23. Comparing Workplace Sitcoms of the 2000s: Parks and Recreation vs. The Office

Abstract

In so many ways, “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office,” two NBC sitcoms that aired from the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s, are extremely similar. The style of the shows, the characters and the way they helped elevate the actors that played them to stardom. Despite these comparisons, each show was able to establish its own identity, and dominate the late night comedy ratings. Both “Parks and Recreation” and “The Office” became staples of weeknight television and dominated ratings for almost a decade. Each capitalized on their own differences, while still maintaining the idea of a documentary-style “mockumentary” show about normal people doing average jobs, and were able to create two critically acclaimed shows that are adored by countless amounts of people across the globe. This paper discusses the workplace sitcom as a genre and how these two shows approached the cultural idea of the workplace differently.