The Parks And Recreation Cast Created A Fake TV Show That Sounds Perfect

"Parks and Recreation" was originally envisioned as a spin-off of "The Office," but Greg Daniels and Michael Schur's political sitcom ultimately became its own beautiful thing, and the rest is history. Thanks to the series' ability to charm viewers, real people celebrate holidays like Galentine's Day and Treat Yo Self Day, proving that its cultural impact is real. Not only that, but the success of "Parks and Recreation" prepared Chris Pratt for "Guardians of the Galaxy," and the other cast members have enjoyed further success in their own right. That said, fans of the show would love to see them reunite — but don't expect to see them in a show called "Philly Justice."

If you've heard of "Philly Justice" and assumed it's a planned spin-off of "Parks and Recreation," it's because an in-joke by the cast of Daniels and Schur's sitcom has taken on a life of its own. However, "Philly Justice" is a fake show that they came up with and pretended to star in, as Amy Poehler explained on "Good Hang" podcast (via Entertainment Weekly). In her own words:

"We pretended we were on a fake TV show in the '90s called 'Philly Justice' — or the early 2000s — and we all crossed our arms. Then that became a text chain as the actors."

What's more, the "Parks and Recreation" cast even has a story idea in mind for their fake series, and it would star some familiar faces — if it ever becomes a thing. So, what would this make-believe legal drama entail?

The idea for "Philly Justice" was born during a "Parks and Recreation" episode that required the cast to wear suits to a courthouse. Speaking on the aforementioned "Good Hang" episode, Kathryn Hahn explained that the series would have been reminiscent of the work of David Kelly, who brought us shows like "Boston Legal." 

The cast, meanwhile, would have included Hahn, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Rashida Jones, Nick Offerman, and Adam Scott. Jones would have played Joey Martinez, an opinionated law graduate who rubs people the wrong way. Scott's character would have been called Nick Bellows, a motorcycle-riding D.A. who survived 9/11 because he was late for work that day. As for Hahn and Poehler, they'd have played Valerie McNeal and Holly McIntire, respectively, with the former being a workaholic and the latter being the daughter of a firm boss. Offerman would have played a judge, which would have suited the no-nonsense sensibilities he displayed as the lovable libertarian, Ron Swanson, on "Parks and Recreation."

Speaking on "Good Hang," Michael Schur revealed that "Philly Justice" inspired the writers of "Parks and Recreation" at the time the cast was pondering ideas for the legal drama. "It just kept wafting up to the writer's room, everyone was really enjoying this bit," he said. "Then, I think we all collectively blacked out, and when we woke up, the writers had written scenes for 'Philly Justice.'"

The "Parks and Recreation" cast has since made a trailer for their faux law procedural, but there aren't any legitimate plans to make the show a reality. That sucks, but at least fans can revisit "Parks and Recreation's" seven excellent seasons to see this crew in action together.