James R | On 30, Jul 2015

Good news, Pawnee lovers! Parks and Recreation has returned to UK TV screens this week on Dave, which means that it is available to watch online for free once again. Yes, right now.

The show, which was previously aired on BBC Four, has been sorely missing from UK living rooms: while Seasons 1 to 3 are available on Amazon Prime, the final four seasons have only been available on DVD. Now, though, Seasons 4 to 7 have been snapped up by UKTV’s ever-growing channel.

For the uninitiated, the sitcom stars Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope and her trusty group of office mates followed around by a documentary crew, offering a quirky look into their everyday lives at the Parks and Recreation department in Pawnee, Indiana.

The deal with NBCUniversal International Distribution was brokered by UKTV’s Head of Acquisitions, Alexandra Finlay, and will see the four seasons screened on Dave, with each episode also available to catch up post-broadcast on UKTV’s ad-supported VOD service, UKTV Play.

Season 4 picks up with Leslie running for city council while Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) has his hands full with the women in his life. Meanwhile, the rest of the clan – Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza and Chris Pratt – is left to deal with the everyday toils of office romances and politics.

Season 4 began on Monday 27th July with the first two episodes now available to stream on UKTV Play until the following Monday. Season 5 will then be broadcast, with Seasons 6 and 7 following in summer 2016. It’s a long way after the show’s run in the US, but on the plus side, it’s free.

Alexandra Finlay, Head of Acquisitions for UKTV, says: “As an award-winning comedy with a superb cast, Parks and Recreation is a fantastic addition to Dave’s scripted acquisition slate.”

Steve North, General Manager for Dave adds: “Parks and Recreation feels like it was written for Dave; the wit and humour fits perfectly on the channel and will be a great addition to the slate, sitting alongside Suits which we are bringing closer to the US TX.”

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