Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show That Lit'rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America - Hardcover

Keishin Armstrong, Jennifer

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593854519 ISBN 13: 9780593854518

Publisher: Dutton, 2026

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of Seinfeldia, the definitive story of the creation and legacy of Parks and Recreation, with exclusive interview content from its cast, crew, and creators, as well as an introduction by Nick Offerman

More than fifteen years after Parks and Recreation premiered, it has become a streaming and pop culture staple. It’s beloved for its jokes, characters, and expressions—the show even created a now widely observed holiday, Galentine’s Day. How did it all happen and how did the show transform from a ratings disappointment into a cult classic? Readers will find out all this and more in the definitive history of the show, which is as full of humor, optimism, and heart as Parks and Recreation itself.

Through new and exclusive interviews, as well as deep insight and smart and entertaining pop culture analysis, Armstrong tells the story of how Parks and Recreation came to be: how it grew from The Office’s success and Obama-inspired optimism, how producers assembled one of TV’s most lovable casts but barely survived a mediocre first season, how it found its voice by getting more political and more romantic, and how it became a cultural force despite middling ratings during its network run, going on to become a television savior of the Trump era and a modern classic.

Lovingly told and deeply researched, Parks and Rec is the ultimate history of the show that taught us what’s important in life: friends, waffles, and work.

About this title

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong has written nine books, including Seinfeldia, Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted, Sex and the City and Us, and When Women Invented Television. She is the cofounder of the "Ministry of Pop Culture" Substack. A former local newspaper reporter, she now lives in New Paltz, New York.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dutton
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0593854519
• ISBN 13: 9780593854518
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320