America's greatest sitcom

Lorcan Mullan loves Parks & Rec

There never seems to be much rhyme or reason to what US sitcoms translate successfully to British audiences and vice versa. Friends was a cultural behemoth on both sides of the Atlantic, while Seinfeld was condemned to late nights and tiny audiences on BBC Two when it was breaking TV audience records in the States.

The Big Bang Theory is on constant rotation on E4, whereas Everybody Loves Raymond never warranted satellite and terrestrial bidding wars. John Lithgow has stated in interviews that the underrated 3rd Rock from the Sun seemed to have a more faithful following in the UK than in the country it was produced.

If there's any comedic justice then BBC4's latest purchase will be as much of a cult smash as the surprise hit Scandinavian dramas of the past few years. Originally pitched by NBC as a spin-off to their remake of The Office, Parks and Recreation has gone on to surpass its predecessor to become, in my humble opinion, the best sitcom since Arrested Development.

What the show shares with The Office is actress Rashida Jones, a few of the writers and the mockumentary format. Like Modern Family it plays fast and loose with the rules originally set by the likes of Ricky Gervais and Christopher Guest. It really only acts as a device for easy exposition or quick amusing asides to the audience, like Frankie Howerd in Up Pompei.

The other thing Parks & Rec has in common with The Office: An American Workplace, and Seinfeld, is a truncated first season that would not give any great indication to the wonders that were going to emerge as the season progressed.

Amy Poehler had spent a decade toiling in the high pressure world of Saturday Night Live, as well as often thankless supporting or guest roles on films and sitcoms of varying quality. Parks & Rec was her deserved crack at playing the lead. The main worry after the first few episodes was that her character seemed to have so many similarities to Steve Carrel's in The Office that she might as well have been named Michelle Scott.

There's some validity in those criticisms. There's not a lot of today's Leslie Knope that's recognisable in her first baby steps with the role. If I were to summarise Knope now it would probably be if Reese Witherspoon's iconic Tracy Flick character from Election had grown up with as much compassion as determination. The gradual increase of warmth in Poehler's performance allowed the show itself to become something that's very rare in television shows. Genuinely lovely.

I once wondered if I could write a sitcom script where every character was friendly and well intentioned, and everyone wanted nothing but the best for each other. I finally came to the conclusion that it was impossible. Every great sitcom - from Blackadder to The Simpsons, Fawlty Towers to Curb Your Enthusiasm - had to have a healthy amount of spite. Parks & Rec is as close as a show has come to proving me completely wrong.

That's not to say it's a live action version of the Care Bears. Every character has their flaws and sometimes behave rashly or out of pure self-interest, but they are all so easy to relate to, and willing to go the extra mile for each other, that you can't help but root for all of them.

Chris Pratt's character Andy Dwyer was originally intended to be a short-lived jerk boyfriend for Jones' character, in the same mould as Lee and Roy from both versions of The Office. Instead, Pratt eventually morphed him into a giant puppy. His versatility, as both an actor and emergency stuntman, is most likely the main reason he'll become a huge name in Hollywood next year when he stars in Marvel's next cinematic juggernaut Guardians of the Galaxy.

There isn't a weak link in the cast. Rashida Jones does great work as Ann Perkins, often doing thankless work in the straight role, but every so often let off the leash and allowed to show frailties behind her beautiful tropical fish exterior. Drunk Ann is a personal favourite. Stand-up Retta's Donna character is constantly given nuances to prevent her falling into sassy cliché. The gradual thawing of Aubrey Plaza's April Ludgate, so downbeat Eeyore would tell her to lighten up, is one of the better character arcs and has a wonderful payoff without feeling the character has completely changed.

There's also Aziz Ansari wonderful work as walking GQ editorial Tom Haverford. The team's cuddly punching bag Gerry allows some nastier comedy to come out, but there is still hope and happiness revealed to be at the heart of the humour that makes it work. Adam Scott is also often doing the straight man heavy lifting, but his social awkwardness and geeky interests are a constant source of humour. When your weakest character in the ensemble is played by Rob Lowe, and is still given brilliant lines in most episodes, you know this is a special group of actors and characters.

Not since Cheers (which has been cited as a major inspiration by both Poehler and show runner Michael Schur) has a show been so crammed with loveable losers who feel that they could all star in their own successful spin-offs. If I were to pick one to be the show's Frasier it would probably be the continued exploits of Haverford's double act with the even more ludicrous Jean 'Technically I'm hooomelesss!' Ralphio.

Then there's the town of Pawnee that all of these characters work hard to serve, in spite of the town itself. Not since Springfield and South Park has a location felt so detailed. The town's religion, politics, culture and dietary habits are fodder for many great episodes. Knope's regular lessons on the Pawnee's troubled history is another great opportunity for satire on the country as represented by its small towns.

If there was only one reason that I would offer you to give Parks & Rec a chance - and hold out through the rougher spots in the first six or so episodes - it's Ron Swanson. A first amongst equals, Nick Offerman's rugged woodsman should rank as one of the greatest characters in the history of TV. A hardline libertarian who loves nothing more than a strong-willed brunette woman and a hearty breakfast, Swanson is a wonderfully unique person. Taking Offerman's real life craft skills as a launch pad, the mythology behind him has grown and grown over the course of the show's five years to reveal his beliefs, his hopes, closely held secrets from his past and, most importantly, his frailties. Even now you feel there are many more places the writers and Offerman have yet to explore.

I could have written a book the size of Leslie Knope's Pawnee: The Greatest Town In America about how much I love this show, but I hope I've left this oblique enough to merely whet your appetite. To reiterate yet again, the first few episodes are often shaky but from Beauty Pageant, early in the second season, the show takes off and has never looked back. Except for Sister City; you can skip that one.

The low energy and cynicism that weighed the show down to begin with is jettisoned. Weaker characters and seemingly important story arcs are written into the background. When Adam Scott and Rob Lowe arrive towards the end of the second season it somehow manages to find yet another gear. The BBC only has the rights to the first two seasons so I guess I've just got to try, for once, to have Leslie Knope-levels of optimism and trust that there's an audience out there who wants to watch a show that's fast-paced, smart and nearly always hilarious. Just like Knope with her own friends, it also wants to make you happy. That is surprisingly rare in most sitcoms.

You may even find, during one surprise wedding episode, that you are brought as close to tears as a show has ever managed to achieve.

Or maybe that was just me...