All episodes of Parks and Recreation have been added to Paramount+ as of August 20, 2026, giving fans and new viewers a fresh streaming home for the series that has been labelled the 'best comedy of the century'.
The show, which follows the Parks Department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, has been praised by many viewers who say they constantly rewatch it. Users can sign up to Paramount+ directly through its own platform and app, or watch the series on Channel 4 or U at no extra cost. The advantage of Paramount+ is that subscribers can watch without adverts.
What is Parks and Recreation about?
The series centres on Leslie Knope, the second-in-command of the Parks Department, whose life revolves around her work and her friends and colleagues. In the early seasons, she works to help concerned citizen and nurse Ann Perkins turn an abandoned construction site into a new park. She is assisted by less enthusiastic colleagues including her boss Ron Swanson and intern April Ludgate.
As the show progresses, the characters encounter plenty of red tape and other hurdles as they seek to improve their community. The cast includes Saturday Night Live alum Amy Poehler, Marvel star Chris Pratt, Severance actor Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Nick Offerman and more.
Fans say it surpasses The Office
Co-created by Mike Schur and Dan Goor, Parks and Recreation was originally seen as a spin-off of The Office US but eventually developed into a standalone series. Schur went on to create other beloved sitcoms including Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place and A Man on the Inside for Netflix.
Many fans suggest the series even surpassed The Office. One fan shared on Reddit: "Parks and Recreation is better than The Office The first season was rough, but the rest of the show managed to be hilarious and heartwarming - an extremely difficult combo." They added: "I've never seen a show with such distinctly interesting characters that was genuinely laugh out loud funny without having to be cringy, and for that, Parks and Rec wins it all in my book."
Another fan said: "Hilarious, endlessly rewatchable Parks and Recreation is my favourite show of all time." One person called it "the best thing to come out of American television ever" and said it is "so impressive how consistently funny it is after season 2."
One fan's verdict on the series
One viewer went so far as to label it the "best comedy of this century," saying: "This show has everything you would expect in a comedy series. When binge-watching this show I laughed, I cried, I became emotionally attached to characters, I said 'aw', I said 'wow', I was sad when characters left, I was happy when new characters were added and so on and so forth."
They continued: "The writing is fantastic because the various story lines and running gags are completely engrossing and make me laugh every time. The acting is superb because the dialog flows very well and seems very natural, while the improve scenes are absolutely hilarious. I have never laughed out loud so much when watching a show by myself." Parks and Recreation is now streaming on Paramount+, Channel 4 and U.
