Reports of poor test results for NBC’s new sitcom Parks and Recreation hit the web today but NBC Entertainment co-chair Ben Silverman tells EW these kinds of negative responses are not unusual for a new series. "All of the research we do around initial rough cuts is negative," Silverman says. "If you had seen the initial research on all of ours and our competitors’ successful shows, it tends to be like that." Silverman says he has "no idea" how the test reports were leaked. Parks and Recreation, which stars Amy Poehler and comes from The Office’s Greg Daniels and Mike Schur, premieres on April 9. Poehler plays Leslie Knope, an ambitious but clueless parks department employee who hopes to rise within the local government of Pawnee, Ind. Rashida Jones and Aziz Ansari costar.
Daniels and Schur were originally assigned to pen an Office spin-off for NBC but developed Parks and Recreation instead. Silverman says, though, that he is still definitely interested in pursuing a spin-off of the Steve Carrell comedy series.
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Why do networks even use focus groups anymore? So lame.
Translation: This show isn’t going to get great reviews, but it’s my job to promote, promote, promote
EW, you gotta do a better job of getting rid of spammers, as evidenced by Jack Green below
Y r focus groups lame? They save networks $.
i like Amy but wont watch this show. Sounds very stupid.
If (when) the show fails will she stay in NY or move back 2 NY?
I agree KAH. I am rerouted so a verification page so how the hell is Jack green getting through?
sad to say but the previews look terrible in spite of the cast.
I smell a Kath & Kim part II coming on here. High expectations, looking forward to it…….and *splat!*….unfunny sitcom disappointment.
Uh, are we going to base our opinions on focus groups?
Ben Silverman is a no-talent ass-clown. NBC needs to find a way to get rid of him and Jeff Zucker so the once-great network can get back on track. Honestly, I don’t have much interest in Parks & Recreation. I’ll give it a chance, but from what little I’ve seen of it, I’m not particularly enticed.
What were they judging this on exactly? The pilot only? I bet a lot of people will get turned off by the pilot and tune out right away, but the other people that stick with the show will usually find a great show. I’m sure that will be the case for P&R.
It took me Season 2 to fully appreciate The Office as well as some other shows (i.e. Buffy, 30 Rock).
When is NBC going to put a multi-cam back on their network. That’s why the network is still in fourth place. They abandoned their whole Must See TV audience on Thursdays.
I lost interest in this show when I saw their promo featuring “speed bumps” on a playground slide. I’ve never been a big fan of humor built around the concept that stupid people are funny, so I’ll pass on this one.
woooo
If the opinion of focus groups on pilots is always negative, why do they use them?
They should let Kurt Russell and that chimp do the programing. Worked once before.
Jack Green is pure evil……Anywho. May give it a shot. Low expectations for I find Poehler to be lame, but the Office hilarious. Vicious circle
I think the previews are funny, I am looking forward to the show, like The Office, I think it will grow on people.
Imagine that at the height of the Cheers run, the producers were commissioned to do a spinoff, and then announced that what they came up with wasn’t a spinoff, exactly, it was a show about, um, a bar, no, not a bar, let’s say a fancy restaurant, in a historical eastern seaboard city like Boston, no, not Boston, let’s say Philadelphia, and the owner is an aging lothario and the bar is frequented by semi-lovable misfits and there’s a love/hate relationship.
Cos based on what they’ve told us about this show, I kind of feel like that’s what’s going on here.
I think the series has great potential. And if people didn’t get the speed bumps joke from the promo, then you definitely won’t like it – they’re making fun of the ridiculous safety standards that have been set for parks.
Anyway, I’m going to give this show a shot. Dollhouse improved greatly after the first five episodes, it took me until season 2 to love The Office, same goes for Buffy, Angel, Bones, etc.
Amy Poehler doesn’t really deserve a sitcom. She is a side kick at best. Her husband should have a show not her.
If the focus groups are always negative, why do them? I’ve been in focus groups.. trust me, this is Silverman spin. If the focus group says it is bad, it’s bad. The focus groups usually say nice things to be polite, so if they say something negative it usually means the show is God awful.
It is laughable that NBC would task Greg Daniels and Mike Schur to pen a office spinoff. All they did was develop the original British version of The Office. If anyone should been asked to create the spinoff, it should be Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. The only thing that Daniels and Schur have demonstrated is excellent business acumen….certainly not creative prowess.
“Highest positive spike comes from Leslie falling into the pit”
Gervais and Merchant said that the pilot of the UK Office tested the lowest in BBC history, so you can’t judge from the test audiences.
AND, I agree NMS, that Daniels and Schur can’t really develop a new show. I’m going to watch P&R, but just to see if Amy can pull it off.
And, I agree with BHM1304, that Will Arnet needs his own show, NOW!
Poor audience test results are normal? for NBC maybe…this show’s gonna suck. Why do a focus group if they’re not going to listen to the results?
Ben Silverman has ruined NBC.
I’ve heard that Seinfeld (or the Seinfeld Chronicles, as it was called then) received the worst focus group
response ever. So I wouldn’t necessarily put a lot of stock in the response to this show.
NBC should work on “The Office”, it hasn’t been funny in two years. It has become a soap opera.
I haven’t laughed at any of the promos. Looks like another NBC flop to me.
i Hate Amy Poehler. Maybe it would be funny if it wasn’t her in it. her style is awefull. Say something stupid, then do a stupid face, then the dramatic stupid pause. Try this yourself, say any arbitrary stupid stuff, then make a stupid face, then pause, while pausing imagina Amy Poehler doing it. wow, this is talent.
Mike, learn how to spell, you dope.
As a professional in the parks and recreation field for 20 years I hope this show has a very short lifespan..the promos make it look like they will belittle our profession and in this time of economic crisis no one needs their profession viewed in that way. I hope Amy finds a better part.