Live from Pawneee, Indiana, it’s Saturday Night Live! At least it’ll feel that way this fall when Fred Armisen reunites with Amy Poehler on Parks and Recreation.
In an episode that begins shooting this week, Armisen will play Poehler’s counterpart from Pawneee’s sister city — but there’s a twist. “Leslie arranges for [Armisen and his colleagues] to come for a visit, but they’re from a city in Venezuela,” explains exec producer Michael Schur. “They’re very confused because in Venezuela the government is so powerful; their parks department travels with military escorts and motorcades and stuff. They have all the money in the world because of their oil and they [don't understand] why Pawnee’s parks department is so rinky-dink.”
Schur says Armisen and his fellow Venezuelans “take a real shine” to Nick Offerman’s Ron “because they value his mustache. They call him El Jefe the whole time. They revere him and they present him with all sorts of gifts and stuff.”
The whole thing sounds just silly enough to work. Thoughts? (Reporting by Tim Stack)
As a Venezuelan, I find the premise denigrating (not to mention stupid…)
I think its stupid that your offended, its ok to laugh at yourself, if not everyone will just keep laughing at you
Well, everyone knows Venezuelans have no sense of humor.
As a Colombia, I find Venezuelans stupid.
As a Frenchman, I find all nationalities stupid.
Como venezolano te digo que eres un caliche infeliz.
As a Colombian, I find Carlos a selfish stupid.
As someone with a sense of humor, I find the whole beginning of this thread much funnier than Parks and Recreation ever has been.
That was good Lars
Sorry, I am still a little peaved that this show is filling the 30 Rock time slot and making me wait until January. I don’t think I will be watching it or anything else on NBC, no matter how funny or well made until then. You just don’t do that to a show that has won both the Golden Globe and Emmy for best comedy series.(Besides, 30 Rock already featured Fred Armisen as a middle eastern man that Liz Lemon mistakenly accused of being a terrorist)
I’m counting the MINUTES until the ’30 Rock’ premiere as well. And tho it’s been uneven, ‘P&R’ (especially the season finale) has had some very funny moments.
To Lauren, first off, Venezuela is not a middle eastern country, so I don’t know what that point means. Second, 30 Rock is premiering in October, as it has the previous two seasons. Third, it’s SNL Thursday, not Parks and Recreations that is filling in for 30 Rock.
Will tune in for this one. Hopefully they find their voice like the second season of The Office did (still their best season).
Lauren….that’s EXACTLY the type of show you do that to (In reference to 30 rock). It’s already got viewers and the awards……it’s going to be big no matter what. Holding off the premiere isn’t going to hurt it much.
Parks and Recreation needs help with viewers and critics so why not let them premiere first?
Also don’t blame Parks….blame SNL Thursdays for 30 Rock being delayed.
Also Lauren the reason NBC schedules the start of 30 Rock so late is to accomidate Baldwin’s schedule. I know NBC is easy to blame on a lot of things (screwing up Chuck, nevery hyping Kings, bringing back Night Rider etc..) but you can’t blame them on this one.
there may have been some confusion about the fall TV schedule, but I don’t think anybody was suggesting that Venezuela is in the middle east. Lighten up, Sean.
Lauren made me panic there! 30 Rock not starting until January?? From what I understood, 30 Rock is premering in late October which is the same as last year when 30 Rock also premiered on October 31. It has nothing to do with Parks & Recreation. I think P&R has promise to become just as good as 30 Rock and The Office. It needs a little bit more time for us to get to know the characters and everything, but I am looking forward to it!
I really like Parks and Rec, and I think, like The Office, it’s only going to get better. A six episode season is difficult to establish a connection with viewers and to find a show’s voice. I’m excited to see where they go with it this year. And by all accounts I’ve seen, 30 Rock is starting in October as most people have said. Further, SNL Weekend Update Thursday is awesome! This is the first time in a looooooooong time that I can remember being happy about the entire NBC Thursday lineup. I’ve seen the pilot for Community, and it fits right in with P&R, The Office and 30 Rock. Now if they would just bring Chuck back sooner than March….
I recently just did a P&R marathon (make hulu.com available up north!!) and I loved it! i really hope the show gains the fans it deserves!
I feel so badly to be say this but I thing that more people commenting on Park and Recration then actual watch the show in real life!!
and i am on that loves that show as well. i thing it not as funny as office but funny by it self.
so nice to feel some P&R love. I think it’s fantastic. Reminds me of the Office UK more than the american version.
Fred has a long standing tradition of playing Venezuelan characters on SNL – so this is no surprise to me. As someone that lived in the country – I have to say – this sounds hilarious. The Venezuelan are awesome and they have a great sense of humor where in they invite you to laugh with them – not at them. I think that’s how they’ll be approaching this episode, I’m sure it will be done in good fun. Also, I used to have a driver in Venezuela who had a long mustache and used to call my dad “Jefe! Jefe!” all the time. COMIC GENIUS!
I think this is great. He’s one of the most versitile character actors out there. I’m just waiting for him to have a guest shot on “Mad Men” since he and Elizabeth Moss met on SNL and she’s had a cameo since that first meeting. I think he’d look great “Mad Men”-ed up.
As a venezuelan I don’t feel offended at all, actually it makes me see that talented people like Fred Armisen can make us have a laugh out of the unfortunate situation our country is going through. Besides that’s what comedy is all about!!! Well done Fred, we are proud of you and your Venezuelan roots!!
By the way…we do have great sense of humor; can’t you se the clown we have for president?
you are such a racist.
Mad AND obtuse… not a very good combination.
Ja, ja, ja, Great comment Martha! La botaste de jonron!