The cast of Parks and Recreation is coming together for a reunion special aiding the fight against the coronavirus. NBC has announced that the 30-minute scripted episode will air on April 30.
Nearly all of the original cast members will return for the special, including Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Jim O’Heir, and Retta, while multiple guest stars from the series will appear as well.
“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 co-creator Michael Shur. “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!”
The reunion special will be set five years after the seventh and final season of Parks and Recreation, centering around the events of present day. Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope will be attempting to connect with her friends and coworkers in a time when social distancing is mandatory.
“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 at 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.”
Parks and Recreation originally aired from 2009 to 2015. The show follows a tight-knit group of coworkers at the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana as they rally around their fearless leader, Leslie Knope. You can currently watch the series on Netflix.
