bagged sixteen stunning Emmy nods, the cast and crew weren’t really provided any job security as they were constantly in fear of having their show canceled, Jones feels that this very thing allowed them to exercise more creative freedom as the actors worked on themselves to give a performance worthy enough to save their series.
During the same interview withConan O’Brien, she went on to confess and explain in detail, “The whole time, we were just holding on for dear life, hoping we got to do more. Which is probably part of why it was so good — because there was no stardom. It wasn’t infiltrated by any outside feelings about us. People kind of liked us if they knew who we were.”
Well, that might as well be true, considering how, after the more or less slouchy beginning, the sitcom went on to improve by tremendous margins dramatically and quickly. Looking at the critical ratings, the show went from 68% for season 1 to 89% by season 7 along with a 100% rating for the special episode onRotten Tomatoes, so that’s that as well.
Parks and Recreations can currently be streamed on Peacock.
Mahin Sultan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2478
Mahin Sultan is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, where she brings a fresh perspective to entertainment news. Having been in the field for over 3 years now, she has already written more than 2,000 articles across a variety of niches, from entertainment to health and fashion. This diverse experience has allowed her to quickly build a solid foundation and a deep understanding of the industry.
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Aubrey PlazaChris PrattConan O’BrienParks and Recreationrashida jones
