Top 35 Shows of 2013: No 4 Parks and Recreation

I love you and I like you

For the fourth year running Parks and Recreation is my favourite comedy and really it is down to two simple things – it is incredibly sweet and it is incredibly funny. We know the characters so well now every episode is like watching old friends do funny and often wonderful things. Clearly the highlight of the episodes aired this year was the wedding of Leslie and Ben, an event so perfect that the show could have have ended there (which it nearly did).

Oh who I am kidding I never want to say goodbye to this show even if every year the threat of cancellations looms. I just love it too much, even if it’s not as consistently amazing as it was in S3 or S4 it is always good and often great which really for a comedy in its sixth year is pretty damn impressive.

There have been a lot of changes this season with Andy being stuck in London and with Chris and Ann due to leave next year but despite this the show always manages to cope. This year Donna is being used a lot more and whilst I can never see her as Leslie’s new best friend I do really love their dynamic together. We also get to see both Ron and Chris tackle impending fatherhood and Ben once again take on another job.

Central to the show though is Leslie and her dreams. Though Parks and Recreation can be an optimistic show, it is not afraid to show the reality of trying to change things for the better. The truth is the citizens of Pawnee resent Leslie and whilst it is hard to watch as she continually battles them and then eventually loses the recall vote it does feel true to the show. Leslie has her dreams and she always has to fight for them and that is what makes her Leslie Knope, she doesn’t give up, she keeps on fighting and we keep on cheering her on. She is our hero in an age of cynicism.

Favourite episodes: Leslie and Ben / London