was parks and rec supposed to be a spin off of the office
Parks and Recreation Immediately after Ben Silverman was named co-chairman of NBC's entertainment division in 2007, he asked Greg Daniels to create a spin-off of The Office.[66][116] Daniels co-created Parks and Recreation with Michael Schur, who had been a writer on The Office. The two spent months considering ideas for the new series and debating whether to make it a stand-alone show rather than a spin-off.[66] According to Daniels, they eventually abandoned the original spin-off plan because they "couldn't find the right fit".[116] They considered a series about a local government official trying to rebuild a political career following a humiliating public spectacle. They eventually abandoned the idea, though it did end up being incorporated into the backstory for Ben Wyatt late in the second season.[48][117] After Amy Poehler agreed to play the lead, they decided the show would revolve around an optimistic bureaucrat in small-town government.[66]
Ben Wyatt (Parks and Recreation) Scott first appeared in Parks and Recreation starting in the penultimate second-season episode, "The Master Plan", the same episode Rob Lowe joined the regular cast as Chris Traeger.[17][21] The idea of a character trying to rebuild a government career following a humiliating public failure was one of the original ideas for the protagonist of Parks and Recreation. The idea was ultimately abandoned in favor of Leslie Knope's character, but those early ideas were ultimately incorporated into Ben Wyatt.[5][22] Ben's role as a state auditor, and Pawnee's subsequent budget problems, were conceived from global economic crisis and news reports about government services getting shut down around the country.[23] Scott described his character as "someone who jumped in on a moving train" in trying to integrate with the other characters.[19] Ben was expected to become a love interest for Leslie Knope from his earliest conception.[17][24] In addition to the growing relationship between Leslie and Ben, one of the biggest story arcs for season three was Ben's growing love of the city of Pawnee, which coincided with his romantic feelings for Leslie. Schur described Ben's character as one who never had a firm sense of home due to the excessive amount of traveling with his job, but who gradually grew to appreciate Pawnee due to the optimism and enthusiasm Leslie has for her job.[25]