David Farnor | On 27, Apr 2020

The cast of Parks and Recreation are getting back together for a new charity special amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Last aired in the USA in 2015, and since a welcome fixture on Dave and, later, Amazon Prime Video in the UK, the show follows the team of the Parks department in the small Indiana town of Pawnee.

The half-hour scripted episode will reunite the cast of the hit sitcom, including Amy Poehler (Leslie Knope), Rashida Jones (Ann Perkins), Aziz Ansari (Tom Haverford), Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson), Aubrey Plaza (April Ludgate), Chris Pratt (Andy Dwyer), Adam Scott (Ben Wyatt), Jim O’Heir (Jerry Gergich), Retta (Donna Meagle) and Rob Lowe (Chris Traeger).

Co-creator Mike Shur decided to do the one-off reunion in response to the ongoing pandemic. The story, naturally, will take its cue from the current situation, as Leslie Knope remains determined to stay connected to her friends in a time of social distancing. It will be filmed by the cast members in their respective houses.

“Like a lot of other people, we were looking for ways to help and felt that bringing these characters back for a night could raise some money,” Schur said in a statement. “I sent a hopeful email to the cast and they all got back to me within 45 minutes. Our old Parks And Rec team has put together one more 30-minute slice of (quarantined) Pawnee life and we hope everyone enjoys it. And donates!”

“In such uncertain times, we can’t think of anyone better than Leslie Knope to unite our country with her unbridled enthusiasm and compassion,” added Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, Co-Presidents of Scripted Programming, NBC Entertainment. “A huge thank you to Mike Schur and the cast of Parks and Recreation for putting this wonderful special together and bringing a smile to all our faces while raising money for such a worthwhile cause.”

The half-hour episode will air on Thursday 30 April on NBC in the USA, with UK broadcast details not yet clear, although Dave or Amazon Prime Video may well be the place to turn. Regardless, fans can still donate in the UK – head to http://www.feedingamerica.org/parksandrec – and sponsors plus the writers and cast will be matching audience donations up to $500,000 until 21st May. Funds go to Feeding America, which helps food banks in America.

Here’s a teaser video:

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