“Parks and Recreation” was originally developed as a spin-off of the American mockumentary sitcom “The Office.”
NBC executive Ben Silverman asked Greg Daniels to develop a spin-off after the success of “The Office.” Daniels then worked with Michael Schur, an “Office” writer and producer, on ideas for a related series. Early concepts were designed to share the same documentary-style comedy language and production sensibility.
The project eventually became a standalone show rather than a direct spin-off. Daniels and Schur decided they could not find the right connection to the existing “Office” characters, and they developed a new story about optimistic local-government employee Leslie Knope in Pawnee, Indiana.
The relationship between the shows still shaped the series. Both used mockumentary interviews, direct-to-camera looks and scripted scenes that encouraged improvisation. Rashida Jones also appeared in both programs, playing Karen Filippelli in “The Office” and Ann Perkins in “Parks and Recreation,” but the characters are unrelated.