Have Watched 4 EPs of Parks & Recreation & No Laughs

I'm a huge fan of COMMUNITY, 30 ROCK, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, UK & American THE OFFICE and only just now getting to Parks and Recreation. I've watched four episodes. First two from the first season and the first two from second. I went to the internet after the 1st season episodes to see if others felt like they were just watching American THE OFFICE characters cast in different setting. Found out it was created by the same folk and that it really takes off in the second season but I didn't laugh once watching the first two EPs. My cousin is a big fan and quoting lines to me yesterday I noticed the lines in and of themselves were not very funny but that he seemed to like the character a lot, almost a "character crush." I HOWL watching COMMUNITY, 30 ROCK, CHEERS, A DEVELOPMENT EPs I've seen three to four times. To not laugh once watching P&R has been surprising. Anyone else find this fan favourite not to their taste?

 

The mercifully-short first season was awful. But from the moment Rob Lowe showed up in S2 until he and Rashida Jones left together in S6, the show was gold. Stick with it.

BTW, I think the first four or five seasons of The Office and the first three seasons of Arrested Development is some of the best television ever, and the above period of Parks & Rec is right up there.

 

Yeah, it gets better, starting with Season 2.

Seasons 3 to 6 are great. 7 is decent too; and the finale is pretty cool.

(Kinda like TNG, now that I look at it.)

 

When this originally aired, my wife and I bailed after the first few episodes. We then revisited a couple of years later. As others have said, season 2 on is so much better. It definitely became one of my favorite shows.

 

You have to stick with it into Season 2. If you're still not enjoying it by the middle of Season 2, you probably never will.

 

Thks for the responses. I'm not sure I can give a show more of my time if it doesn't make me laugh in four episodes (I mean, there's more to watch out there) but perhaps I will try a few more.
I think I don't much like Poehler or Anzari or the sulky brunette but we'll see how those better episodes strike me.

 

Aubrey Plaza is an acquired taste, but once you get used to her character, it's all good. She has oddly good chemistry with Chris Pratt's character.

 

Community and Parks and Rec have often been considered similar, but to me Community is WAY funnier.

 

Sshh... spoilers (for Boswell).

 

The writing on COMMUNITY and 30 ROCK in particular involve so many creative and wickedly funny jokes, I dont think any other shows quite match these two for breakneck humour

 

Her take on the sullen teenager/ young adult is great.

 

Community looks like something I would not enjoy but the characters and writing are so smart and creative I was blown away by the quality. To not laugh at 4 Community episodes is IMPOSSIBLE

 

My favorite character was always Ron Swanson.

 

Four shows in and I couldn't stop watching it.

 

I didn't take to it for a few episodes, but I didn't dislike it. I started liking it better and stuck with it. I still don't love it, but it's solid. I never did warm to Anzari or Lowe's characters, but they aren't supposed to be super likable.

I liked a lot of the characters in much smaller roles: Jeremy Jamm, Joan Calamezzo, and Tammy 2.

I really liked the looks into Jerry's home life away from work and I loved the punk kid that had it in for Leslie. Oh yeah, and Burt Macklin.

 

Is it necessary to watch Season 1 or can a newbie just start at Season 2?

(I am a big fan of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, BTW.)

 

There is nothing important in season 1 other than the bits about Chris Pratt in the pit.

 

I always recommend starting with the last episode of season one (Rock Show). I think it was the first fairly solid episode of the show. Trash the first five. They aren't good and they have no clear direction or voice. The first half of season two saw the writers still feeling out the characters but by the hunting episode (episode 10 I believe), they have found a unique voice for the show and the characters are gelling. The second half of season two is excellent and from there you should be hooked.

It's a very warm, positive show overall. Very recommended. I got my husband into it using this strategy and we watched the whole show together last year.

 

If Ron Swanson doesn't become your personal hero by season 3, I will eat my luxurious moustache.

 

My own personal opinion: I tried to get into Community and just couldn't do it. Parks and Rec is one of my favorite shows but I can see if you don't like some of the actors involved that it may be too steep a hill to climb. I find that the cumulative effect of having watched the entire series a few times and getting to know the characters makes each rewatch more rewarding, as it does with the Office.
But, like the Office, the first season is skippable.

 

Can't stand that rapid pace "everybody is witty" 100% of the time style of writing on those types of shows.

Clever doesn't equate belly laughs. Cheers is realistic in its pace, is laid-back, and aside from a couple of characters in some circumstances, aren't witty in and if themselves but the characters are funny as is their reactions. It's the stories and situations which are clever. The lines are funny and occasionally clever.

The style of writing of 30 Rock & company is boring and has an artificial quality to it.

 

If the OP likes 30 ROCK, the obvious suggestion is THE UNBREAKABKE KIMMY SCHMIDT.

 

I think that both Season 1 of the Office and Parks are Rec work better after you have seen the whole series and go back and rewatch them.

 

I never really got into it at all. The first season was awful but I stuck with it because the little woman liked it. It did get better.

Then again, I never watched Big Bang Theory until about 6 months ago. I thought it was awful. One night withnothing else on, I started watching. Now, I can't get enough of it and think it's brilliant.

 

I think you have to fall in love somewhat with the characters. It was like the Andy Griffith show in that regard. The plot didn't always amount to much but you came for the interaction of the characters. The deeper the interpersonal relationships got, the better the show got as it went along.