Could the Upcoming 'Parks and Rec' Special Mean a Reboot Is on the Way?

Parks and Recreation is one of the most beloved TV shows of all time. It introduced us to Leslie Knope. It gave us Galentine's Day. It made breakfast for dinner not only acceptable, but honorable. It's where we all learned about the glory that is Chris Pratt. It made us feel all the feelings about a miniature horse named Sebastian, and so much more! 

So when NBC announced that Parks and Rec would be coming back, the world collectively passed out over the good news and immediately wondered if this meant we'd be getting a Parks and Rec reboot.

There's a big catch: Parks and Rec is coming back...for single episode. It's called "A Parks and Recreation Special" and the goal of the episode is to raise funds for food banks which are facing hardships during the COVID-19 crisis. The special airs next Thursday, April 30 at 8:30 p.m. EST on NBC and will be reuniting the whole crew: Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Nick Offerman, Adam Scott, Aziz Ansari, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Rob Lowe, Retta, and Jim O'Heir. According to NBC, "Several guest stars from the Pawnee universe" might join in too.

The Parks and Rec special will be directly tied to the coronavirus. The episode is described as such: "Pawnee's most dedicated civil servant, Leslie Knope, is determined to stay connected to her friends in a time of social distancing." But honestly, where IS the real Leslie Knope when you need her most? The COVID-19 crisis would have never happened if we have Leslie for president. Just saying!

You honestly never know. A year ago, the Parks and Rec cast reunited at PaleyFest and showrunner Mike Schur addressed the possibility of a Parks and Rec reboot, which gave us some hope. "There was nothing I loved more than working on the show. I would never ever say never. The chance to do it again, should it arise, would be incredible. But I think we'd only do it if we all felt like there was some compelling reason to do it...[Each cast member] would have a veto. If one single person says, 'No,' we wouldn't do it."

Amy is an especially big fan of a reboot. On Ellen in 2018, she said, "I'll speak for everybody and say we would all do it. I think we would all do it someday. It would be amazing." Nick stated that he was also very game, but that he had one condition. "We said that if Beyonce would play the mayor, we'll bring the show back," he said. Beyonce, what say you?

The bad news is that most of the Parks and Rec stars are super busy. Amy is starring in the new show Duncanville, Rashida is also on Duncanville along with a show of her own called #BlackAF on Netflix, Chris is the lead in a couple of franchises, including Jurassic Park and Guardians of the Galaxy, Nick Offerman is currently starring in Devs, Retta is in Good Girls, and the rest of the cast is honestly just as preoccupied. 

So, yeah. The chances of a Parks and Recreation reboot are slim — for now. As far as we know, the cast loves each other very much and would probably jump at an opportunity to work with each other again, but it's probably a timing thing. As for now, get excited for the upcoming reunion next week. We need all the laughter and joy we can get, and if there's one thing that's for sure, it's that Parks and Rec can deliver that.