Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Review: Parks and Recreation and Southland (on NBC)

Parks and Recreation

SNL Alum Amy Poehler stars in the new comedy series, "Parks and Recreation". This show in lots of ways is similar to the show, The Office. They both share that little "interview/documentary/comedy" style.

Amy is very funny in this show. She plays Leslie Knope, a head of the department of Parks and Recreation. In the pilot, she tries to help out a nurse (Rashida Jones), whose fiance fell into a pit. Leslie takes on a project to build a park on it, but falls into the pit while examining the area.

This show is funny and has the potential to go very far. This show takes what is boring, dealing with the public, and makes it funny. Amy's character in the show, Leslie, is a unique character. She is mildly dumb which makes her very fun to watch. I would definitely recommend watching and following this show.

Score: 4.5/5

Southland

Benjamin McKenzie plays Officer Ben Sherman in the new drama, Southland. Southland takes an "authentic" look at the LAPD and the lives its officers live. Officer Ben Sherman is a rookie cop who experiences a lot of unwanted action, all of which happened on his first day on the job. During his day at work, partner, Officer John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz) pokes fun at him all day. One joke was that he looked like he could have been from "90210", possibly a "wink" at Ben McKenzie's previous character on the show, The O.C.

This show is raw and seems realistic. "Southland" is the kind of show that draws you in and makes you beg for more. The plot is awesome and touching, and Benjamin McKenzie's character is very dynamic and surprising. A must watch for anyone that likes cop shows, dramas, and action shows. Southland is scheduled to run its first season with seven episodes.

Both shows are great. What's even better is that they are on NBC's Thursday primetime block, along with the Office. First, The Office...Second, Parks and Recreation... and Third, Southland! Its a great reason to look forrward to the end of the week. TGIT