Claim: Paul Feig has worked with NBC television network channel.

Parks and Recreation , informally known as Parks and Rec , is an American political comedy television sitcom starring Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope , a perky , mid-level bureaucrat in the Parks Department of Pawnee , a fictional town in Indiana . Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur , the series aired on NBC from April 9 , 2009 to February 24 , 2015 , for 125 episodes , over seven seasons . It was written by the same writers and uses the same filming style as The Office , with the same implication of a documentary crew filming everyone . The ensemble and supporting cast feature Rashida Jones as Ann Perkins , Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford , Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson , Aubrey Plaza as April Ludgate , Paul Schneider as Mark Brendanawicz , Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer , Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt , Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger , Jim O'Heir as Garry `` Jerry '' Gergich , Retta as Donna Meagle , and Billy Eichner as Craig Middlebrooks .   The writers researched local California politics for the show , and consulted with urban planners and elected officials . Poehler 's character , Leslie Knope , underwent major changes after the first season , in response to audience feedback that she seemed unintelligent and `` ditzy '' . The writing staff incorporated current events into the episodes , such as a government shutdown in Pawnee inspired by the real-life global financial crisis of 2007 -- 2008 . Several guest stars , such as Jason Mantzoukas , Kathryn Hahn , Sam Elliott , Bill Murray , Louis C.K. , Paul Rudd , and Jon Hamm , have been featured in the show , and their characters often appear in multiple episodes .   Parks and Recreation was part of NBC 's `` Comedy Night Done Right '' programming during its Thursday night prime-time block . The series received mixed reviews during its first season , but , after a re-approach to its tone and format , the second and subsequent seasons were widely acclaimed . Throughout its run , Parks and Recreation received several awards and nominations , including two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series , six Emmy nominations , a Golden Globe win for Poehler 's performance , and a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series -- Musical or Comedy . In TIMEs 2012 year-end lists issue , Parks and Recreation was named the number one television series of that year . In 2013 , after receiving four consecutive nominations in the category , Parks and Recreation won the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy .